If you’re tired of chasing leads who never had a shot at buying, you’re not alone. Wasting time on low-intent prospects is a grind. The good news? Tools like Similartech let you zero in on companies already using (or trying out) tech that lines up with what you sell. This guide skips the fluff and shows you, step by step, how to use Similartech’s technology filters to actually find leads worth your time—without going down a rabbit hole of useless data.
Who is this for?
This guide is for anyone in B2B sales, marketing, or business development who:
- Sells software or tech services
- Wants to find companies likely to buy, not just window-shop
- Is tired of “spray and pray” prospecting lists
- Needs practical, honest advice (not hand-wavy growth hacks)
If you’re looking for shortcuts or magic bullets, this isn’t it. But if you want a repeatable process for finding real leads, keep reading.
Step 1: Know What High Intent Means (And What It Doesn’t)
Before you jump into Similartech, get clear on what “high intent” actually looks like for your business. There’s a lot of vague talk about “intent signals” out there, but here’s what matters:
- High intent = companies with a reason to buy soon.
- This usually means they’re using tech that overlaps with, competes with, or complements what you offer.
- Example: If you sell a Shopify plugin, a company currently running Shopify is high intent; a company on Magento, maybe; a company with no e-commerce? Don’t waste your time.
What doesn’t work: - Chasing every company with a website - Thinking “bigger is better” (big companies can be slow and political) - Getting distracted by vanity signals (like web traffic spikes)
Pro tip: Write down your top 1-2 “must have” tech signals before doing anything else.
Step 2: Get Your Similartech Access Set Up
You’ll need a Similartech account. The free version is limited, so if you’re serious, consider a paid plan or at least a free trial. Don’t expect miracles from free tools—they’re teasers.
- Sign up and poke around the dashboard.
- Bookmark the Technology Filters section—you’ll use this a lot.
Heads up: Similartech isn’t perfect. It’s great for web tech (think SaaS apps, CRMs, analytics, ad platforms). It won’t tell you if a company is “thinking about” switching, only what’s actually running on their site.
Step 3: Make a List of Target Technologies
Here’s where most people get lazy—and regret it later. The difference between a junk list and a goldmine is knowing exactly what to filter for.
- List the tech your best customers use. Examples:
- Your competitors (if they use Marketo, HubSpot, Shopify, etc.)
- Products that integrate with yours (for upsell/cross-sell)
- Legacy tools people are itching to leave (ripe for your pitch!)
How to figure this out: - Ask your sales team what comes up in calls. - Skim LinkedIn job postings—what tech is “preferred”? - Look at your current customer base.
Don’t: Just pick random tools because you recognize the brand.
Step 4: Build Your Filters in Similartech
Now the fun part. In Similartech, go to the Technology Filters section.
- Pick the techs from your list. You can filter by “currently using,” “used to use,” “newly added,” etc.
- Combine filters: Want companies who use Shopify and Klaviyo but not Mailchimp? You can set that up.
- Filter by geography, site size, or category to narrow it down further.
What works: - Filtering for companies who just added a tool (they’re in buying mode) - Combining “used to use X” with “now using Y” for churn/upgrade opportunities
What doesn’t: - Over-complicating with 10+ filters (you’ll end up with no results) - Filtering by every hot tool you see on Product Hunt (stick to your playbook)
Pro tip: Save your filter sets so you can refresh the search weekly.
Step 5: Vet Your Results (Don’t Trust the List Blindly)
Similartech gives you a list of domains, but not every company is a good fit just because it pops up.
- Open a sample of sites. Is this a legit business, or a side project?
- Double-check the tech stack. Sometimes Similartech picks up old code or plugins that aren’t really in use.
- Google the company name + LinkedIn. Is it the right industry? Right size?
Red flags: - Sites that look abandoned - Companies outside your target vertical or region - Tech stack doesn’t match what you hoped (sometimes data lags by months)
Don’t: Blast your cold email to every single result. Quality beats quantity.
Step 6: Enrich and Prioritize Your List
Now you’ve got a list that’s decent—but incomplete. Most of the time, you’ll have a domain and maybe a company name. Here’s what you need next:
- Use a tool like Apollo, Lusha, or LinkedIn to find decision-makers.
- Add key data: company size, industry, location, contact info.
- Prioritize leads based on:
- How closely they match your ideal customer profile
- How recently they adopted or dropped a technology
- Company activity (are they hiring? Growing? In the news?)
Pro tip: Start with a small batch of leads. Test your outreach before scaling up.
Step 7: Reach Out—But Make It Relevant
You’ve worked hard to find high intent leads. Don’t blow it with generic emails.
- Mention the actual tech you saw on their site. (“Saw you’re using Shopify and Klaviyo—curious if you’re happy with how they work together?”)
- Be direct. No need to fake interest in their “innovative business model.”
- Offer real value, not just a demo. (Got a specific use case? Mention it.)
What works: - Personalization based on real tech data (“Noticed you just switched from Magento to Shopify…”) - Short, plain English messages
What doesn’t: - Templates that scream “mail merge” - Pretending you found their site by accident
Step 8: Track, Iterate, and Refine
This isn’t a “set and forget” process. Markets shift. Tech stacks change. Your pitch needs tweaking.
- Track which leads respond and why.
- Refine your filters—maybe you get better results targeting companies who just adopted a new tool, or who are using a legacy platform.
- Cut out filters that give you junk results.
Don’t: Assume what worked last quarter will work forever.
What to Ignore (Hype Watch)
There’s a lot of noise in the lead gen world. Here’s what you can safely skip:
- Intent data vendors who promise “buying signals” but can’t show their work. If you can’t trace the signal, don’t trust it.
- Overly broad filters. “Companies using Google Analytics” is basically everyone.
- Paralysis by analysis. Spending days tuning filters for perfection means you never actually reach out.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Finding high intent leads with Similartech’s technology filters isn’t magic, but it does work—if you stay focused. Start with clear signals, vet your list, and don’t waste time on companies that will never buy. Iterate your process, trust your gut, and don’t get sidetracked by shiny objects. The best results come from actually talking to people, not just building smarter lists. Now get after it.