Data Sources
TL;DR
Pick 1-2 primary data sources and 1 backup/enrichment source. Define your ICP first (industry, size, geo, tech, roles, triggers). Use GPT to convert your ICP into precise filters/Boolean strings for tools like Apollo and Sales Navigator. Build your TAM list (all possible accounts), then apply lead scoring to prioritize. No source is perfect - combine, enrich, and verify.
Where to get data
Company-level (firmographic / technographic)
LinkedIn / Sales Navigator
Most current company universe, org charts, growth signals. No emails directly.
Apollo
Strong filters, basic technographics, solid email coverage, enrichment API.
ZoomInfo
Deep coverage, direct dials, org maps. Great but pricier.
Clearbit / Clearbit Reveal
Enrichment + website/company matching. Good for technographics.
BuiltWith / Datanyze / Wappalyzer
Tech stack detection (e.g., "uses HubSpot/Shopify/Snowflake").
Crunchbase / Owler
Funding, acquisitions, company news signals.
Dealfront / Lead Forensics / 6sense
Reverse-IP account intent detection.
Person-level (contacts)
Apollo
Large contact database + sequencer. Good starter option.
ZoomInfo
Higher direct-dial accuracy. Expensive but comprehensive.
Seamless / Lusha / RocketReach / LeadIQ
Fast contact discovery. Quality varies - always verify.
Sales Navigator
Gold standard for title discovery and org mapping. Export/enrichment needed.
Intent and triggers (great for timing)
G2 / TrustRadius Intent
Researching your category or competitors.
Bombora / Demandbase
Account-level research topics surging.
Hiring / Funding / Tech Changes
LinkedIn Jobs, Crunchbase press, BuiltWith changes - strong "why now" signals.
ICP first (before you buy)
You will save budget and time if you lock this down up front:
Industry: NAICS/SIC or practical segments (e.g., "B2B SaaS, 50-500 employees").
Size: employees and/or revenue bands.
Geo: countries, states, time zones you support.
Tech stack: "must use" or "must not use" (HubSpot, Shopify, Snowflake, SAP, etc.).
Compliance/Needs: e.g., "healthcare with HIPAA concern," "manufacturers with service depots."
Personas: titles + synonyms ("RevOps," "Revenue Operations," "Sales Systems," "Go-To-Market Ops").
Triggers: hiring for X, new funding, opened second location, migrating CRMs.
GPT Shortcut
Paste your ICP into GPT and ask: "Turn this ICP into Apollo filters + Sales Navigator Boolean searches. Include title synonyms and negative keywords."
Turning ICP into lists
TAM (Total Addressable Market)
The full company list that matches your ICP. Build in segments (by industry, size, or tech) so you can run targeted plays.
Contacts
For each segment, pull the right personas (primary + influencers).
Enrich and Verify
Add domains, tech, HQ, social. Verify emails before sending.
Important
Being on your TAM list does not equal being a good near-term target. You will prioritize with lead scoring (fit + intent). Our Lead Scoring Tool in the next section does this automatically.
Strengths and trade-offs (real talk)
No single source is perfect.
Sales Navigator
Most current titles/orgs. Weak on emails.
Apollo
Great filters + decent emails. Some gaps at the edges.
ZoomInfo
Strong phones/orgs. Expensive.
Seamless / Lusha / etc.
Fast/cheap contacts. Quality varies - verify every send.
Clearbit / BuiltWith
Excellent for enrichment/tech. May miss long-tail firms.
Best Practice
Choose a primary (e.g., Sales Nav for discovery + Apollo for enrichment) and keep a backup source for fills.
Simple process that works
Step 1: Define ICP
Use the checklist above to lock down industry, size, geo, tech, personas, and triggers.
Step 2: Generate Filters
Ask GPT for Apollo filters and Sales Nav Boolean strings based on your ICP.
Step 3: Build TAM Lists
Create lists by segment; pull initial contacts (primary persona + 1-2 stakeholders).
Step 4: Enrich and Verify
Add tech, HQ, LinkedIn, website. Verify emails before any sends.
Step 5: Tag Sources
Mark source (e.g., source=Apollo) so you can measure quality later.
Step 6: Score and Prioritize
Use our Lead Scoring Tool (fit + intent + recency) to rank your list.
Step 7: Run Plays
Capture intent and follow with microsites for your best prospects.
Quick examples of ICP filters
Example A: SaaS
United States, 50-500 employees, "B2B SaaS," uses HubSpot. Titles: "Revenue Operations," "Sales Operations," "Head of RevOps."
Example B: E-commerce
North America, 10-100M GMV, Shopify Plus or BigCommerce. Titles: "VP Ecommerce," "Head of Growth," "Operations Director."
Example C: Manufacturing
Midwest, 200-2,000 employees, "Industrial Equipment," multiple plants. Titles: "Plant Manager," "Maintenance/Facilities," "Ops Director."
What happens next
You Are Ready
You will have a clean, segmented company + contact universe. Next, we will show you how to score it so your team focuses on the highest-fit, highest-intent targets first - and how to plug that into microsites to lift meetings with less noise.