Step 1: Write a one-sentence target
Before you open any tool, finish this sentence: 'I want to reach [title] at [type of company] with [size] in [location] who [signal].' For example: operations managers at regional trucking companies with 20 to 200 employees in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. If you cannot write it, your list will be vague and so will your emails.
Also write down who to leave out: current customers, competitors, and anyone who asked not to be contacted.
Step 2: Build the company list, then find the people
Find accounts before people. Good sources include:
- Industry association member directories and trade show exhibitor lists.
- Google Maps searches for local or regional businesses.
- LinkedIn company search filtered by industry, size, and location.
- Lists of companies using a particular tool, if your product connects to it.
Put each company in a spreadsheet with name, website domain, industry, size, and location. Check each website quickly: is it still operating, and does it really fit?
Find the right person at each company
For each account, find one or two people who match your target title. Check the company's team page and LinkedIn. Pick the person who feels the problem day to day, not automatically the CEO. Note their full name and exact title, since you will use both in your opener.
Step 3: Find and verify the email
Many companies use a predictable format, such as first.last@domain. Email finder tools can suggest addresses, but always run them through a verification service before sending. Remove addresses that fail, and treat 'catch-all' results with caution: they may or may not exist. Sending to bad addresses raises your bounce rate, and high bounce rates can push your mail toward spam folders.
Step 4: Clean and structure it
- De-duplicate by email and by company domain.
- Split into columns: first name, last name, title, email, company, domain, industry, size, city, state, country.
- Standardize capitalization so 'JOHN' becomes 'John' in your merge fields.
- Add a column for a personal note, like a recent hire, a new location, or something from their site.
- Tag each row with a segment so each group gets its own message.
To see what a finished list looks like, explore our lead list sample demo, which breaks a sample down by industry, state, and title.
Step 5: Stay compliant
In the US, CAN-SPAM allows B2B cold email if you use accurate sender details and subject lines, include a physical mailing address, offer a clear opt-out, and honor opt-outs promptly. In the EU and UK, GDPR applies to business contacts too: you need a lawful basis such as legitimate interest, should tell people where you got their data if they ask, and must stop when they object. Canada's CASL is stricter still. Keep a suppression list and check it before every send. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Doing it yourself vs. ordering a list
Doing it by hand is slow but teaches you a lot about your market, and it is worth doing for your first 50 contacts. After that, many people prefer to outsource the research. We build custom lists to your target, with verified business emails, delivered as a de-duplicated CSV in 1 to 3 days, starting at $40 for 250 leads. Then use our free cold email opener generator to draft the first lines. Send your target sentence through the project form to get a fixed quote.