Most B2B SaaS companies treat lead generation like a slot machine—they pull the lever (run campaigns) and hope for the best. But the companies that scale predictably treat it like an engineering problem: systematic, measurable, and optimizable.
After building lead generation systems for companies from Series A startups to Fortune 500 enterprises, I've distilled the process into a repeatable framework that any B2B SaaS company can implement.
Step 1: Source - Build Your Prospect Database
Everything starts with having the right prospects to target. This isn't about buying a list—it's about building a systematic approach to identify and track your ideal customers.
The Modern Prospecting Stack
Data Sources:
- Apollo/ZoomInfo: Company and contact data
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Social insights
- Clearbit: Technographic data
- G2/Capterra: Intent signals
Enrichment Tools:
- Clay: Data enrichment workflows
- Phantombuster: Automation and scraping
- Hunter.io: Email verification
- Zapier: Workflow automation
Pro Tip: The 80/20 Rule of Prospecting
Focus 80% of your effort on the 20% of prospects most likely to buy. Use intent signals, recent funding, technology changes, and hiring patterns to prioritize your outreach.
Step 2: Capture - Generate Initial Interest
Now that you have your prospects, you need to capture their attention. This is where most companies fail—they lead with their product instead of leading with value.
Multi-Channel Outreach Sequence
Day 1: Email
Personalized value-first message
Day 3: LinkedIn
Connection request with note
Day 7: Email
Follow-up with case study