Sample: Lead Research List for a B2B Supplier
This worked example shows one lead research run for a B2B packaging supplier, handled by the lead research service. It walks through the brief that went in, the shortlist that came back, and the verification a human reviewer did before the supplier saw anything.
The brief
The supplier did not ask for “more leads.” They gave a tight target:
- Regional food producers with roughly 20–200 staff.
- Inside three named counties.
- Two example existing customers to match the shape against.
- Exclude anyone already in their CRM.
A clear brief is what makes a shortlist usable. A vague one produces a long list nobody trusts.
The shortlist that came back
The service returned twenty-five researched companies, each row carrying:
- Company and verified website.
- A role to approach — the function, with a public source for the contact.
- A one-line fit reason — why this company matches the brief.
Crucially, four companies that were plausible but uncertain were not mixed into the main list. They were separated into a borderline section, so the supplier judges them rather than discovering a weak match three calls in.
What the reviewer checked
Research is only useful if it is current and honest about its sources. Before delivery a human reviewer:
- Removed three companies that had closed or moved out of the target counties.
- Replaced one guessed email address with a verified contact form, rather than ship a guess.
- Confirmed every contact had a public source recorded next to it.
No personal data was collected beyond public business contacts, and nothing was invented to pad the count.
The deliverable
The supplier opened a list they could work the same day: twenty-one solid matches with a way in and a reason, four borderline names to weigh, and a clear note on what was excluded. No deduping against their CRM by hand, no chasing dead websites.
Lists vary in size and in how strict the fit criteria are; both come from the brief and are confirmed at intake.