B2B Lead Generation for Beginners: Where to Start

What Is B2B Lead Generation?

B2B lead generation is the process of identifying businesses that could become your customers and collecting their contact information so you can reach out. It's the first step in any sales pipeline, and getting it right makes everything else easier.

Step 1: Define Your Ideal Customer

Before you generate a single lead, get crystal clear on who you're targeting. Ask yourself:

• Industry: What type of businesses do you serve best?
• Size: Are you targeting solopreneurs, small businesses, or enterprises?
• Location: Do you serve a specific city, region, or national market?
• Pain point: What problem do you solve for them?

The more specific you are, the better your leads will be.

Step 2: Choose Your Lead Sources

There are dozens of places to find B2B leads. As a beginner, start with these high-ROI sources:

1. Google Maps: Search for businesses by type and location
2. Industry directories: Yelp, Angi, Houzz, and niche-specific sites
3. Social media: LinkedIn, Facebook business pages, and Twitter/X
4. Referrals: Ask existing clients or contacts for introductions

Step 3: Build Your Lead List

Create a simple spreadsheet with columns for business name, contact name, email, phone, website, and any notes. You can fill this manually or use a tool like Easy Email Finder to automate the process of finding business emails from Google Places data.

Step 4: Qualify Your Leads

Not every business on your list is a good fit. Before reaching out, check a few things:

• Does the business look active and established?
• Can they likely afford your product or service?
• Do they have the problem you solve?

Remove businesses that don't meet your criteria. A smaller, qualified list outperforms a large, unqualified one every time.

Step 5: Start Your Outreach

For beginners, email outreach is the easiest channel to start with. Keep your first email short, personalized, and focused on how you can help the prospect rather than on your product features.

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

• Targeting too broad of an audience
• Sending generic, copy-paste emails
• Not following up (most deals happen after the 3rd-5th touchpoint)
• Buying low-quality lead lists from unknown vendors

Start small, measure your results, and iterate. Easy Email Finder can help you build your first list quickly so you can focus on crafting great outreach rather than hunting for emails.