02 Apollo Lead Builder

Skill: Apollo Lead Builder

What This Skill Does

Guides the user through building, filtering, and exporting a high-quality lead list in Apollo.io. Produces ready-to-use search filter configurations, saved list strategies, and export-ready contact data structured for CRM import or outreach sequencing.

When to Use

• You need to build a lead list of 50–500+ contacts quickly
• You want to target specific job titles, industries, technologies used, or company signals
• You're preparing for a cold outreach campaign or prospecting sprint
• You need to enrich existing contacts with emails, phone numbers, or company data

Inputs Required

Before running this skill, ask the user for:

1. Target ICP — industry, company size (employee range), geography, job titles
2. Technologies to target (optional) — e.g., companies using HubSpot, Salesforce, Shopify
3. List size goal — how many contacts do they need?
4. Output destination — Apollo sequence, CSV export, or CRM sync?
5. Apollo subscription level — free, basic, or professional (affects filter availability)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 — Build the Apollo Search Configuration

Output a ready-to-apply filter set for Apollo's People Search:

People Filters:

• Job Titles (include variants): e.g., "Head of Sales", "VP Sales", "Director of Business Development", "Chief Revenue Officer"
• Seniority Level: Director, VP, C-Suite
• Department: Sales, Business Development, Revenue

Company Filters:

• Industry: [from ICP]
• Employee Count: [e.g., 50–500]
• Geography: [e.g., United States, DACH region]
• Technologies Used: [if applicable]
• Funding Stage: [e.g., Series A–C]
• Keywords: [company description keywords]

Signals Filters (Apollo Pro):

• Intent Topics: [relevant buying intent topics]
• Job Postings: [companies hiring for specific roles]

Step 2 — List Hygiene Rules

Before exporting, apply these quality filters to reduce bounce rates and wasted outreach:

• Exclude companies with fewer than 10 employees (unless targeting SMB)
• Exclude contacts with "likely to engage" score below 70 (if shown)
• Filter out contacts with no verified email (use Apollo's verification status)
• Remove anyone already in your CRM (Apollo's CRM sync or manual exclusion)
• Exclude competitors

Step 3 — Segment the List

Divide the output into segments for personalized outreach:

• Segment A — Exact title match + exact industry match (highest priority)
• Segment B — Title match, adjacent industry (warm)
• Segment C — Adjacent title, exact industry (lower priority)

Step 4 — Export Strategy

Recommend export format based on destination:

• To Apollo Sequences → Save directly as list → Add to sequence
• To HubSpot/Salesforce → Export CSV → Import with field mapping guide
• To Instantly/Smartlead → Export CSV → Upload as campaign audience

Provide a field mapping table:

Apollo Field       → CRM / Tool Field
First Name         → first_name
Last Name          → last_name
Email              → email
Title              → job_title
Company            → company_name
LinkedIn URL       → linkedin_url
Phone              → phone_number
Industry           → industry
Employee Count     → company_size

Step 5 — List Maintenance Cadence

Recommend a recurring workflow:

• Refresh list weekly (filter by "added to Apollo in last 7 days")
• Remove bounced contacts after each send
• Update contact statuses in CRM after each touchpoint
• Re-run search monthly with updated filters based on closed/won patterns

Output Format

Deliver:

1. Apollo filter configuration (copy-paste ready)
2. Segmentation breakdown with priority tiers
3. Export field mapping table
4. List hygiene checklist
5. Suggested sequence assignment per segment

Pro Tips

• Use Apollo's "Technologies Used" filter to find companies using a competitor's product — these are your hottest leads
• Layer Intent Topics with Funding filters to find companies actively researching your category AND have money to spend
• Save your best-performing search as a "Saved Search" in Apollo and set alerts for new matches weekly
• Export 100–200 contacts at a time rather than bulk, and track reply rates by segment to optimize your filters over time
• The "Verified Email" filter is non-negotiable — unverified emails kill deliverability

Example Filter Configuration

Titles: "VP of Marketing" OR "Head of Growth" OR "CMO" OR "Director of Demand Gen"
Industry: Software / Technology, SaaS, B2B Services
Employees: 50–1000
Geography: United States
Technologies: HubSpot (using competitor = high signal)
Funding: Series A, Series B, Series C
Verified Email: Yes only

Expected list size: ~300–800 contacts per export