Prospect research can be time-consuming, taking hours each week that could be spent on calls or closing deals. With AI, you can automate much of this process and have a ready-to-go lead list in under 60 minutes.
This tutorial walks you through setting up AI for prospect research efficiently, so your afternoons are meeting-ready.
Step 1: Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
Before using AI, you need to know exactly who you’re targeting.
Action Items:
Identify key demographics such as industry, company size, and location.
List firmographics like revenue, employee count, and market segment.
Include behavioural indicators like recent funding rounds, hiring trends, or tech stack adoption.
Pro Tip: Save your ICP in a simple spreadsheet; AI tools can ingest it directly.
Step 2: Choose the Right AI Tool for Prospect Research
Several AI platforms can automate lead discovery. Popular options in 2025 include:
LinkedIn Sales Navigator integrated with AI enrichment tools
Apollo.io or ZoomInfo with AI filtering
ChatGPT or Claude-based custom scraping workflows
Step 3: Connect Your Data Sources
AI performs best when it has multiple inputs. Connect the following:
CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, or Pipedrive)
LinkedIn or other social platforms
Company databases or APIs (Clearbit, Crunchbase)
Step 4: Set AI Filtering Rules
Input your ICP criteria into the AI platform. Most systems allow filtering by:
Industry and geography
Company size and revenue
Key decision-makers’ roles
Pro Tip: Use exclusion filters to remove competitors or irrelevant leads automatically.
Step 5: Automate Lead Enrichment
Once AI finds leads, enrich them with:
Contact info (emails, phone numbers)
Social profiles and recent activity
Technographic or intent signals
Step 6: Build a Lead Scoring System
AI can prioritise leads by likelihood to engage or convert.
Assign scores based on ICP match, engagement signals, or intent data.
Highlight top-tier leads for immediate outreach.
Save lower-tier leads for nurture campaigns.
Step 7: Export and Sync With Your Outreach Tools
Export leads into your CRM or email automation system.
Sync AI-enriched data for automated follow-ups or campaigns.
Schedule regular updates to keep your lead lists fresh.
Step 8: Test and Iterate
Run a small batch first to validate lead quality.
Adjust filters, scoring, or enrichment criteria based on results.
Set recurring checks to refine AI performance over time.
Pro Tip: Even automated systems benefit from occasional human review to catch anomalies.
Ready to Save Hours of Research?
By following these steps, sales teams can automate prospect research in under an hour, freeing up more time for calls, meetings, and deal closing. Using AI ensures leads are not only generated quickly but are also highly targeted and enriched with actionable data.
