5 Smart Lead Generation Tips to Fill Your CRM With Quality Prospects

Very occasionally, quantity is more important than quality. 

TV episodes (when you’re in the mood to rot). Chips (nobody wants to eat just one). Photos from your holiday (because not all memories are aesthetic). 

But one case where this isn’t true? Lead generation. If you’re putting any old person into your CRM, you’re going to get results that are inconsistent at best, non-existent at worst. 

If your CRM’s feeling more like a storage bin than a tool for strategic action at the mo, we’ve got you. In this blog we’re going to share lead generation tips that any rep or any team can use to improve their output. Plus, we’re going to tell you about the tools (like, ahem, Surfe) that take your lead generation from zero to hero. Here’s what’s coming up: 

• Tip 1: Use Past Wins to Define Who You Want More Of
• Tip 2: Go Beyond Job Titles – Target the Buying Situation
• Tip 3: Build Smaller, Tighter Lists With a Clear Goal
• Tip 4: Validate Emails + Research Before CRM Entry
• Tip 5: Follow Signals, Not Just Filters

We know, we know, you’re craving chips now – you can get them once you’ve finished reading. Promise.

Tip 1: Use Past Wins to Define Who You Want More Of

Top-performing reps don’t rely on hunches to build lead lists. Instead, they rely on our first lead generation tip – looking backward.

Start with your last 10 closed-won deals. The good, the bad, the one where the CFO joined the demo from a ski lift. If it closed, it goes on the list.

Now look for patterns:

• What industry were they in?
• How big was the company?
• Who made the final call?
• What problem were they solving?

We bet at least some of them have similar traits, right? And by identifying what these are, you can find more like them.

This is a filter that keeps your CRM clean. When you know what “good” looks like, it’s easy to avoid stuffing it with contacts who’ll never reply, never book, never buy. Which is not what you want to be doing (sorry).

Tip 2: Go Beyond Job Titles – Target the Buying Situation

Just because someone has “Head of Sales” on their LinkedIn doesn’t mean they’re in the market for what you’re offering. Context is what tells you if a lead’s actually likely to buy – or just sounds like they might be.

Instead of stopping at titles, dig deeper:

• Hiring SDRs or AEs? They’re scaling GTM. 
• Just raised a round of funding? They’ve got money to spend. 
• Expanding into a new market? They’ll need tech support. 
• Added new sales tech recently? They might be open to more. 

These are buying signals. They tell you what’s going on far better than any job title can.

Think of it like this: the VP of Sales at a bootstrapped startup with two reps is in a very different situation than the VP of Sales at a Series B rocketship hiring like mad. One’s building, one’s buying.

When you build your lists around real-world context instead of static filters, you waste less time and talk to more people who are actually ready to hear from you.

Tip 3: Build Smaller, Tighter Lists With a Clear Goal

Big lists feel productive. Until you realize you have no idea why half the people on them are there.

Next on our list of lead generation tips: every list should have a clear purpose. Who it’s targeting, why now, and what the next step is.

Think focused, not bloated. For example: 20 Heads of Sales in VC-backed Series A FinTech companies currently hiring AEs.

 That’s a list you can actually write relevant personalized outreach for. You know their context, you know their pressure, and you can speak directly to it.

Much better than blasting 200 contacts who just happen to have “sales” in their title and hoping the stars align for one of them.

Try this as a rule: before building any list, define three clear filters. These could be:

• Company stage
• Current hiring signals
• Tech stack or industry

In short: your goal isn’t to build a list. It’s to build the right list.

Tip 4: Validate Emails + Research Before CRM Entry

Adding someone to your CRM without checking their details is like inviting a stranger to your wedding because they seemed nice in a LinkedIn comment thread. Basically, it comes across as a bit weird – and the person on the other end might not appreciate your invite. 

Integrating CRM development best practices here helps ensure only high-quality, validated contacts are entered and retained

Before entering anyone into your CRM, ask yourself: do they actually belong there? At a minimum, you want to check:

• Role relevance (can they buy?)
• Email accuracy (will it bounce?)
• Company fit (do they match your ICP?)

If you’re building in bulk, use a staging tab or holding list before pushing anything live. That gives you room to review and fix errors – before they become someone else’s problem in pipeline review.

Here’s a bonus lead generation tip: Surfe makes it easy to enrich contacts with verified email addresses before they hit your CRM. It uses waterfall enrichment technology to find you accurate contact deets in one click — and then sends them over to your CRM in a jiffy. Neat. That said, the principle stands no matter what you’re using: quality in, quality out.

Tip 5: Follow Signals, Not Just Filters

A job title might tell you what someone does. A buying signal tells you what they’re about to do.

If you’re relying solely on static filters – like job title, industry, or company size – you’re missing the juicy stuff that shows when a lead is actually ready to engage.

Signals to watch for:

• Industry updates (they might respond)
• Job changes (they’ll have new priorities)
• Tech installs (buying mode unlocked)

You can catch these signals in LinkedIn posts, press releases, even Google Alerts. Better yet, block time each week to check for movement on key accounts. Treat it like brushing your teeth – regular, quick, and non-negotiable. In eCommerce or retail-adjacent sales, using tools like a Google Shopping scraper can surface real-time changes in pricing or product availability — both solid buying signals.

Because timing is the difference between a cold email and a relevant one. Between being ignored and being exactly what they were looking for.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

Looks like those chips tasted pretty good – we’re jealous! That said, sometimes you really do need to prioritize quality over quantity. 

Follow these lead generation tips and you’ll train your reps to think like true detectives, rather than list-pullers. They’ll be able to gather the insights they need to nail their lead gen in no time. Nice. 

Lead Generation Tips FAQs 

What Are The Most Effective Lead Generation Tips For Sales Teams?

The best lead generation tips for sales teams aren’t about doing more – they’re about doing it smarter. Start by analyzing past wins to figure out who actually converts. Then, go beyond job titles and look at buying signals like funding rounds or hiring sprees. Keep your lists small and focused so you can write messages that actually land. And before pushing anything to your CRM, double-check the contact is real, relevant, and ready. In short: get picky. Your CRM (and your pipeline) will thank you.

How Do You Identify High-Quality Leads?

High-quality leads share more than a job title. They show signs of being ready to buy. Start by looking at your past closed-won deals – what did those buyers have in common? Then, focus on context: are the businesses you’re checking out hiring, expanding, or switching up their tech stack? These signals tell you far more than a generic job title ever could. Add role relevance, company fit, and verified contact details, and you’ve got a lead worth pursuing – not just another name in a spreadsheet.

Why Is It Better To Build Smaller Lead Lists?

Smaller lead lists force you to get specific – and that’s a good thing. Instead of spraying 200 contacts with the same vague message, focus on 20 that actually fit your ICP. You’ll write sharper outreach, avoid wasting time, and get more replies. Think: “Heads of Sales at Series A FinTech companies currently hiring AEs” – not “Anyone with Sales in their job title.” A tight list isn’t just easier to manage – it actually performs better.

What Information Should You Validate Before Adding A Lead To Your CRM?

Before a lead goes anywhere near your CRM, do a quick vibe check (the professional kind). Ask yourself:

• Can they buy? (Role relevance)
• Will the email even work? (Accuracy)
• Do they fit your ICP? (Company match)

If the answer to any of those is “ehh,” hit pause. Use a staging list to hold contacts until you’ve verified the basics. Or use a tool like Surfe to enrich and check those details in one click. Either way, don’t skip this step – junk data is a pipeline killer.

How Can You Use Buying Signals To Improve Lead Generation?

Buying signals tell you when a prospect might actually be ready to talk. Think of them as digital breadcrumbs: new funding, job changes, hiring surges, or recent tech installs. These signs suggest a change is happening – and with that, potential budget, urgency, and need. Set up alerts (LinkedIn, Google, whatever works) to track this activity. Then build your outreach around it. It’s a lot easier to sell when your timing lines up with their priorities.