The Ultimate Guide to Building B2B Lead Lists Using Sales Navigator

In the world of B2B outreach, the success of your email campaigns hinges on one critical factor: the quality of your target list. At Outbound System, we've mastered the art of building highly accurate prospect lists using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, which we then enrich with verified B2B email addresses. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through our proven process for creating laser-focused target lists that drive results.

Our golden rule is: "The list is the strategy." A smaller, more accurate list will always outperform a larger, less targeted one. Taking the time to build precise lists using these techniques will significantly improve your email campaign performance.

Understanding Sales Navigator's Limitations and Interface

Before diving into list building, it's crucial to understand Sales Navigator's constraints and interface quirks to avoid common pitfalls:

• You can only view up to 2,500 prospects (100 pages of 25 prospects each)

• Lists are created primarily through "Saved Searches" rather than Lead/Account Lists

• The interface can be unforgiving - clicking outside the filter box or on a prospect's name will cause you to lose your work with no way to recover it

• Some filters allow exclusions while others don't

• Using "View All Filters" is more efficient than the regular view, which reloads with each filter change

The Foundation: Essential Filters for Every Search

1. Past Lead and Account Activity

These filters are non-negotiable for every search:

• Remove Saved Leads from Search

• Remove Contacted Leads from Search

• When expanding a list, also select "Remove Viewed Leads from Search"

2. Geography Settings

Geographic targeting requires careful attention to avoid common mistakes:

• Always include a geography filter, even if targeting the entire US (otherwise, your search will be global)

• Use specific location names to avoid confusion:

  • "Georgia, United States" vs "Georgia" (which could pull the country)

  • "Los Angeles Metropolitan Area" includes Orange County and surrounding areas

  • "Los Angeles" targets just the city

  • "Greater Denver Area" includes Boulder (where people don't consider themselves from Denver)

• When using postal codes:

  • You can specify radius options: 10, 25, 35, 50, 75, or 100 miles

  • Combine multiple zip codes using commas for broader targeting

Advanced Filtering Techniques

Seniority Level Targeting

The seniority filter requires careful handling:

• Owner

• Partner

• CXO

• VP

• Director

• Manager

• Senior

• Entry (always exclude)

• Training (always exclude)

• Unpaid (always exclude)

Important note: The "Senior" seniority level includes everything from Senior Coordinator to CEO. When using it, always exclude lower-level titles like:

• Coordinator

• Associate

• Assistant

• Student

• Intern

• Professor

• Analyst

Function and Title Combinations

For precise targeting:

1. Function Categories (always exclude irrelevant ones):

• Accounting

• Administrative

• Arts and Design

• Business Development (includes many CEOs/Owners)

• Marketing

• Sales

• Entrepreneurship (includes many CEOs/Owners)

• Engineering

• Support

• Consulting

• Healthcare Services

• And many more

2. Title Best Practices:

• Use quotation marks for multi-word titles

• Be specific with marketing roles (e.g., "digital marketing" instead of just "marketing")

• Watch for title variations (e.g., "President" pulls "Vice President" unless excluded)

Company Targeting

Company filtering is often the most reliable approach to building accurate lists. Here's how to leverage it effectively:

1. Company Type Filters:

• Public Company

• Privately Held

• Non Profit

• Educational Institution

• Partnership

• Self Employed (usually exclude)

• Self Owned

• Government Agency

2. Company Headcount (use with caution):

• Self-employed

• 1-10

• 11-50

• 51-200

• 201-500

• 501-1000

• 1001-5000

• 5001-10000

• 10000+

Note: Company headcount is often unreliable. Many companies either mischaracterize themselves or don't list headcount at all.

Boolean Search Mastery

Boolean searches are powerful but must be used strategically. Here's how to construct effective boolean strings:

1. Basic Structure:

2. Industry-Specific Examples:

For E-Commerce:

For Manufacturing:

For Startups Seeking Funding:

3. Boolean Best Practices:

• Put quotes around any multi-word terms

• Group related terms with parentheses

• Don't put exclusions in boolean that could appear anywhere in a profile (use title filters instead)

• Use boolean to supplement other filters, not as your primary targeting method

Advanced List Building Strategies

Account List Strategy

For building company-focused lists:

1. Create account lists with up to 250 companies each

2. Use the Custom Lists filter in lead search

3. Review thoroughly before saving (Sales Navigator isn't perfect)

4. Label lists specifically and clearly

Quality Assurance Process

To ensure list accuracy:

1. Review Process:

• Scroll through at least 5-10 pages of results

• Look for patterns of unqualified prospects

• Check for competitor and client companies to exclude

• Verify audience "mentionability"

• 
  

The 10 Targeting Commandments

1. Every list must have a mentionable persona

2. Company name targeting is priority #1 for clean lists

3. Job title targeting is priority #2

4. Account Results is priority #3

5. Keyword Boolean is priority #4

6. Use seniority level "Senior" carefully - great for volume but requires thorough checking

7. Research industry-specific terms and synonyms

8. Always review at least 5 pages deeply

9. Poor performance usually stems from weak lists

10. 2nd-degree connections yield higher acceptance rates

Difficult to Target Niches

Some niches require special attention or may not be suitable for targeting:

Challenging but Possible:

• MSPs (Managed Service Providers)

• ISPs (Independent Service Providers)

• Manufacturing

• Companies launching a startup

• Startups seeking funding

Not Recommended:

• Doctors

• Dentists

• Lawyers

• C-Level/Owner at huge companies

Moving to Outbound System

Once your Sales Navigator list is built:

1. Export Process:

• Save your search parameters

• Export the list in batches if necessary

• Document any boolean strings or special filters used

2. Outbound System Integration:

• Import your list into Outbound System

• Our system will enrich the data with verified B2B email addresses

• Review the enriched data for accuracy

• Segment as needed for personalized campaigns

3. Quality Check:

• Verify email validation rates

• Check for any pattern of missing data

• Ensure company-contact match accuracy

Final Thoughts

Remember our golden rule: "The list is the strategy." A smaller, more accurate list will always outperform a larger, less targeted one. Taking the time to build precise lists using these techniques will significantly improve your email campaign performance.

The key to successful outbound campaigns isn't just about having email addresses - it's about having the right email addresses. By following these guidelines and leveraging both Sales Navigator and Outbound System's enrichment capabilities, you'll be well-positioned to reach the decision-makers who matter most to your business.