How to build a prospecting database?

Building a prospecting database is a bit like laying the foundations of your business strategy. Without this, it's difficult to know who to contact, how to approach them, and above all, how to transform these contacts into customers. 

A good database is your compass in the world of prospecting!

• Where to start? 
• What tools to use? 
• How do you ensure your list stays relevant and up-to-date? 

Don't panic! We will establish a guide with each step. Whether you are at the start of your prospecting or looking to improve an existing base, we will give you some practical and easy-to-implement tips. 

Here we go! 

Why is it important to build a prospecting database?

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A prospecting database is the heart of an effective commercial strategy. It's much more than just a contact list. It’s a curated, qualified, ready-to-use directory designed to help you reach the right people at the right time.

Definition of a prospecting database

A prospecting database brings together all the relevant information about your prospects. This includes name, company, contact details (email, telephone, social networks) and specific data related to their needs or skills.

This well-constructed resource allows you to segment, personalize your approaches and track your interactions to optimize your results, according to the data.

Why a prospecting database is crucial for sales teams

Without a solid foundation, the effectiveness of sales teams can drop quickly. 

❌Without an adequate structure

• A waste of time searching for scattered contacts.
• Poorly targeted reminders that end up irritating prospects.
• A drop in motivation among salespeople in the face of less efficient approaches

 ✅With a well-built database

• Each action becomes more targeted: you know exactly who you are sending your messages to;
• Collaboration between team members improves;
• Prioritization of efforts occurs naturally, focusing on the most promising prospects.

What are the advantages of a database?

A well-organized database acts as an accelerator for landing appointments. 

By segmenting your contacts, you adapt your speech to the specific needs of each target.

You also have a better overview of past interactions, you follow up with your prospects at the right time, without annoying repetition.

Additionally, marketing and sales efforts align, increasing the impact of your campaigns.

A simple example: imagine a salesperson with an updated database. He knows that the prospect has downloaded a guide on your site and that he has opened an email on a specific product. When he calls, his approach is direct, relevant, thus increasing his chances of obtaining an appointment.

More than a technical tool, a prospecting database is a way: 

• To work more efficiently;
• To build stronger relationships;
• To have a better understanding of your target
• To carry out precise segmentation
• To improve your business results, achieve growth, etc. This is what we want to achieve.

In short, income generation.

Now that you're ready to invest in creating a database, let's see how to set it up 👇

How to build a prospects database?

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A prospecting database is your best ally for finding opportunities, but it’s not just a list. It must be thoughtful, organized and above all useful when you operate on a daily basis. It must be subject to regular updates. Without this, you will contact prospects who no longer work at the company you are targeting. It’s annoying 😒

This prospecting base or file must be integrated into your prospecting tool.

So how do you create a base that really works? Let's decode it all.

Prospect selection criteria for a prospecting database

Every contact in your database must have real value. We are not talking about quantity but quality. Concretely, here is what makes the difference:

• The ideal customer profile (ICP): company size, industry, location – clearly define who you are talking to.
• Context: Have they recently shown interest in your services? (A download, a subscription to a newsletter?)
• Commercial potential: a prospect who needs your services today is much more relevant than a generic contact.

When each entry is chosen carefully, your base becomes a true strategic resource.

It will allow you to launch your commercial prospecting without a hitch.

What types of data should be included in a prospecting database?

In your database, you must have a certain type of data. This is the contact information.

• ​The name of the company
• Its turnover
• Postal address
• Phone numbers
• The first name of the people you are interested in
• The contact's date of birth (roughly their age)
• Son email

​This basic information allows you to go see this person with a minimum of personalization in your approach.

But hang in there because the best is yet to come.

How automation can help you build your prospecting base?

Let's be honest: no one wants to fill their database manually. 

Automation tools exist to make your life easier and avoid errors. For example, CRMs (Customer Relationship Management) like HubSpot not only store your data, they help you track your prospects over time.

Humanlinker is also a very good tool for analyzing your contacts and adding them to your database. Thanks to a Chrome extension, all the LinkedIn profiles you prospect are analyzed and added to one of your databases. Magical, no? (Don’t hesitate to test here, it’s free).

Automation isn't everything, but it makes repetitive tasks a lot simpler and lets you focus on strategy

Tools and techniques for building a prospecting database

As we said just before, do not hesitate to use tools such as Hubspot or Humanlinker. These are complete tools with different variables. 

Some tips:

• To obtain more information about your prospects, you could offer exclusive content (such as an ebook or webinar);
• To identify potential prospects, nothing better than social networks and “Social Listening” to monitor your prospects; 
• You can also use external databases like LinkedIn Sales Navigator to find profiles matching your criteria.

These techniques allow you to fill your database with qualified and relevant contacts, not just random names.

How to maintain and update a prospecting database?

A relevant database must evolve over time; otherwise, it becomes obsolete.

Here are our tips for maintaining an orderly and up-to-date database: 

• Remove duplicates and inactive contacts;
• Update data with tools that automatically enrich your files;
• Do quarterly reviews to check that your prospects are still relevant.

An up-to-date database means a sales team working with the right information, without wasting time.

The difficulty of maintaining and building a database

We are all of the same opinion that creating takes time, but on top of that having to keep it up to date...it takes twice as long. This is why it is not easy to put together: 

• it can quickly become disorganized; 
• if it is shared between several salespeople; some may not update it automatically; 
• It evolves and requires new criteria 

As a result, this causes some errors, which I list below 👇

Common mistakes with teams building a prospecting database

Creating a prospecting database is like building a house: a poorly laid foundation can cause everything to collapse. Some common mistakes persist, and they can turn a powerful tool into an…ineffective headache. 

Let's take a look at what could go wrong and how to avoid the pitfalls:

Build your own prospecting database

You might be thinking, “Why not do it all myself?” after all, who knows my needs better than me?’ Well, that can quickly become a risk:

• Waste of time: spending hours entering data by hand is like trying to fill a swimming pool with a cup.
• Questionable data quality: Manually entered information may be incomplete or already outdated.
• Risk of duplicates: without a good system, your database risks filling up with useless or redundant data.

Instead, why not use specialized tools or outsource certain tasks? At the end of the article, you will discover the ideal tool for setting up your database. 🙈

Do not update it (job changes, company closures, exit from the ICP and the entry of new ones)

A database that is not updated is a bit like your yellow pages from 1998: full of numbers that no longer respond for different reasons:

• Job changes for example, where your prospects change companies or job titles and you continue to contact them in the wrong place;
• Business closures are another reason. It can quickly become frustrating to invest your time prospecting in a company that has already closed its doors;
• And without forgetting the new entrants into your ICP. Certain profiles that you had not considered are now relevant for your prospecting

Little tip: Set up a quarterly update process to avoid a completely false database 1 year later. 

A word of advice: think in the long term. 

Not relying on reliable data

Approximate, incomplete or false information leads to failure and this poses some problems:

• Wrong email addresses: nothing more frustrating than messages that never reach their destination;
• Insufficient information: a prospect without a number or job title is a dead end.
• Unreliable sources: data collected using dubious tools or without prior verification can harm your credibility.

How to avoid this?

• By investing in reliable tools.
• By working with validated and enriched data.
• By always cross-referencing your information with several sources.

A well-designed database is a powerful lever for your sales teams. Bring it to life, make it evolve and it will reward you. More than just a list, a database is your strategic asset.

Where to buy a prospecting database?

As we saw above, building your own base is not necessarily the best option. You therefore need to rely on a data provider.

​The best service provider will allow you to:

• Build a quality database
• Compliant with GDPR and other data protection laws
• Offer you an attractive price
• And if possible, make the basic purchase easy to make

The grail. This is where we come into play of course.

How Humanlinker helps you build your prospecting database?

Building a prospecting database is very much like assembling a puzzle: each piece must be in its place for the whole to be effective.

Humanlinker positions itself as the ideal tool to help you in this task. 

Let's see how this platform can facilitate your prospecting:

Setting up Humanlinker with the database

Imagine yourself searching for an ideal prospect. 

You have some information here and there, but it's all a bit scattered. This is where Humanlinker comes in: with its intelligent system, you can quickly find, organize and qualify leads. 

Rather than spending hours scrutinizing various sources, Humanlinker centralizes all information in a single database, ready to use.

Let's take an example:

You have a list of contacts in your CRM, but you don't really know how to prioritize those with the most potential. With Humanlinker, you can not only segment your prospects based on specific criteria (sector, company size, functions, etc.), but also track their online activities to assess their interest and receptivity to your offers. 

This approach allows you to focus your efforts on the right prospects and save time.

Presentation of the “database” functionality

Humanlinker doesn't just store contacts, it transforms them into real opportunities. Here are the key features that make the Humanlinker database so effective:

• Data centralization: all information about your prospects is stored in one place. No more need to juggle between multiple tools. You have everything at your fingertips to interact with the right contacts at the right time.

• Intelligent segmentation: you can segment your prospects by specific criteria, such as industry, turnover or even receptivity to your offers. This allows you to target your most promising prospects with surgical precision and send ultra-personalized messages. 

• Interaction tracking: Thanks to intelligent integrations, Humanlinker tracks interactions with each prospect (open emails, clicks, etc.) to provide you with a complete overview of their level of engagement. This allows you to know where your prospects are and adjust your prospecting actions accordingly.

• Centralized messaging: your emails and LinkedIn messages are in the same place on the application. When you search for your conversation with a particular contact, you will find all sent content. 

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With Humanlinker, building a prospecting database is no longer a headache: it is a fluid, automated and optimized process to save you time and efficiency. You no longer have to worry about data management because the tool takes care of it for you. 

Thanks to its features, you can be sure that you are always working with reliable, current and relevant information.

Humanlinker makes managing your prospects child's play. You have an up-to-date, segmented and ready-to-use database to help you get the results of your efforts. 

PS: it costs €0 to test. Click here 👇

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How does a prospecting database help you improve your approach?

A good prospecting database guides you towards the best opportunities while avoiding detours. It becomes a driving force behind your business efforts. 

How can a well-designed database truly transform your approach?

Standardization allows you to segment to better personalize

When you have a raw prospect list, you often find yourself sending the same message to everyone. 

Result ? Little interest and even fewer responses. With a well-structured database, you can segment your prospects based on criteria like:

• The sector of activity: a tech company does not have the same needs as a retail player.
• The position occupied: a CEO will not have the same sensitivity as a purchasing manager.
• Recent behavior: a prospect who opened your emails or clicked on your links deserves more attention

Thanks to this segmentation, it becomes much easier to personalize your messages. Rather than sending a “Hello, I sell X” you can directly address the specific concerns of your targets. And that’s what takes your prospecting to the next level.

The database allows you to automate the sending of messages

Who wants to copy and paste the same email 50 times a day? A database integrated with automation tools allows you to send relevant messages to the right person, at the right time, without you lifting a finger (or almost). 

PS: you know which tool to use for this 👉 Humanlinker

Imagine that your database has detected that some prospects have visited your site recently. In this case, you can configure an automatic message for these prospects, adapted to their behavior. In just a few clicks, your emails go out at the right time. You won't even have thought about it. 

Automation doesn’t make prospecting impersonal. On the contrary, it frees up time to focus on what matters: quality exchanges with the most qualified prospects.

The database allows you to target the best prospects

We’ve all made the mistake of prospecting “broadly” in the hope that something will stick. But with a well-designed foundation, you know exactly where to focus your efforts:

• Target hot prospects: those who already interact with your content or your site;
• Avoid cold prospects: your database allows you to quickly identify inactive contacts or bad targets;
• Monitor the evolution of prospects: a prospect not yet ready today could become a priority tomorrow thanks to updating the data. You could test by sending him content and observing his reaction. 

Basically, you stop wasting time chasing dead leads. 

You only work on the opportunities that really matter.

While targeting the right people, with a well-managed database, you:

• Segmentez
• Customize
• Automate 

You are more strategic, more efficient and above all you avoid falling into the traps of random prospecting.

To finish this article, here is what you need to remember: 

A well-structured database will allow you to target the right prospects, automate your efforts, and personalize your approaches.

But be careful: it must remain alive and not become obsolete:

• Positions change
• Businesses are closing
• New profiles enter your prospecting field

With a tool like Humanlinker, these challenges become much easier to overcome. You benefit from an ally to build, segment, and update your database in the blink of an eye, while optimizing your personalization and automation efforts.

If with all this you are not convinced… 

Up to you! 

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