Having trouble with generating the right leads? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the perfect place!

Lead generation specifically refers to the process by which sales and marketing teams attract and engage target audiences into disclosing information that proves useful for their conversion in the long run.

Segmenting your leads channels your sales and marketing efforts towards product market fit and helps you convert leads into loyal customers.

Usually, leads are categorized into four segments, depending on their lifecycle stage. They are:

  • Service qualified leads

These potential buyers have expressed an interest in the service your company provides. 

They may display active curiosity about your service by asking about its key features or may already have signed up for a free subscription.

  • Product qualified leads

Product qualified leads have expressed an interest in your product. 

For example, someone who has signed up for your product’s 30 day free trial or given instant customer feedback would fall under this category.

  • Marketing qualified leads 

These leads respond to your marketing strategy campaigns, and may willingly participate in target market research.

They may comment on, like, or share marketing content including blog articles or video content on their social media profiles and even sign up for the webinars your company organizes.

  • Sales qualified leads

Leads who have expressed an interest in paying for your service or product. They may inquire about your premium plan and try to negotiate better rates.

Lead generation management across the tiers specified above can be a long and tedious process without the right sales and marketing software. This article will list the best lead generation tools in the market for you to grow your business.

Before we dive in, let’s understand what a lead generation tool does.

What is a Lead Generation Tool?

A lead generation tool is a specialized software designed primarily to help businesses capture, nurture, and convert potential prospects into qualified leads.

These tools leverage multiple channels such as email marketing platforms, websites, custom landing pages, social media among others to distribute targeted content and personalized messaging – all through a seamless automated workflow mechanism.

Thus, B2B lead generation tools streamline and automate the entire lead generation and distribution process, effectively setting you up for successful engagement with potential clients.

How Do Lead Generation Tools Help Your Team Improve Productivity?

Listed below are some  features of outsourcing your marketing and sales efforts to lead generation software tools that impact productivity.

  • Seamless CRM Integration

The best lead generation tools offer integrations with your existing customer relationship management software, which means that your entire company has access to sales strategy progress.

CRM integration also allows for seamless updating and syncing, saving sales reps over 8 hours a week to work on other important tasks that sales tools cannot perform. 

  • Lead Source Tracking

Lead generation software facilitates the easy tracking of lead sources. 

Lead source tracking gives you detailed insights regarding marketing campaigns, so you can identify which strategies work and which require modification.

  • Automated Lead Nurturing

 Lead nurturing is a marketing automation feature that ensures that your leads are sales ready. 

Long term success depends on nurturing leads that are not yet qualified, but salespeople cannot spend all their time on prospects who might not convert.

Automated lead nurturing is a powerful tool because it can focus on leads that are not ready to buy yet, thus helping pipeline management by ensuring it doesn’t clog up.

  • Lead Scoring

Lead scoring features distinguish casual leads from leads who have high buyer intent. 

This helps both with lead segmentation and prioritization, and allows salespeople to focus on pipeline management and constant contact with prospective buyers instead.

  • Increased Efficiency 

The above mentioned aspects from CRM integration to lead scoring features all increase the overall efficiency of your sales and marketing campaigns, ensuring that human resources are reserved for tasks that really need them!

Now that you’re all caught up on the basics of lead generation tools, let’s dive into the specifics so you can best decide which tool is perfectly suited to your needs.

Top 10 Lead Generation Tools in 2024

1. Adapt.io

Adapt.io is a top tier lead generation software tool, offering businesses access to a substantial and properly vetted database of B2B contacts. 

Adapt has an extensive database of over 150 million contacts and 30 million companies, equipping sellers and marketers with the means to generate new leads, personalize engagements, and implement a robust go-to-market strategy!

Adapt offers some of our favorite features like:

  • Lead Enrichment

This adds over 20 data points and enhances your existing lead database.

  • Contact APIs

Contact APIs can greatly boost your prospecting and enrichment processes.

  • Alerts

You can easily stay updated on changes in job titles of key decision makers from your list of qualified leads!

You can use this tool to build your target list and find data on multiple stakeholders from specific organizations through Adapt’s incredibly intuitive ‘company search’ feature. You can also filter your search by department and level.

Thus, you can facilitate the effective execution of your sales campaign by automating multiple steps in the sales pipeline and saving your sales reps’ precious time. No more spending hours hunting for leads that go stale!

Pros 

You get access to email addresses of potential clients and company information in terms of revenue and number of employees. Adapt also aids in discovery and segmentation by role, location and industry.

Cons

Some users have cited that the number of credits are less, and that the lead generation software’s industry filters can be more specific. 

However, Adapt has become the preferred tool for contact discovery, lead generation, and prospecting by making outreach activities targeted to specific roles in specific industries into a seamless process!

Pricing 

Starts at just $109 per month!

Usually, the inflexible pricing of automated lead generation tools is a major drawback for subscription based services. However, Adapt offers flexible pricing, tailored to your exact specifications, based on the features, credits, number of licenses on the table. 

You can even sign on for a period of just one month to begin with! So what are you waiting for? Request a demo today!

2. Hunter.io

If you know your target market, Hunter.io makes your lead generation process very easy and seamless. 

You can access verified information and accurate professional email addresses for contacting leads and sending follow-up emails.

Hunter’s key features include:

  • Domain Search

This feature allows you to access the email addresses of all users linked to a specific domain. It is beneficial for finding leads once you know which platform to target!

  • Email Finder

You can find any professional email address using just a website domain and name.

  • Email Verifier

You can also use Hunter to verify the validity of email addresses!

Pros

Hunter is known for making hard to find contact information easily available, and for generating leads even with minimal client end input.

Cons

Users have suggested that a mail tracking system might make it easier to coordinate communication across teams and with generated leads.

Pricing

A free version of the platform is available and allows up to 25 searches and 50 email verifications per month. 

Paid plans begin at $49 per user per month for 500 searches and 1000 verifications. Other pricing tiers depend on your customizations or whether you pay annually.

3. Overloop (formerly Prospect.io)

Overloop is a sales automation software which includes everything you might need to run a multi-channel sales campaign, offering a wide range of features and functions from lead generation to executing follow up email campaigns.

Its key features include:

  • Chrome Extension

This enables intuitive integration and the ability to import contacts from LinkedIn, CSV, custom field setting and advanced contact management.

  • Email Finder

You can find emails of relevant business and social profiles on a single platform, getting contact details of prospective customers with just one click.

  • Personalized Cold Emails

Email marketing tools aid in lead nurturing by sending cold emails as part of an automated email marketing campaign, which can greatly boost customer engagement.

Pros

Overloop has a user-friendly interface which is intuitive regarding user needs. 

The platform is also noted for its holistic approach to outbound sales navigation as it provides automation throughout all the essential steps in your sales cycle.

Cons

Users have complained about the limited emailing features and relatively high price point.

Pricing

Paid plans begin at $49 per user per month.

4. UpLead

UpLead is a lead generation platform that allows you to use credits to find leads, with their lowest priced package potentially hunting down 200 leads!

Our favorite features from UpLead include:

  • Extensive Database

UpLead’s prospector gives you access to over 100 million contacts, with over 50 search filters including industry type, job title, and location. This information can then be directly integrated into your CRM.

  • Lead Enrichment

Users have the option of uploading their list of potential customers after which UpLead automatically enriches each prospect with over fifty data points.

  • Lead Qualification

There’s no point in lead generation if the generated leads refuse to convert! UpLead has a rigorous lead qualification process that only brings you relevant contact information.

Pros

Credits roll over each month, so you can save them up in preparation for seasonal fluctuations in your sales cycle. 

Its ‘pay as you go’ system is also ideal and affordable for most sales teams.

Cons

Users have complained about the lack of free trial. 

Some have suggested that UpLead is simply a database of dated contacts that have not proved particularly useful to their sales process.

Pricing

Uplead offers a 7 day free trial, after which you pay $99 per month per user for 200 credits. 

Their highest pricing plan at $399 per month for 1500 credits is perfect for businesses who want to aggressively pursue leads as part of their sales strategy!

5. Datanyze

Datanyze provides B2B sales teams with relevant contact information and company details about potential customers to help with your lead generation efforts. 

Its advanced features include:

  • Chrome Extension

This enables you to integrate Datanyze into your functionality, so you can capture leads while browsing social media without having to leave the platform.

  • Personalized Outreach

Datanyze allows you to engage your leads with curated conversations via personalized emails. It also suggests icebreakers so your cold calls don’t stay cold!

  • Email List Export 

Datanyze lets you tag contacts and companies to create segmented prospect lists via email list automation so you can export contacts any time with just one click!

Pros

Datanyze’s ability to create and save specific targeting criteria lists is a unique and helpful feature which eliminates the need to rebuild targeting metrics, thus saving time in the sales funnel.

Cons

Users have noted that there are limited integration options, as the lead generation software primarily integrates with Salesforce to the exclusion of other CRMs.

Pricing

Datanyze offers a free 90 day trial. 

Its paid version is priced at $29 per user per month for up to 80 cred

6. Leadfeeder by Dealfront

Leadfeeder by Dealfront helps your lead generation efforts by tracking visitors on your website and using their contact info to prioritize prospects.

Its core features are:

  • Live Visitor Tracking

Tracking account activity in real-time enables you to aim for higher conversion rates since potential leads have already interacted with your website.

  • Real-Time Notifications

Tracking contacts and their activities can be set off by 33 different trigger events. Leadfeeder alerts you any time a relevant event is triggered so that your sales prospects are promptly targeted.

  • Use of Behavioral and Firmographic Filters

These filters can help you find and identify accounts that showcase high intent so you only engage with high quality leads!

Pros

Leadfeeder caters to businesses of all sizes, and specializes in tracking and monitoring website traffic. This niche service is perfect for your sales prospecting efforts!

Cons

Users have complained about some difficulties in reaching out to specific contacts from larger companies or governments.

Pricing

Leadfeeder offers a 14 day free trial. Paid plans begin at $152 per month. Information about customized packages is available upon request.

7. Voila Nobert

Voila Nobert aids the lead generation process by finding email addresses with just the name of your potential prospect or the company they work for. It is similar to Hunter in terms of functionality.

Its key features are 

  • Free Leads

Voila Nobert offers you your first 50 leads for free!

  • Bulk Email Identification

This helps you find email addresses for the key decision makers in the industry you’re targeting. 

  • Lead Verification

You can also verify and enrich your list for a nominal fee. This ensures that your data points are accurate and in line with your ideal customer profile.

Pros

Voila Nobert is one of the most affordable sales automation softwares out there! Its browser plugin is also known for its time saving capabilities.

Cons

Users have complained about Voila Nobert’s customer service having long wait times, with issues remaining unresolved for multiple days. Its API is also buggy which is not ideal, especially when bug fixes are slow.

Pricing

Plans start at $49 per month for up to a 1000 leads.

8. AeroLeads

Aeroleads makes it easier to find contact information for your prospects, and helps your lead generation campaign by allowing you to integrate your data.

AeroLeads is known for:

  • Chrome Plugin

This extension allows users to find and import contacts directly from LinkedIn, Crunchbase, AngelList, and more, integrating them into your CRM.

  • Detailed Prospect Insight

AeroLeads is known for being a rare context based lead generation software, and is extremely customizable.

  • Lead Enrichment

Apart from details such as email addresses, company URL, job titles, and phone numbers, AeroLeads also enriches your leads in the process of qualification.

Pros

Users have commended AeroLeads on its easy to use integrations and smooth functionality. 

Cons

Users have found certain validated contact information to be inaccurate. 

The lack of flexible browser plugins is also an issue.

Pricing

AeroLeads is priced beginning at $49 per month for up to 3000 credits. Pricing varies according to packages.

9. Prospect IQ

Prospect IQ’s unique waterfall model aids lead enrichment by aggregating data from multiple vendors to ensure that your conversion rates improve as a result of these valuable insights.

The marketing tool’s advanced features include:

  • Extensive Database

Prospect IQ has over 440 million contacts, including email address and phone number to start off your customer relationships on the right note.

  • Data Enrichment

Apart from contact management, Prospect IQ assures an enrichment rate of 98 percent, ensuring that you have access to up to date contact information about potential leads when viewing their social media profiles.

  • Wide Range of Configurations

Prospect IQ uses over 26 highly specific data filters to segment leads based on revenue slabs, and integrates the same in line with your ideal customer profile.

Pros

You can get access to highly verified business phone numbers and company hierarchy data. This is very helpful when qualifying leads in your sales process.

Cons

Prospect IQ does not provide a large amount of data, which might be a drawback if your company prioritizes quantity.

Pricing

Prospect IQ has flexible pricing plans, starting at $40 per month for 1000 email credits or 200 phone credits, $80 per month if you want both!

10. ZoomInfo SalesOS

ZoomInfo’s lead management software which not only provides users with the best leads but also lets you import leads into your existing CRM instantly. 

Its core features include:

  • Company Tracking

You can qualify leads by finding out which companies have expressed an interest in a product or service similar to yours online and base your customer interactions on this information!

  • Extensive and Verified Database

ZoomInfo has over 70 million direct dial phone numbers and 174 million verified email addresses in its vast database. 

  • Web Browser Extension

This allows users to check if websites have a ZoomInfo profile, making it much easier to plan lead generation strategies.

Pros

ZoomInfo is good at integrating with internal data and identifying competitors with similar industry prospects. 

Users’ favorite feature is that it grades contacts, making lead prioritization easier.

Cons

Users have complained that despite being a self service model, the pricing for ZoomInfo is on par with services that provide constant contact and hands-on support. 

Pricing

Available upon request.

Now that you’re familiar with the best names in the game, its time to learn how to choose the most fitting tool for you!

How to Choose the Best Lead Generation Tool

B2B lead generation is a vast category, with every tool specializing in different aspects of the process. Finding the right tool depends on various factors including but not limited to

  • The scope of your business, 
  • Budget,
  • Target channels,
  • and Audience type.

Before you choose to commit to a particular tool, ensure that you consider the following factors:

  • Lead Generation Goals

Assess your specific lead generation goals and areas of focus. 

Create a master list of features and functionalities that you wish to incorporate into your lead generation endeavors.

Decide if you’re looking for a lead prospecting and nurturing tool, or CRM integration, or lead insights, and shortlist tools accordingly.

  • Scalability

Take into account the size of your company and the amount of data you need to process. 

Assess the scalability of your lead generation software and consider whether it is substantial not only for the demands of your existing business but also for accommodating future business growth projections without compromising on functionality.

  • Pricing and Support

Compare different pricing models and crosscheck them with your budget. 

Go through online reviews about customer support to gauge whether your tool of choice can offer the prompt engagement you will no doubt require in case of occasional glitches in the software.

  • Trial Period

Lastly, make sure to avail of the free trial that most tools offer. 

This not only gives you a better idea of the actual capabilities of the tool, but also gives the various cross functional teams that are going to be accessing the software to acclimate and adjust their expectations accordingly!

Adapt.io – What Makes It Stand Out?

Adapt.io is a comprehensive lead intelligence platform, as mentioned earlier. So what makes Adapt so special?

Not only does Adapt give you access to its B2B contact and company database replete with useful firmographic data, it also provides the finetuning to truly enhance your lead generation and outreach processes. 

Here are a few pointers that make Adapt as effective as it is:

  • Data Enrichment and Validation

This allows you to both validate existing data and fill in the blanks on incomplete data that would otherwise aimlessly float about in your system.

Adapt can successfully fill gaps in lead profiles, update outdated information, and ensure lead data accuracy and completeness!

  • Technographic Data

Adapt offers technographic data, proving detailed insights into different technology stacks and tools used by companies you interact with.

This data is crucial to lead enrichment and nurturing, since it helps you understand your prospect’s technological preferences and requirements.

Technographic data enables you to have highly targeted messaging when interacting with your leads and cannot be underestimated. 

  • CRM Integration

Adapt integrates with most CRMs, which is a non negotiable when incorporating new software. 

This enables enriched lead data to be automatically updated and available throughout company teams, providing a centralized view of lead information.

It also does away with the many hours logged doing data entry, ensuring efficiency and consistency across systems.

  • Customizable Enrichment Workflows

Adapt allows you to define customizable enrichment workflows by 

  • selecting data points to enrich,
  • setting enrichment criteria, and
  • establishing rules for data validation.

Thus, customizable workflows ensure that lead enrichment is in line with your business objectives and data requirements.

If you choose Adapt, you can definitely expect all these improvements and more. So start your free trial today!

FAQs

Lead generation tools use automated softwares to help marketing and sales teams in capturing detailed and accurate contact information of target prospects in order to convert them into lucrative buyers. These tools can conduct extensive research and automate multiple steps in the lead generation process to increase conversion rates.

Lead generation can take anywhere between a few weeks to a few months, depending on various factors such as your company size, target audience, industry, and whether you’re generating leads manually or with the help of automated software.

You can automate your lead generation process with the help of a software tool such as Adapt.io, which will provide crucial data enrichment features that can help you identify which leads to target.