---

name: lead-research description: Research and qualify potential leads using data sources, social media, and business intelligence for sales and marketing

Lead Research Skill

Identify, research, and qualify potential leads for sales and business development.

When to Use

• Lead generation
• Sales prospecting
• Market research
• Partnership opportunities

Core Capabilities

• Company research
• Contact discovery
• Decision-maker identification
• Company size and revenue estimation
• Technology stack identification
• Buying signals detection
• Lead scoring and qualification

Research Process

1. Identify Target: Industry, size, location
2. Company Research: Website, LinkedIn, news
3. Contact Discovery: Decision-makers, emails
4. Qualification: Budget, authority, need, timing
5. Enrichment: Add context and insights
6. Scoring: Prioritize leads

Data Sources

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• Hunter.io (email finding)
• Clearbit
• ZoomInfo
• Crunchbase
• Company websites and blogs
• News and press releases

Lead Qualification (BANT)

• Budget: Can they afford it?
• Authority: Is this the decision-maker?
• Need: Do they have the problem?
• Timing: When will they buy?

Best Practices

• Personalize outreach
• Multi-channel approach
• Track engagement
• Follow up consistently
• Use CRM to manage leads

Resources

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/sales-navigator
• Hunter.io: https://hunter.io/