Lead generation software: the types, and how to choose

Lead generation software is a broad label. Under it sit several different kinds of tool that solve different problems. Choosing well starts with knowing which problem you have: finding the people, proving the address, writing the message or sending it.

The types

Contact databases: stored lists you search and filter. Fast and wide; freshness depends on how often the data is refreshed.
Email finders: return an address for a named person. Quality depends on whether results are proven.
Verification tools: check a list you already have for addresses that will bounce.
On-demand research tools: research each company when you ask, name the decision-maker and prove the address.
Sequencers: send and track emails. They do not find people.
Intent and website tools: show which companies visit your site or show buying signals.

Which problem do you have?

You do not know who to contact: you need research or a database.
You have names but not addresses: you need an email finder.
You have a list and worry about bounces: you need verification.
You have good contacts and weak replies: you need better copy, not another list.
You cannot send at scale safely: you need a sequencer, and a warmed-up domain.

A short checklist

Is each result labelled by how far it was checked?
Can I see why a company matched?
What happens to the cost when an address bounces?
Does it work with the tools I already use?
Can I start small, without a long contract?
Does it help me write the message, or only fill a list?

Avoid the stack that never ends

It is common to buy a database, a finder, a verifier and a sequencer, and spend more time moving data between them than writing to people. For a small team it is often better to use fewer tools that each do their job properly and keep what they find labelled.

Where Accumen fits

Accumen covers finding the decision-maker, proving the address and drafting the sequence, in one place, for a defined set of companies. It does not send your email: you send from your own mailbox, and you can carry contacts to Slack, Zapier, Google Sheets and other tools you already use. The first 25 verified contacts are free, with no card.

Frequently asked questions

What is lead generation software?

It is software that helps you find and contact potential customers. The label covers databases, email finders, verifiers, research tools and sequencers, which solve different problems.

Do I need a contact database for outbound?

Not necessarily. A database suits wide searches. If your targets are a defined set of companies, on-demand research can be more current for each one.

Can lead generation software send my emails?

Some tools do. Accumen does not: it finds and proves contacts and drafts the sequence, and you send from your own mailbox.

How do I compare lead generation tools?

Compare how each labels what it could not prove, whether you can see why a company matched, what happens to cost when an address bounces, and how easily the results move into your own tools.