How to Find Leads

Most people looking for leads are really looking for names.

Names are easy. You can buy ten thousand of them before lunch.

Leads are harder. And they’re the only thing that turns into customers.

So before the where, here’s the what.

What makes a lead a lead

Every real lead has three things.

Miss one, and it’s just a name:

Fit says they could buy.

The reason says they might buy now. That’s the column most lists don’t have.

NextStep 1 · Write down who buys from you — in one sentence ↓

step 1Write down who buys from you — in one sentence

You can’t find leads for “anyone who needs bookkeeping.”

You can find them for this:

Contractors in Nashville with 5 to 20 people on the crew, who still do their own books.

That sentence tells you where to search, what to look for, and who to skip.

Write yours. Kind of business, size, place, and the problem you fix.

NextStep 2 · Go where those buyers show up ↓

step 2Go where those buyers show up

Different buyers live in different places.

Pick the row that matches you:

That last row matters.

Selling to consumers is a different game: your Google profile, reviews and referrals. It’s covered in how to get more leads for my business.

Selling to businesses? Start with one source, not six.

NextStep 3 · Find the reason to write now ↓

step 3Find the reason to write now

This is the step that separates a lead from a name.

Look for something that just changed:

• They’re hiring for a job you could do or support
• They opened, moved or added a location
• They pulled new building permits — more jobs, more paperwork
• Their reviews keep mentioning the problem you fix
• Their website is missing something their customers need
• They just won an award, a contract or a big project

For Lena, a bookkeeper, the best reason is a job post.

A contractor hiring an “office manager who knows QuickBooks” is telling the world: our books need help, and we have budget for it.

Nashville contractor leads60 checked · built by your AI team

	Business	Trade	Crew	Reason to write now	Priority	Contact
1	Cumberland Remodel Co.	Remodeling	12	Hiring an office manager “with QuickBooks”	A	owner@cumberlandremodel.example
2	Harpeth Roofing	Roofing	18	9 new permits this quarter	A	Contact form
3	Music Row Electric	Electrical	8	Owner reply to a review: “we’re growing fast”	B	hello@musicrowelectric.example
4	Belle Meade Painting	Painting	6	No reason found yet	C	Contact form
5	Shelby Bottoms Plumbing	Plumbing	14	Second location opened in Antioch	A	office@shelbyplumbing.example

Sixty rows. Only some are A’s.

That’s fine. The A’s are the ones to write to this week.

NextStep 4 · Sort them before you write ↓

step 4Sort them before you write

Don’t send the same email to all sixty.

Sort first:

1. 01
   A — fit, reason and contact

   Write this week, with the reason in the first line.

2. 02
   B — fit and contact, no reason yet

   Check again in a month.

3. 03
   C — partial fit

   Keep, but don’t write yet.

Then check the B’s every few weeks.

A B becomes an A the day they post a job, open a location or pull a permit.

NextStep 5 · Write while the reason is fresh ↓

step 5Write while the reason is fresh

A job post is up for a few weeks. A new location is news for a month.

Write while it’s true:

LP

Lena Park<lena@ledgerlight.example>

to Mike · Cumberland Remodel Co.

Draft · waits for your OK

your office manager opening

Hi Mike,

I saw you’re hiring an office manager who can “handle QuickBooks.”

Until you find the right person, I can keep your books current — I work with remodeling and trade crews around Nashville, and I take bookkeeping off the new hire’s plate.

Want me to send what that would look like for a crew your size?

— Lena, Ledgerlight Bookkeeping

His words, from his job post. One offer that fits the moment.

That’s what a lead looks like when you write to it.

NextBuying leads vs. building them ↓

Buying leads vs. building them

Bought lists aren’t evil. They’re just a different thing.

Here’s the honest comparison:

If you buy one, treat it as a starting point.

You still have to check each business and find the reason.

NextKeep the list alive ↓

Keep the list alive

A lead list isn’t a project. It’s a habit.

Here’s a week that keeps it full:

1. MondayAdd 20 new leads

   One source, one kind of business.

2. Tuesday–ThursdayWrite to the A’s

   10 personal emails a day.

3. FridayFollow up and re-check

   Bump the quiet ones, move B’s that became A’s.

4. Every monthClean the list

   Remove closed businesses and anyone who said no.

NextStart with one list ↓

Start with one list

Write your one sentence. Pick one source. Find twenty.

Or give the job to your AI team:

Copy this job — or hand it to your AI team now Find 60 businesses that match my ideal customer. Check each website, Google listing and job board for a reason to write now, mark each one A, B or C, and save them in a spreadsheet with a public email or contact form. Then write a short personal email to every A lead. Show me the first 3 before anything is sent.

Start this job free →

✓Free to try✓No card required✓You approve anything sent in your name

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