Lead generation has been a constant struggle for our small SaaS team. Like many founders, I thought throwing money at ads or sending out cold emails would magically fill the pipeline. Spoiler: it didn’t. For months, we tried everything we could think of: * **LinkedIn & Facebook Ads:** Sure, people clicked, but most of them weren’t decision-makers. A few inquiries trickled in, but nothing consistent. * **Organic posts on LinkedIn and Twitter:** Great for engagement and building our brand voice, but zero conversions. * **Google Ads:** Expensive clicks and inconsistent results. Sometimes we’d get a few leads, other times nothing for the same spend. * **Cold outreach manually:** Very low volume, time-consuming, and draining for the small team we had. After a while, it became clear: the problem wasn’t the messaging or the effort—it was *targeting the right people*. We needed a better way to find qualified leads and reach them efficiently. So, we started exploring **specialized lead generation tools**. Some were good, some were mediocre, and a few were surprisingly helpful. I’ll walk you through what we tested, what worked, and what didn’t. # Our Lead Generation Workflow Now After some trial and error, we ended up with a workflow that actually makes sense: 1. **List Building:** Use AI tools to identify relevant decision-makers. 2. **Data Verification:** Make sure the emails and phone numbers are correct. 3. **Outreach:** Personalized emails, follow-ups, and sometimes calls. 4. **Tracking & CRM:** Everything logged and tracked to measure what’s actually working. Even with this workflow, there’s still no “set it and forget it” solution. Lead generation requires ongoing refinement. But tools helped us get rid of a lot of the busy work and focus on talking to the *right people* instead of just more people. # Tools We Tried – A Detailed Comparison Below is a comparison of the tools we experimented with. I’ve included features, pricing, pros, and cons, along with notes on how each performed in our workflow. |Tool|Key Features|Pricing|Pros|Cons|Notes / How We Used It| |:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-| |**LeadFoxy**|AI-powered lead search, email & phone discovery, CRM integration|$49/mo|Large database, automation, easy to use, AI helps find decision-makers quickly|Not fully outsourced, learning curve for advanced features, limited data on lower tiers|Used for identifying leads, segmenting by role/industry, synced with CRM for follow-ups; AI helped cut list-building time from hours to minutes| |**Apollo**|Contact database, email sequences, CRM integration|$39/mo|Strong automation, sequences, CRM-friendly, good segmentation options|Limited free tier, discovery features not AI-powered|Core tool for outreach; email sequences and follow-ups automated; combined with LeadFoxy for better targeting| |**Hunter**|Email finding & verification|$49/mo|Fast, reliable email discovery, high accuracy|Emails only, no phone numbers, limited batch size on lower plans|Used mostly to verify emails before outreach; ensured deliverability and reduced bounce rates| |**Lusha**|Contact enrichment|$29/mo|Accurate info, simple UI, quick lookup|Limited monthly credits, no email sequences|Great for filling in missing contact info or validating data from other sources| |**Snov**|Email finder, drip campaigns|$39/mo|Affordable, multi-featured, automation options|Confusing UI, can feel clunky for new users|Drip campaigns worked okay, but team spent time just navigating the platform| |**Skrapp**|LinkedIn integration, CSV exports|$49/mo|Easy LinkedIn scraping, quick exports|Smaller database, limited search features|Used when trying to export contacts from LinkedIn; good for manual prospecting but not scalable for large campaigns| |**ZoomInfo (optional, higher-end)**|Large database, company insights, intent signals|$150+/mo|High-quality contacts, insights on companies, integration with CRMs|Expensive, overkill for small teams|Only considered for high-value enterprise leads; not cost-effective for our daily outreach| # Key Takeaways from the Tools * **LeadFoxy**: AI-powered search was a game-changer. It cut list-building time dramatically and helped us find decision-makers who were actually worth contacting. Not perfect, but the automation was a huge time saver. * **Apollo**: Best for organizing outreach. The email sequences and follow-ups allowed us to scale without burning the team out. Pairing Apollo with LeadFoxy’s targeting made a solid combo. * **Hunter & Lusha**: Essential for data hygiene. We never sent an email without verifying it first. Saves hours of chasing bounces. * **Snov**: Multi-featured, but UI is confusing. Good for smaller campaigns, less so for day-to-day use. * **Skrapp**: Nice for LinkedIn extraction, but the database is smaller, so you can’t rely on it for full campaigns. # Results After Switching to a Tool-Based Workflow Honestly, it didn’t happen overnight, but here’s what changed: 1. **Faster Lead List Building:** What used to take 2–3 hours per segment now takes 15–20 minutes. 2. **Better Lead Quality:** Less time wasted on low-level contacts or irrelevant roles. 3. **Improved Email Deliverability:** Verified contacts reduced bounce rates significantly. 4. **Efficient Follow-Ups:** Automating sequences through Apollo meant no one fell through the cracks. 5. **More Time for High-Value Work:** Instead of manually hunting for emails, our team could focus on crafting better messaging and building relationships. # Lessons Learned * **Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP):** Without knowing exactly who you’re targeting, even the best tools won’t help. * **Use Multiple Tools:** No single tool does everything perfectly. Combining LeadFoxy for discovery + Apollo for sequences + Hunter for verification worked best for us. * **Keep Outreach Personal:** Automated sequences are great, but adding small personal touches dramatically improved reply rates. * **Track Metrics:** Measure open rates, click-through rates, replies, and conversions. Without tracking, you’re guessing. * **Clean Your Data Regularly:** Even AI tools aren’t perfect—sometimes contacts become outdated or roles change. At the end of the day, lead generation is still a grind. Tools make it *easier*, but they don’t replace thinking critically about your audience or crafting thoughtful outreach. What changed for us wasn’t just having more contacts—it was having **better contacts**, knowing who to prioritize, and spending our time connecting with people who actually cared about what we were offering. I’ve seen too many threads where people ask, “What’s the best lead gen tool?” — and I always want to respond, “It depends.” The tool itself doesn’t do the magic. It’s the workflow, the verification, and the personalization that make it work. # Final Thoughts * Lead generation is hard, especially for small SaaS teams. * Tools like LeadFoxy, Apollo, and Hunter don’t solve it automatically, but they remove the repetitive busywork. * AI-powered search is nice, but it’s still up to you to prioritize leads and craft meaningful outreach. * The combination of multiple tools + a clear workflow + personal touches = finally moving the needle. Lead generation is still a grind. No tool will solve it for you entirely. For us, [LeadFoxy ](https://leadfoxy.com/)became the backbone of our lead discovery — but only because we paired it with other tools and put in the work to personalize outreach. It’s not the only option, and it might not be the right fit for everyone. At the end of the day, the best tool is the one that works for **your team, your market, and your process**. For some, it could be Apollo, Hunter, or Snov. For us, it’s LeadFoxy + Apollo + Hunter, but your mileage may vary.