How to evaluate the best B2B contact database providers

Back in the day, B2B sales teams would buy contact lists from vendors that compiled the data based on broad criteria — like company size or industry. 

However, in an age where sales reps need granularity and accuracy in contact data to prospect effectively, these kinds of lists are officially outdated and irrelevant. 

To get the data sales teams need to prospect effectively and crush their quotas, more and more sales organizations are investing in modern B2B contact databases. But how do you pick the right provider when everyone claims to be the very best? Let’s get into it.

What is a B2B contact database?

A B2B contact database is a repository of detailed information about potential business contacts — including names, job titles, company affiliations, and contact details like email, LinkedIn profiles, and phone numbers. 

Sales teams today increasingly rely on real-time B2B contact data providers instead of purchasing static sales contact lists that are often filled with outdated information. Such databases provide dynamic, up-to-date contact data, giving reps and sales leaders the peace of mind that comes with knowing the contact details at their fingertips are accurate and relevant. 

Additionally, B2B contact databases allow users to easily identify potential  prospects in new business categories, enabling more targeted and efficient outreach. Unlike the static lists of the past, real-time data providers offer a slew of next-generation features, like advanced search and filtering capabilities, integration with popular CRM systems, and actionable insights reps can use to drive better decision-making and more effective sales strategies.

Today, there are dozens of vendors you can turn to for B2B contact data. But not every vendor is created equal, which makes it difficult to determine which contact data provider offers the best solution for your unique needs and circumstances. 

To choose the right contact database vendor, you need to consider a number of factors — how accurate the data is, how often the database is updated, breadth of coverage, ease of integration, customer support, and beyond. 

How to evaluate B2B contact database providers

To help you pick the best B2B contact database for your specific needs, it’s important to evaluate several options using the following criteria. 

Data accuracy

Data accuracy refers to the reliability of the information found in the B2B contact database. 

Accuracy is crucial because inaccurate data can lead to wasted time, missed opportunities, and potentially even damage your company’s reputation when reps contact the wrong individuals or use incorrect details. And we’re not just talking about your brand reputation - sending too many emails to inactive or incorrect email addresses can damage your email sender reputation and land you in spam jail… for life. 

To evaluate data accuracy, look for providers that use rigorous data verification processes and regularly update their databases to eliminate outdated or incorrect information. You can ask a provider how often the data is verified and how often outdated data is removed and they should easily be able to answer. 

Data precision

Data precision involves the granularity and specificity of the contact data such as how fast someone’s title in the contact provider changes when they’ve received a promotion. When data is precise, sales teams can target the right individuals within an organization, enhancing the overall effectiveness of their outreach efforts and increasing the likelihood of successful engagements.

You can evaluate data precision by checking how detailed the information is — like whether the database contains specific and accurate job titles, direct email addresses, and phone numbers. B2B contact data providers also generally provide company information such as funding, number of employees, and estimated revenue. If a company just raised a funding round or had a lay off - how fast is this reflected in the provider? That’s data precision! 

Database depth

Database depth refers to the comprehensiveness of the contact database, including the number of contacts, companies, and industries covered. A database with large depth is important because it offers a broader range of potential leads — enabling sales reps to find prospects across various sectors and regions, thus expanding your potential reach.

To assess database depth, review the provider’s data coverage and ensure it aligns with your target market needs. Some contact database providers may specialize in specific niches like SMBs or may focus on international companies in APAC. Data depth is about ensuring that the provider you go with has the contact data your business needs. 

Many companies choose to go with a larger B2B contact data provider that casts a wide net of data and may supplement with a smaller niche provider who specializes in a certain area. 

Contact data provider’s business model

The contact data provider’s business model informs how the organization collects, maintains, and sells their data. A transparent and ethical business model is important to ensure the quality and legitimacy of the data you receive, as well as to maintain compliance with data privacy regulations, avoiding legal risks and maintaining customer trust.

You can evaluate this criteria by understanding a vendor’s data sources, how they understand and uphold data compliance, and their pricing structure. If a company won’t tell you these things or you find that as you make your way through their sales process the dollar amount for the data goes way up - these could be red flags! 

Provider’s other services and features

In addition to the above, assess the additional tools and services the provider offers — like CRM integrations, AI writing tools, analytics, and browser extensions — to get more value from your investment. Providers that offer a robust suite of services and features on top of the contact data add value by streamlining workflows, improving data management, and providing actionable insights — which ultimately drive more efficient and effective sales efforts.

As you vet B2B contact database vendors, evaluate the other features they offer based on relevance to your sales processes and how they can enhance your overall strategy.

Best B2B contact database features

Now that you have a better idea of some of the most important criteria to assess when comparing different B2B contact databases, let’s turn our attention to additional features that best-in-class solutions deliver.

The best business contact databases focus on:

• Ease of onboarding and setup. The best B2B contact databases are easy to implement and intuitive by design, allowing teams to get up and running quickly without technical difficulties.
• Following privacy laws globally. Top providers ensure compliance with global privacy laws, safeguarding operations from legal issues and maintaining trust with prospects.
• Verifying contact data regularly. Leading databases regularly verify contact information to maintain accuracy and reliability, ensuring sales teams always have up-to-date data
• Expanding data coverage regularly. The best providers continually expand their data coverage, adding new contact and companies to keep up with market changes and growth opportunities.
• Integrating with existing online sales tools. Superior B2B contact databases seamlessly integrate with existing sales tools, enhancing workflow efficiency and data utilization.
• Providing other B2B sales data. In addition to contact data, leading solutions provide additional features like job change notifications, AI-powered cold writing tools, and intent data, providing comprehensive support for sales strategies.

Award-winning B2B contact database provider: Try LeadIQ’s contact data today

At LeadIQ, we’re laser-focused on cultivating and maintaining the most accurate and continuously verified B2B contact database on the market. 

Unlike other data providers, we focus on quality over quantity. While we have a pretty large database, we also use a proprietary algorithm to proactively verify 90 million records each month, ensuring our data is up to date. And while many other providers might shy away from a discussion on how to evaluate B2B contact data because their data quality isn’t great, we embrace it.

Add it all up, and sales teams that use LeadIQ can prospect with confidence — every day.

To learn more about our B2B contact data — and how to set up a free data evaluation and get started with LeadIQ — schedule a one-on-one demo today.