With a dirty list you can’t even begin to evaluate if your message is on target or not. Clean it up.
Your lead generation email list is one of the top four factors that cause marketing campaigns to fail. This issue comes up in every one of my lead generation speaking engagements and many of our team’s initial strategy discussions with new clients.
So let’s address it.
Use this checklist to determine why your email list may not be performing up to your expectations.
1. Your Email list is dirty.
Email addresses aren’t correct. Contact titles are missing. There is little segmentation. If your email list is dirty, it’s inevitable that you will get bounces. Not only does that reduce your email response rate, but it puts you at risk with your email provider as a potential spammer. With a dirty list, you can’t even begin to evaluate if your message is on target or not. Clean it up.
2. You are using a purchased email list.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with a purchased email list if you’re delivering valuable educational content. So the issue isn’t that you purchased an email list. The real issue is that it’s cold. If you purchased a list of contacts in a segment where you aren’t well known, you have to build awareness for your company’s name before you’ll see engagement. That requires consistency and time. Unfortunately, too many business owners give up before they’ve put in their time.
3. Your email list is too old.
My rule of thumb is that any email list that hasn’t been used in one year is a high risk. People move. Companies merge or go out of business. If your email list is old, validate it before you use it. There are probably some good contacts in it, but you can’t be sure which ones they are.
4. Your email list is too small.
If you’re the salesperson, you need a smaller email list so you can prospect to it effectively. Too large a list and you can’t manage it. Your list size may be 50-100 contacts, with a maximum of 250. If you’re running the marketing campaigns for your company, you need an email list that will perform up to the goals you’ve set. For example, if you’re planning a lunch and learn event, you want a list large enough to deliver participants.
5. Your email list is too large.
When we first start working with companies to implement their lead generation plans, business owners and marketers often think a bigger email list is better. They want email lists with thousands of contacts. But bigger isn’t necessarily better. Don’t target based only on the number of contacts. Focus on creating an email list of the right companies and contacts who meet your buying criteria.
What have you discovered so far? Where do you need to make adjustments?
![6 High-Probability Moments to Send LinkedIn Connection Requests Prior to an Event Events create natural relevance. Conferences, trade shows, user groups, and local meetups give you a reason to connect that does not feel forced. The mistake sellers make is waiting until the event starts or turning the request into a pitch. A better move is connecting days or weeks ahead with a simple acknowledgment of the shared event. Example: Hi Sarah, saw you’re attending the Midwest Manufacturing Summit next month. I’ll also be there and am super excited! I’d love to catch up in person at the event. In the meantime, let’s connect here on LinkedIn. You are aligning with something already on their calendar. When you see them at the event or reach out afterward, your name is no longer unfamiliar. Following an Event After an event, connection requests work best when they reference a real interaction, even a small one. A short conversation, a question during a session, or a brief introduction creates enough context. The request should reflect that moment, not attempt to convert it into a follow-up. Example: Tim, I enjoyed meeting you at the conference last week. Your take on [subject/trend/idea] was intriguing. I look forward to staying connected and to our next conversation. This reinforces continuity and professionalism without pushing the relationship forward prematurely. After a Sales Call Sending a connection request after a sales call is one of the most underused opportunities in prospecting. If the call was answered and productive, the request reinforces credibility and continuity. Example: Thanks again for the conversation today. I appreciated your perspective on how your team is thinking about next quarter. I look forward to our next meeting and sharing some ideas I have with you and your team. If the prospect did not answer, a connection request can still make sense as a light reinforcement, especially early in the relationship. It keeps your name present without escalating pressure. Either way, the request works because the call establishes legitimacy first. After a Meaningful Interaction Not all interactions happen in formal selling environments. Thoughtful exchanges in comment threads, group discussions, or brief conversations in passing all create natural moments to connect. That might mean running into each other at a non-work event, crossing paths at an airport, or chatting briefly in a line somewhere unexpected. Example: Haley, it was a pleasure meeting you on our flight to Atlanta. Thank you for your restaurant recommendations! I look forward to staying connected, What makes this work is that the interaction was real. The request simply continues it. Mutual Connections Shared connections reduce perceived risk when handled with restraint. They signal that you operate in similar professional circles, not that you have permission to pitch. The mistake is overexplaining or implying endorsement. Example: Hi Mark, I noticed that you are connected to my good friend, James, and since you are also [interested in, working in, located in] I thought it might make sense for us to be connected also. A simple acknowledgment is enough. Familiarity does the work. Profile Views Profile views signal awareness, not intent. When someone views your profile after a call, email, or content interaction, a connection request can make sense as a low-pressure acknowledgment. Example: Wendy, thank you for visiting my profile. I had a chance to look at yours, and based on your interests, I thought it might make sense for us to connect. The discipline is resisting the urge to read more into it than is there. Want the exact framework for integrating LinkedIn into a disciplined outreach sequence without pitching, spamming, or wasting time? Buy The LinkedIn Edge by Jeb Blount and Brynne Tillman today. Sales Gravy is the number one sales training organization](https://salesgravy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/6-Moments-LinkedIn-Connection-Requests-Actually-Work-in-Prospecting-Sales-Gravy-Blog-Featured-Image-768x401.jpg)
