Sales prospecting in B2B: what it is and how to do it well
Prospecting decides who your salespeople actually talk to. We show you how to plan it, measure it and run it so that it ends in meetings rather than a list of contacts. At InStream Group, the first Sales House in Poland, we combine cold mailing, social selling and databases built for your target group, and we write minimum results into the contract.
Trusted by 1,700 companies from Poland and around the world
Definition
What is prospecting?
In B2B sales, prospecting covers four activities: choosing companies and decision-makers, building a contact database, making first contact (email, LinkedIn, phone) and qualifying the replies. The outcome of good prospecting is not a list of companies. It is a lead: a person who wants to talk about your offer.
Prospecting differs from lead generation in scope. Lead generation is the whole system for attracting interested buyers, including inbound marketing. Prospecting is its active, outbound part: you decide whom to contact.
Sales funnel
Prospecting: which stage of the sales funnel is it?
Prospecting opens the second level of the funnel, lead generation: from a company that does not know you yet to a lead who asks for a conversation. On the first we build brand visibility, so the decision-maker knows your company before they receive our message. The next levels take over lead handling, sales management and team development.
Visibility and brand
We build the visibility of your company and its leaders on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn MarketingWe build your leaders’ personal brands: content, video and regular publishing.See the service 
Employee AdvocacyConsistent employee profiles and a shared content calendar for the whole team.See the service 
LinkedIn profile auditWe review the profile element by element and recommend changes.See the service Lead generation
We reach decision-makers by email and on LinkedIn. You get hot leads.
Cold MailingPersonalised email campaigns. A team, databases and our own sending infrastructure.See the service 
Social SellingA salesperson runs your LinkedIn profile, builds relationships and books meetings.See the service 
B2B company databasesCustom company databases from registers, maps and thousands of sources.See the service Lead management
We qualify leads and turn them into booked meetings.
Lead handling (pre-sales)
Virtual qualification and meeting bookingSales management
We organise your sales process and manage your team.
Sales department transformationThe SalesBooster programme rebuilds your process, CRM, training and team habits.See the service 
Remote sales directorAn experienced director manages your sales department remotely.See the service 
Open consultingAn individual development path, mentoring and support with your challenges.See the service Skills development
We develop salespeople in the training room and on a virtual sales process.
Classic training
Training on a virtual sales processTools and CRM
We implement CRM and AI that support salespeople’s everyday work.
CRM implementation
AI in sales implementationWant to start with lead generation?
Operating model
Prospecting on your own or with a Sales House?
Both routes work, but they need different things. Running prospecting yourself makes sense when you have an experienced SDR lead, your own data and time to test. A Sales House makes sense when you need results this quarter.
| On your own | With Sales House | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Your salespeople or SDRs you hire | A team of InStream specialists together with your sales team |
| Databases | You buy or build them yourself | Built for your target, usually ready for approval within 48 hours |
| Sending infrastructure | Domains, mailboxes and warm-up on your side | Subdomains, dedicated servers and 20–40 mailboxes included |
| Legal (GDPR, ePrivacy) | You handle compliance yourself | Legal team on the project |
| Results guarantee | None | Min. 5 hot leads a month in the contract (Cold Mailing 2.0, LinkedIn Sales) |
| Time to start | Recruitment and onboarding: weeks or months | Campaign launch once the database and messages are approved |
Lead generation demo
See what prospecting looks like in practice
In a few minutes we show you the campaign panel, database building, LinkedIn sequences and the place where you see every lead in real time.
Click to play the demo with sound
Methods
Prospecting methods: cold calling, cold email, LinkedIn and inbound
There is no single best method. Cold email gives scale, LinkedIn gives precision, the phone gives a quick conversation and inbound attracts people who are already searching. The best results come from combining at least two channels.
| Criterion | Cold calling | Cold email | LinkedIn (social selling) | Inbound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | Low: a few dozen calls a day per person | High: thousands of companies a month | Medium: hundreds of invitations a month | Depends on traffic and budget |
| Targeting precision | High | High with a good database | Very high: a specific person and their profile | Low: whoever is searching comes in |
| Time to first leads | Days | 2–4 weeks | 2–4 weeks | Months |
| Legal side | In Poland, since 10.11.2024 marketing calls need prior consent, also in B2B | The first message asks for permission, with no offer | Relationship first, offer second | Consent given by the contact itself |
| Best for | Short sales cycles and simple offers | Scale and new markets | Long sales cycles and dream accounts | Products buyers actively search for |
At InStream we run cold email and LinkedIn as a set, not as competitors. See how we run cold email campaigns.
Step by step
How to design a prospecting campaign
A prospecting campaign has eight steps. Skip any of them and you will see it in the results.
- Goal and success metricHow many meetings or hot leads a month and at what cost per lead.
- ICPIndustry, company size, market, decision-makers' job titles and buying signals such as hiring or expansion.
- DatabaseCompanies and decision-makers that match the ICP. You approve it by company name, job title and website.
- MessageOne problem, one benefit and one question at the end. Personalise by meaning, not by pasting the job title.
- Sequence3–4 messages a few days apart, across two channels.
- InfrastructureSeparate domains, warmed-up mailboxes, correct SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
- Launch and measurementReplies, share of interested prospects, hot leads and meetings.
- Optimisation every 2 weeksChange the subject line, the order of arguments or the database segment.
SDR team
SDR team: in-house or outsourced?
An in-house SDR team is more than a salary. It also means employer costs, recruitment, tools, databases, sending infrastructure, a lawyer and a manager's time spent on training.
| In-house SDR | Sales House team | |
|---|---|---|
| Team size | 1 salesperson | A team: SDRs, team leader, trainer, CRM and AI analyst, support team |
| Channels | Usually one | Cold email, LinkedIn and phone in one process |
| Risk of leaving | The person leaves and takes the know-how | Cover and standards on our side |
| Guarantee | None | Written into the contract |
For roughly the cost of one full-time salesperson, several people from three of our teams work for you at Sales House. Run the numbers with your own costs below.
Do the maths for yourself
Your own prospecting team or Sales House?
Enter the costs you incur building lead generation yourself. Then tick the services from the Lead generation package and we will calculate the difference over the selected period.
Building it yourself
Everything on your side. Untick what you don't need and change the amounts to your own.
- EUR / month
- EUR / month
- EUR one-off
- EUR / month
- EUR / month
- EUR / month
- EUR / month
Note: one salesperson won't give you a lead guarantee, won't support marketing and won't run lead generation campaigns in three channels at once.
With Sales House
One partner, three channels. Tick the services you want to launch.
- €1,700 / month
- €1,000 / month
- €1,000 / month
Included: teams of specialists, technology and databases built for your target group. Net prices with no hidden fees. We write the guarantee of min. 5 hot leads per month in Cold Mailing and LinkedIn Sales into the contract.
Enter the costs from your own market. Sales House prices are net, as in the price list.
Our team
Meet the team that runs your prospecting
Our salespeople are full-time employees, not students on short contracts and not bots. We match the size of the team to the scale of the campaign and to how fast your team takes over the leads.
SDR specialists
They answer leads, qualify them and book meetings.
Team Leader
Keeps the pace and quality and stays in touch with your sales team.
Trainer and QA
Trains the team on your offer and reviews the calls.
CRM and AI analyst
Looks after CRM data, reports and automations.
Support team
IT, legal and data miners who build the databases.
How the team works: Hire an SDR team for lead handling
Get a behind-the-scenes look at our services
Five short videos about how we reach your clients: cold mailing, LinkedIn Sales, LinkedIn Marketing, Employee Advocacy and Sales Booster.
Cold Email — lead generation
How a team of 5 specialists runs a campaign: from a database built for your target group to hot leads handed over to your sales team.
LinkedIn Social Selling
Salespeople build relationships with decision-makers on LinkedIn and turn them into sales conversations.
LinkedIn Marketing
A recognisable company brand on LinkedIn and experts who attract clients. Salespeople start from warmer conversations.
Employee Advocacy
One voice for the whole company on LinkedIn: a communication strategy for every employee, posts prepared by our team and results analytics.
Sales Booster — sales department transformation programme
A programme that organises the sales process, bases decisions on CRM data and develops salespeople's skills.
Pricing
How much does prospecting cost and when does it pay off?
The cost of prospecting depends on the industry and size of the target group, the chosen channel, and the scope and duration of the project. We don't sell individual leads: we build a process and a team for reliable lead acquisition that genuinely supports your company's sales results. Net prices; you can choose each service separately or as a package.
Lead generation package
Cold Mailing, LinkedIn Sales and LinkedIn Marketing in one package
€3,500net / month · three services in one packageThree client acquisition channels run by one team. You can also choose each service separately.
Book a callWhat you get in the package
Cold Mailing 2.0 · €1,700
- A team of 5 specialists with a project manager
- 20–40 mailboxes with warm-up
- Guarantee of min. 5 hot leads per month
LinkedIn Sales · €1,000
- A team of 3 full-time salespeople
- Min. 200 new contacts per month
- Manually recorded voice messages and min. 5 hot leads per month
LinkedIn Marketing · €1,000
- Marketing Manager and Support Team
- Up to 3 leader profiles and the company page
- Min. 6 posts per month
- Min. 5 edited videos
In the package
- One team runs three channels
- Net prices with no hidden fees
- Contract only for the modules you choose
- Lead guarantee written into the contract
Cold Mailing 2.0
Subscription: a permanent team and campaign continuity
€1,700net / month- A team of 5 specialists: project manager, data miner, creative department, IT and legal department
- A contact database built for your target group
- 20–40 mailboxes with warm-up
- Guarantee of min. 5 hot leads per month in the contract
- Campaigns on our own cold mailing platform
- CPL model also available: you pay for the leads delivered
LinkedIn Sales
Social Selling: salespeople who open conversations with decision-makers themselves
€1,000net / month- A team of 3 full-time salespeople
- Min. 200 new contacts per month
- Manually recorded voice messages
- Min. 5 hot leads per month
- Up to 3 LinkedIn profiles in the campaign
LinkedIn Marketing
Leader and company brand on LinkedIn
€1,000net / month- Marketing Manager and Support Team
- Up to 3 leader profiles and the company page
- Min. 6 posts per month
- Min. 5 edited videos
- A marketing strategy tailored to your goals
CAC and CPL
How to calculate CAC and CPL in prospecting
CPL tells you how much you pay for one interested person. CAC tells you how much you pay for one signed deal. Judge prospecting by CAC, because a cheap lead that never buys is the most expensive one.
Next to CAC, track lead-to-meeting and meeting-to-deal conversion. More in our glossary: CPL and CAC.
Calculators
Work out what your prospecting will cost
Data first, leads second. Configure the database for your target and see how the pay-per-lead model works.
Choose the data you need
Tick the fields you want in your database and see its scope. The decision-maker's data costs the most: personal email, direct phone and LinkedIn profile. We quote each database individually.
€700 setup, then pay per hot lead
In the CPL model you pay only for hot leads delivered, at a fixed price per lead that depends on your industry. Settlement is monthly.
Clients and their stories
Our clients' success and satisfaction matter most to us. Join more than 1,700 companies worldwide for which we have generated leads.
Case study
Emitel × InStream
Cold Email campaign: boosting in-building mobile network coverage.
105 hot leads350% of the guarantee deliveredClient testimonial
Mr Staff Support
Recruitment of drivers and workers from Asia. Magdalena talks about working with InStream.
Case study
Studio201 × InStream
Cold Email campaign for a software house: apps and AI implementations.
119 hot leads3 signed contractsClient testimonial
Packon
Cardboard packaging manufacturer. Konrad Wijata talks about working with InStream.
Case study
Personal System × InStream
Cold Email campaign for a permanent and temporary staffing agency.
40 hot leads in 3 months17,000+ messagesClient testimonial
Proexwork
Staffing agency. Maciej Krutul talks about working with InStream.
Case study
StethoMe × InStream
LinkedIn: the CEO's personal brand and US market outreach in 4 months.
607 invitations13.5% acceptance rateCase study
Iguana Group × InStream
Cold Email campaign to schools: sports equipment.
43 hot leads419 repliesClient testimonial
HSK Consulting
Employee hiring services. Jarosław Multan talks about working with InStream.
Client testimonial
MAAG Gear
LinkedIn campaign, 2 years of working together. Krzysztof Orłowski talks about working with InStream.
Client stories
See how we help companies like yours
Testimonials, case studies and campaign results from our clients in Poland and around the world.
See client storiesProspecting 3.0
Prospecting 3.0: how we do it at InStream Group
One team runs three channels on one database: cold email, LinkedIn and manual emails to selected decision-makers. Together they close the gaps each channel leaves on its own.
| Channel | Role in prospecting | How we do it |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Mailing 2.0 | Scale: thousands of companies from your ICP | Databases built for your target, 20–40 mailboxes, warm-up, sequences and a client panel showing every reply |
| LinkedIn Sales | Precision: specific decision-makers and a wishlist of 5–10 dream companies per month | Experienced full-time salespeople, manually recorded voice messages and our own CRM for LinkedIn |
| Manual emails | Closing the loop: people who saw you on LinkedIn but did not reply | Run in parallel within the same contact process |
Mass mailing
One message to a purchased list. Lots of emails sent, few conversations and burned domains.
One channel, good data
A database built for the target, personalisation and a sequence. It works, but misses the decision-makers who do not read email.
Several channels, one team
One database, one team and one measure of success: a hot lead in your calendar.
Tools
20 sales prospecting tools ranked
Tools speed prospecting up, but they do not run it for you. Here are 20 platforms in several categories and the criteria for choosing between them.
| Tool | Category | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | finding decision-makers | people and company filters on LinkedIn, lead lists, alerts |
| Apollo.io | database and sequences | B2B contact database and email sequences in one place |
| ZoomInfo | data provider | extensive company and contact data, mainly for the US market |
| Cognism | data provider | B2B contacts with a focus on Europe |
| Lusha | data provider | decision-makers' phones and emails, browser extension |
| Dealfront | data and intent | European company data and identification of website visitors |
| Kaspr | data enrichment | contact details from LinkedIn profiles |
| Hunter | email finder | emails by company domain and their verification |
| Snov.io | email finder and sequences | finding emails and simple campaigns |
| Clay | data enrichment | combining many data sources and AI personalisation |
| Woodpecker | cold email | email sequences, warm-up, reply detection |
| lemlist | cold email and LinkedIn | multichannel sequences with personalisation |
| Instantly | cold email | sending from many mailboxes and warm-up |
| Smartlead | cold email | mailbox rotation and high-volume sending |
| Reply.io | multichannel sequences | email, LinkedIn and call tasks in one sequence |
| Waalaxy | LinkedIn automation | LinkedIn invitations and messages in campaigns |
| Outreach | sales engagement platform | sequences, call analysis and forecasting for large teams |
| Salesloft | sales engagement platform | sequences and sales team workflow |
| HubSpot Sales Hub | CRM and sequences | CRM with email sequences and open tracking |
| Pipedrive | CRM | sales pipeline, automations and lead handling |
Bottom line: a platform is only a tool. Results come from the database, the message, the infrastructure and the people who answer emails and call interested prospects every day. That is why at Sales House you get a team together with the technology instead of just a licence.
Sales House
Three layers of prospecting at Sales House
An agency usually provides people, a tool provides technology and the databases, infrastructure and legal side stay with you. At Sales House you get all three layers at once.
A team of specialists
Project manager, data miner, copywriter, SDRs, sales trainer, legal and IT. They are full-time employees and know your target.
Data, infrastructure, know-how
Databases built for your target, domains and 20–40 mailboxes, sequences and call scripts. Backed by more than 3,000 completed projects.
Lead Astra
Campaign panel, CRM for LinkedIn and real-time analytics of replies and conversions. You see every lead straight away.
We are responsible not only for bringing leads in but also for whether you have a process to close them. The results guarantee is written into the contract and if we miss it, you get 25% of the invoice back or we make up the shortfall the following month.
After prospecting
What happens to the lead? Handling leads from prospecting
Prospecting ends with a hot lead, but selling starts with the conversation. A hot lead is a person from the approved database who asked for a meeting, an offer or a call and has a phone number and email.
- QualificationWe check the need, budget, decision-maker and purchase timing.
- Multichannel contactPhone, text message, LinkedIn and email. After a reply to a campaign we get in touch within an hour.
- Meeting handoverThe meeting lands in your salesperson's calendar as an SQL, with a note in your CRM.
Client
testimonials
Our clients' success and satisfaction matter most to us. Join more than 1,700 companies worldwide for which we have generated leads.
InStream Group has proven to be a competent partner in building business relationships and expanding our sales activities. Their operations are precise and ensure high-quality lead generation.
Hubert Paczkowski
Sage
The InStream Group team demonstrated professionalism, innovation, and extensive expertise. Throughout our collaboration, we could count on punctuality, openness to suggestions, and constant communication. Thanks to the dedication and flexibility of Ms. Marika, Klaudia, and Ewa, we were able to build valuable relationships with potential clients and significantly increase the number of B2B leads. I wholeheartedly recommend InStream Group as a competent and effective partner in the field of B2B sales support.
Aleksandra Lech
Compensa
Our lead generation collaboration with InStream has been ongoing since the beginning of the year. It took the company only one week to prepare for the campaign, which was launched as planned on January 9, 2023. I would like to commend their smart approach to building the data base (consulting, refining) and the surprisingly accurate email addresses of decision-makers, which quickly translated into the first signed contracts. We continue to work together because it simply pays off.
Marcin Wojno
Helper
The company delivers our offer to dedicated target groups through emailing, allowing us to save time and connect with decision-makers. Additional lead guarantees enable us to continuously acquire new contacts for collaboration.
Wojciech Bogdański
AAA Auto
A very high level of cooperation and client communication. A young, ambitious, and professional team that knows their job and is always open to any suggestions.
Paweł Wojewodzic
Ogniochron
A pleasant and, most importantly, successful business collaboration. The InStream team was always helpful. The campaign turned out to be a great success and brought a significant year-over-year sales increase. Thank you.
Łukasz Dopierała
HAMA
Highly recommended! Before we started working together, we had many doubts about whether an external company would be able to deliver and generate content that would come back to us in the form of leads. They did it! For us, it was a new but important experience, and fortunately, we chose a company that met our expectations. Databases generated, content delivered, leads processed, and new clients acquired. We will definitely come back with a new idea and another market segment to explore and capture.
Marcin Suchocki
PC Print
We have been working with InStream Group since the second quarter of 2024 and are very satisfied with the work they have done. The company stands out for its high level of professionalism, quick and effective problem-solving support, and, most importantly – they deliver leads.
Fryderyk Gabryś
MB Poznań
I have carried out three projects with InStream, each time trying to find a counteroffer to compare capabilities. “Unfortunately,” each time I ended up staying with them – they outperformed the competition by far. They are professionals, both before signing the contract (conducting discussions, presenting capabilities, building credibility, etc.) and after the project starts. Full professionalism from the entire team (project manager, salespeople, content creators…), competent project management, good communication, etc. – from the beginning to the end of the cooperation.
Robert Ciesielski
Cogit
Pricing
How we price prospecting
The price depends on five things we agree on during the first call. Based on them you get an offer with the price, the guarantee and the start date.
- TargetIndustry, company size and job titles. The narrower the group of decision-makers, the more work goes into the database.
- MarketsPoland or abroad. International campaigns are run by our international team.
- ChannelsCold email only, LinkedIn only or both channels in one sequence.
- Billing modelA subscription with a guarantee, a pilot or pay-per-lead, where you pay only for hot leads.
- Lead handlingYour team takes over the leads or our SDR team qualifies them and books the meetings.
See the full price list of our services on the Pricing page. Get a prospecting quote
Need to verify our effectiveness?
We have supported more than 1,700 companies worldwide in sales. During a conversation with our consultant, ask for references or the possibility of business contact with selected clients. Book a presentation of our work or ask us to prepare an initial vision of cooperation.
Check our Google reviews
Despite operating at such a large scale, we keep negative reactions to a minimum. Our positive Google reviews are the best proof of that.
Ask for written references
We have hundreds of recommendations from satisfied clients that confirm the effectiveness of our work. Ask a consultant for examples of projects from your industry and written references.
Talk to our clients
Interested in a specific project? Contact our consultant to get the chance to talk to selected clients. Our business partners are happy to share their experience.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about sales prospecting
What is prospecting?
Prospecting is finding, qualifying and making first contact with companies that match your ideal customer profile before they reach out to you. It covers choosing companies and decision-makers, building a database, contacting them by email, LinkedIn or phone and qualifying the replies.
What is the difference between prospecting and lead generation?
Lead generation is the whole system for attracting interested buyers, including inbound marketing. Prospecting is its active, outbound part: the company chooses whom to contact and starts the conversation itself.
What are the main B2B prospecting methods?
The most common methods are cold email, social selling on LinkedIn, cold calling and inbound. Cold email gives scale and LinkedIn gives precision. The best results come from a sequence that combines at least two channels.
Is B2B prospecting legal?
Yes, if you follow GDPR and the local rules on electronic marketing. In Poland, since 10 November 2024 commercial information by email or phone needs the recipient's prior consent, also in B2B. That is why the first message in our campaigns asks for permission to talk and contains no offer.
How much does prospecting cost?
At InStream Group the Cold Mailing 2.0 subscription costs €1,700 net per month with a guarantee of min. 5 hot leads, LinkedIn Sales costs €1,000 net per month and the full Lead generation package €3,500 net. In the pay-per-lead model you pay a €700 setup fee plus a fixed price per hot lead that depends on the industry.
How long does it take before prospecting brings the first leads?
With cold email and LinkedIn the first replies usually come after 2–4 weeks. That time goes into building the database, preparing the messages and warming up the mailboxes. We usually deliver the database for approval within 48 hours.
How do you measure prospecting effectiveness?
Measure the number of hot leads, cost per lead (CPL), lead-to-meeting and meeting-to-deal conversion and finally customer acquisition cost (CAC). Open or reply rates alone do not tell you whether a campaign makes money.
Should I hire an SDR or outsource prospecting?
An in-house SDR makes sense when you have an experienced team leader, your own data and time to test channels. Outsourcing prospecting to a Sales House gives you a team of several specialists, databases, infrastructure and a results guarantee in the contract, usually for roughly the cost of one full-time salesperson.
Get a prospecting quote
Tell us which companies, job titles and markets you want to reach. We will come back with a proposal of channels, a billing model and a sample database to review.