---
# System prepended metadata

title: '✍️ Assignment: Find and validate (new) leads'
tags: [Onboarding training]

---

---
tags: Onboarding training
---
# ✍️ Assignment: Find and validate (new) leads
:::warning
Reminder: we recommend you meet with your company contact before starting this step, as the information they provide will be very relevant. 
:::
**Congratulations on getting this far! We hope that was insightful 🧐**

Now that you're familiar with the concept of an ICP and IBP, and you know how to generate leads... we're (obviously) going to ask you to generate them! 

You should now have:
:::info
✅ A clear ICP and IBP in mind. 
✅ Hot leads: a list of leads your company wants you to target and qualify. 
✅ A wanted list: instructions on which **new** leads to generate.
✅ A blacklist (if available): a list of leads you should **not** target for different reasons (already a customer, they know don't qualify as ICP etc.)
:::
With this data, we're going to ask you to research and build a list of leads ready to contact in the next module.

As you see, you have a mix of leads that have been given to you by your company (the wanted list), directions on how to find other leads you can target (your ICP and IBP), and leads you shouldn't target (your blacklist).

This is very likely similar to what you will get as an SDR in your real job!

At some companies, you may be given leads to call and qualify (usually because they have a well-functioning Inbound Marketing team). However, especially when working for smaller companies, it will be necessary for you to research and generate leads yourself.

Let's get started 👇
&nbsp;
## The assignment
So here is your main assignment for this module:
::: info
**The assignment**
&nbsp;
- [ ] Research and find 10 new leads for your company
- [ ] Review and update 15 leads from the list given to you by your company
:::

**Some notes:**
- **A lead is a person, not a company.** You may have more than one lead for each company as multiple people could be a fit (we recommend a maximum of 3).
- **Find only leads that, at least on the outset, match the IBP and ICP** you have agreed with your company.
- **Include all the data required on the list** (see below), including their email, phone number, and/or LinkedIn URL, and current job title (e.g. VP Sales). 
- It can and will happen that for some leads you don't find phone numbers. In this case, **make sure to get their LinkedIn profile** and the general company phone number from their corporate website.
- **In the lead list given to you, just pick any 15 of your choice**. Research if the contacts listed still work at the listed companies. If not, update the entry with a new relevant contact person (people change jobs often).

We know, this isn't the sexiest task of all, but it is a critical one. It's the foundation for all your future sales activities. If your lead list sucks, you won't get any opportunities! As with anything in life, "shit in, shit out! 💩"

One more note... when progressing through the course, you will run out of these leads fast. This means that you should get used to repeating this task on a recurring basis in the upcoming modules until you have completed your mission. 

For now we will focus on these first 25, but we recommend that at the end of each day, you prepare a list of 10-20 leads "ready to call" the next day. More on that later!
&nbsp;


## Setup

- Open your [company's onboarding briefing](https://www.notion.so/headstartacademy/13f7688a5d7c4cb094877c53a05209c7?v=a8426f21ee65445287c85518bcb4515b)
- Follow the instructions on how to add new leads and / or update existing leads (either directly in your CRM or by using a "lead import template") 

Once you have a completed the assignment, share the list of leads with your company contact asking for feedback, and with us below for validation.

In the next step, we will set up the most important tools we're going to be working on from now on.

Enjoy! ✊


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