By The PhantomBuster TeamArtificial intelligence is no longer a trend. It's a revolution that can change how businesses connect with customers.
For sales professionals, AI-powered tools speed up and improve lead generation—finding and nurturing potential customers.
This article covers a curated list of actionable AI lead-generation use cases and tools to help your help sales teams stay competitive.
AI highlights
AI can help with various lead-generation tasks, such as prospecting and list building, lead enrichment and qualification, social selling, cold outreach, and more.
Best AI lead-generation use cases include:
Lead-generation list building: Set up chatbots for lead capture and use AI tools to automatically clean and qualify those leads.
Lead enrichment: AI can analyze customer sentiment to uncover pain points and enrich LinkedIn-exported lists with updated information, keeping your data fresh and relevant.
Lead qualification: Create ideal customer profiles, filter leads based on detailed customer profile analysis, and use AI to score leads, helping you prioritize those with the highest potential.
Social selling: AI analyzes your audience’s tone of voice, helping you tailor LinkedIn messages and comments to increase engagement and connection success.
Outreach email campaigns: Personalize outreach emails with AI, boosting open rates and conversions. AI also provides insights into your outreach campaigns, helping you refine your lead-generation strategies for better results.
PhantomBuster AI Phantoms help sales teams enrich their lead lists and create personalized messages on auto-pilot. Prices start at $56 monthly.
How does AI enhance the lead generation process?
AI makes lead generation more efficient and targeted. Here’s how to make it part of your lead-generation process:
Lead-generation list building: AI automatically gathers potential leads from sources like websites and social media—a fast and efficient way to build targeted lists.
Lead enrichment: Fill in missing details with AI, like job titles and company info, with automated data scraping.
Lead qualification: Evaluate and prioritize leads with a data-driven AI scoring system.
Social selling: Analyze social media interactions with AI lead-generation tools to tailor your messaging and engage more effectively with potential leads.
Outreach email campaigns: Use AI to personalize and optimize your emails by analyzing recipients and improving messaging, timing, and frequency.
AI for lead generation list building
AI lead-generation tools let you automate the process of collecting and qualifying leads. With it, you can easily capture prospects from multiple channels, making sure your pipeline is never dry.
Use chatbots to generate leads from your website visitors
With AI-powered chatbots, you can engage visitors right when they land on your site.
They ask smart questions like, "Need help finding the right product?"
This generates interest and instantly qualifies leads. You can capture leads 24/7, filter out the irrelevant ones, and add valuable prospects directly to your CRM.
HubSpot's chatbot, for example, can ask qualifying questions based on visitors' behavior. It knows when visitors are ready for sales or need more nurturing and automatically adds them to your lists.
To get more leads, configure your chatbot with targeted questions and integrate it with your CRM to streamline your lead-generation process.
Use AI to clean raw lists
Clean up your lead lists with AI, whether scraped from the web or generated through inbound activities like chatbots.
If your lead list is sharp and relevant, you're more likely to reach out to people who fit your target profile.
With AI, you can automatically remove competitors, filter out duplicates, or exclude leads that didn’t provide a work email.
For example, set up a custom AI prompt to filter out leads from specific companies or locations. This allows you to spend your time and resources on high-potential leads, increasing conversion rates.
This way, you're saving time and making sure every lead you contact has potential.
Use this prompt to get AI to remove competitors:
The company or the previous company of the lead is 'Lemlist' or 'Lempire,' mark the field 'Relevant' as 'False'. If the lead's location is outside Europe or the US, mark the field 'Relevant' as 'False'. If you're unsure about the company or the location, mark the field 'Relevant' as 'To check.'
Else, if you're certain that the lead's company or previous company is not 'Lemlist' or 'Lempire' and that their location is not outside Europe, mark the field 'Relevant' as 'True.'
Use AI to qualify leads on sales calls
Using AI to get qualified leads on sales calls transforms how you identify and prioritize prospects.
Instead of guessing which leads are most likely to convert, AI tools analyze conversations in real time, detecting key phrases and patterns that signal a lead’s potential.
No more relying on gut feelings—you get data-backed insights from every call. AI-powered tools let you focus on the leads most likely to close and prioritize your follow-ups.
Tools like Gong, Scratchpad, CoPilot AI, and JustCall offer features like automated transcriptions, sentiment analysis, and CRM updates to pinpoint high-potential leads.
AI for lead generation lead enrichment
If you want to improve your lead generation with AI, don't stop at gathering data. You must also make that data actionable to generate leads.
With AI, you can dig deeper into lead enrichment to uncover valuable insights.
Use AI to analyze sentiment and uncover pain points
To really understand your leads, use AI to analyze sentiment and determine what makes them tick.
With AI, you can analyze reviews, comments, or any text data to gauge the overall positive, negative, or neutral sentiment.
For example, you can use an AI tool to analyze customer feedback from various sources.
It scans the text, summarizes the main points, and gives a sentiment score. It lets you know what your leads think of your product or service so you can craft messages that resonate.
Understanding sentiment is not enough; leveraging it to drive better engagement is crucial. Getting to know your leads deeper makes it easier to convert them.
To get AI to analyze sentiment and uncover pain points, use this prompt:
Analyze the following review and determine the overall sentiment (positive, negative, or neutral). Provide a summary of the main points mentioned in the review. Format the response as a JSON object with keys 'sentiment' and 'summary', in this parsable JSON format, as a single flat object: { sentiment: "...", summary: "..." }
Use AI tools to enrich LinkedIn exported lists
AI can take your LinkedIn exported lists to the next level by providing real-time insights and updates.
Imagine knowing who on your list has switched jobs in the past 30 days—this could be the perfect opportunity to reconnect or make a targeted offer.
AI-powered lead generation tools can automatically scan for changes like this, helping you build a micro-list of high-potential leads.
You could upload your file to ChatGPT directly or use a tool like PhantomBuster to manage your lead list with the AI Profile Enricher.
Not only does AI help identify recent role changes, but it also does the heavy lifting by updating and enriching your lists with the latest data.
You can then filter your lead list to create different ones based on common criteria. It ensures that your outreach is timely and relevant, so you have a higher chance of engaging.
AI for lead qualification
AI lead-generation tools take lead qualification to the next level by helping you identify your ideal customers based on accurate data.
Instead of guessing who your best leads are, you can rely on AI to analyze your existing customer base and identify the key traits that make up your most valuable prospects.
Use AI to create ideal customer profiles
AI lead generation software helps you analyze your existing customer data. It can identify patterns such as buying behavior, engagement frequency, or common challenges.
For example, if AI reveals that your top customers often come from specific industries or share common pain points, you can use this insight to filter and prioritize new leads accordingly.
Set up AI tools like the Advanced AI Enricher to flag leads that meet these criteria, ensuring your sales team is always targeting the most promising prospects.
Use AI to qualify leads
AI can refine your lead-qualification process by analyzing key factors like job title, industry, company size, and recent activity.
For example, you can set up a lead-generation AI tool to automatically qualify or disqualify leads based on how well they match your ideal customer profile.
How about a priority list?
Use AI lead-generation software to score leads, filtering out those who don't meet specific criteria like industry or company size. This ensures your sales team spends the most time on the best prospects.
To get qualified leads, use this prompt:
Based on the following criteria, analyze and qualify the lead: industry, company size, job title, geographic location, and recent activity. If the lead matches the target persona, qualify them; otherwise, disqualify them. Here is the lead information: [insert lead information].
Use AI for lead scoring
AI-driven lead scoring takes the guesswork out of prioritizing your lead-generation efforts.
AI analyzes vast amounts of data to identify patterns and determine whether a lead will likely convert. It goes beyond demographics- AI looks at engagement history, behavioral data, and industry-specific data.
For example, you can set criteria where leads with specific job titles, geographical locations, or engagement actions (like attending a webinar) score higher.
Integrating AI into lead scoring improves precision, scalability, and your ability to predict and take action. This process improves with time as AI adapts to new data and enhances accuracy.
You can use this prompt with any AI-powered tool to score leads:
Based on the profile details in each account, create a lead score for each that represents the likelihood of each profile buying a [company name] subscription. Follow the rules below:
1. All scores must be from 1 to 5, meaning most likely to buy.2. [job titles] should score higher.
3. People who like tools like [competitor] should get extra points.
4. People who comment on [topics] should score extra points.
5. Profiles with [specific geographic locations] should get higher scores.
6. Leads from [specific industries] should receive extra points.
AI for social selling
Social selling with AI lets you connect with your audience on a deeper level by understanding their voice and preferences.
Rather than feeling generic and robotic, this makes your outreach feel more personal.
Use AI to understand the tone of voice of your audience
Before you reach out to potential leads, take the time to understand the tone of voice that resonates with them.
With the AI Profile Enricher, you can analyze the language used in a prospect’s LinkedIn profile to recommend the most effective tone of voice for your communication.
It might suggest a friendly and informal tone for a startup founder or a more formal, professional tone for a corporate executive.
Here’s a prompt you can use to find more leads:
Hello! I will provide you with information from a LinkedIn Profile, such as self-description and job details. Your task is to analyze this data and derive insights about the person's character. Use these insights to determine the most suitable tone of voice I should adapt to communicate with them. You should base the tone of voice primarily on the person's description of themselves (the content and also their own writing style) when it's available.
However, if the self-description is insufficient or absent, then rely on their professional background or educational history to infer their communication preference.
Therefore, your response should include 1) the recommended tone of voice in 3 to 4 words and 2) a brief justification for your recommendation, explaining why you believe this tone would work best in initiating communication with this person, given their profile information.
Use AI to personalize LinkedIn connection messages
When reaching out to potential connections on LinkedIn, how you personalize your message can make or break your chances of a positive response.
Why is this important?
A generic message often gets ignored. But a personalized message builds connections that feel authentic and grounded in shared interests rather than coming off as just another random outreach attempt.
So, instead of sending impersonal connection requests, use AI tools like the LinkedIn AI message writer to craft messages that resonate with each recipient.
Use this prompt to get AI to write you a LinkedIn connection message:
Write a LinkedIn connection message based on the LinkedIn profile data fed to you, the below context, format and content:
Context:
- LinkedIn connection messages must be limited to 280 characters,
- My name is <your first name>, and I work as a <your job title> at <your company name>,
- I am looking to connect with interesting and experienced professionals to expand my network and stay in touch with them,
- I do not possess similar experience and skills to them,
- I am not looking to offer them any services or recruit them.
Format of your message:
- must contain less than 280 characters,
- must be written in English,
Content of your message:
- must quote one or two data points from the profile,
- must be written in a fun, casual way,
- must not use the word "fellow".
Here is an example of a good connection message:
"Hey Ben! Impressed by your experience leading sales teams at GoodProduct Inc. Would love to connect and learn more about your expertise in business development and SaaS. No sales pitch, just a curious recruiter expanding his network!"
The message must be shorter than 280 characters. If the message is longer than 280 characters, rewrite it to be shorter than 280 characters.
With this prompt, you'll get a personalized message for every lead in your list.
You can then automatically use these in your outreach by inserting the Outreach Automation Flow field.
Use AI to comment on LinkedIn posts
AI tools like the AI LinkedIn Post Responder help you craft personalized, impactful comments without spending hours writing each one.
Start by entering your existing lead lists into the AI tool. It will then find relevant posts from your leads and provide contextually appropriate comments.
Plus, you can easily download and review these AI-generated comments before posting, giving you full control over your interactions on LinkedIn.
AI for outreach email campaigns
Personalizing outreach emails can boost engagement rates, but doing it manually for every lead is time-consuming. AI lead-generation software can take this burden off your shoulders so you can deliver highly targeted messages.
Use AI to personalize outreach emails
AI tools can analyze a lead's profile data to generate personalized email content that resonates with them.
For example, if your lead recently joined a new company, AI can craft a message congratulating them on their new role and subtly connect it to your product or service.
Generate these emails using an AI-powered automation, like the Advanced AI-Enricher Phantom.
Here's an example you can use:
Use the data from this LinkedIn profile to craft a personalized connection message. The message should be fewer than 300 characters and in English, referencing specific details from the profile. Format the response as a JSON object with the key 'message,' like this: { message: '...' }."
Use AI sales intelligence to understand trends
Besides personalizing, it's important to know how your outreach campaigns do.
AI sales intelligence tools like Lavender and Gong allow you to analyze your email campaigns in-depth, identifying what works and what doesn't.
These tools track various metrics, such as open rates, response rates, and even the specific content that drives engagement.
For example, if you notice that emails mentioning a particular pain point are getting more replies, AI can suggest focusing more on that in future campaigns.
You can constantly improve your approach and stay ahead of the curve so your outreach efforts are continually optimized for success.
Best AI lead generation tools for sales and marketing teams
Now that we've looked at some actionable AI lead-generation use cases let's talk about tools.
Which is the best AI sales tool?
PhantomBuster: for AI lead enrichment and LinkedIn message personalization
PhantomBuster helps sales and marketing teams automate their sales prospecting and lead generation processes by personalizing outreach messages and enriching lead data.
This tool is perfect for growing your lead list and engaging more effectively on LinkedIn.
Here’s how you can leverage its AI features:
AI LinkedIn Message Writer Phantom: You can rely on AI to create personalized LinkedIn messages tailored to each lead, enhancing engagement.
AI LinkedIn Profile Enricher Phantom: This tool lets you automate the enrichment of LinkedIn profiles, ensuring your lead lists are comprehensive and up-to-date.
Advanced AI Enricher Phantom (Beta): Access the GPT API to customize your data enrichment processes, making your outreach more precise.
AI LinkedIn Post Responder Phantom: Automate writing comments on LinkedIn posts to increase engagement without extra effort.
Pricing: PhantomBuster offers a 14-day free trial, with pricing starting at $56/month (includes 10k AI credits and 5 Phantoms slots).
HubSpot Sales Hub: for AI lead scoring and sales forecasting
HubSpot Sales Hub is a leading CRM platform with robust AI features to optimize your lead-generation process. You can leverage HubSpot’s AI to perform lead scoring, forecasting, and more.
Here's what makes HubSpot a good AI lead-generation tool:
Prioritize leads: AI analyzes buyer journeys, helping you focus on the most promising leads.
Customizable lead scoring: Tailor scoring systems to your specific sales needs.
Predictive lead scoring: Use AI to predict which leads are most likely to convert based on historical data.
Pricing: HubSpot has two main plans for the Sales Hub, but the AI-powered features, such as predictive scoring, only come with the Enterprise plan, which starts at $150 per seat.
Lavender: for AI email campaigns
Lavender is an AI-driven tool that helps sales teams craft personalized and effective outreach campaigns to reach their target audience. Using its AI capabilities, you can make email content more relevant and generate high-quality leads.
Why Lavender is good at AI lead generation:
AI-powered email optimization: Get actionable insights to improve email performance.
Email personalization: Use AI to tailor emails based on contact data stored in your CRM.
Built-in ChatGPT: To draft emails and overcome writer’s block.
AI-driven email creation: Generate fully customized sales emails from scratch.
Pricing: Lavender has four pricing tiers, including a free basic plan without AI capabilities. Paid plans with AI features start at $27/month.
Conclusion
AI greatly enhances lead-generation processes by automating tasks, saving time, and feeding CRM with high-quality data.
For those looking for a great starting tool, PhantomBuster is a great choice for automating lead scraping and personalizing outreach messages. Give it a try!
