Reach vs a lead database alone
Lead databases are great for searching a market. You filter by title, industry and size, then export a list. A list is the start of the work, though. Here is how a database alone compares with Reach.
Updated
Who does the work?
The same outreach job, step by step. Without Reach (a lead database alone), 6 of these steps are yours. With Reach, 2 are.
- Search with filtersYou
- Export and clean the listYou
- Check every addressYou
- Write a personal email eachYou
- Send and follow upYou, in another tool
- Approve each emailYou
Side by side
| Topic | Reach | A lead database alone |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | People for your goal, with written emails ready to approve | A list of records to export |
| How you search | Describe the goal in plain words | Filters and saved searches |
| Email addresses | Checked twice, right before writing | Quality varies by record and age |
| Writing and sending | Built in, from your mailbox | Done in other tools |
| Replies and unsubscribes | Handled, follow-ups stop on reply | Handled wherever you send from |
| Breadth | A focused round of people per goal | Millions of records, broad market maps |
When a lead database alone is the better choice
- You want to size a whole market or build territory maps.
- You need bulk exports for a CRM or data team.
- You already have a sending setup you like and only need records.
When Reach is the better choice
- You want conversations, not a spreadsheet to work through.
- You want each person checked and written to the same day they are found.
- You would rather describe who you want than tune filters.
The short version
A database answers "who exists". Reach answers "who should I write to today, and what should I say". Many teams will use both.