In this article, you’ll find:
What Are Contact Skills in UpLead?
Contact Skills in UpLead are self-reported skills that are ranging from technical expertise (e.g., "Python programming") to soft skills (e.g., "Project management"), allow professionals to showcase their proficiency and expertise.
Key Features of Contact Skills:
Self-Reported Expertise: Individuals list their professional capabilities, such as "Sales," "Marketing," or "Machine Learning."
Niche Targeting: Contact Skills are invaluable for identifying professionals with specialized knowledge, such as expertise in "Regulatory Compliance" or "Blockchain Development."
💡 Example: If you’re searching for professionals skilled in "Data Science," you can use the Contact Skills filter to find individuals who list this expertise on their profiles.
How to Use Contact Skills for Targeted Searches
UpLead’s Contact Skills filter allows you to refine your search results based on specific skill sets, helping you identify the most relevant leads. Here’s how you can leverage it:
Step 1: Access the Contact Skills Filter
Log into your UpLead account.
Navigate to the Contact Search page.
In the Search Criteria panel, select Name or Title, then choose By Contact Skills.
Step 2: Enter Relevant Skills
Type in one or more skills you want to search for (e.g., “Sales,” “Project Management”).
For accuracy, add one skill per line.
💡 Pro Tip: Combine this filter with other criteria like location, industry, or job title to refine your search even further.
Step 3: Review and Refine Results
Once you've entered the desired skills, click Search to generate a list of contacts that match your criteria.
Use additional filters such as company size or management level to fine-tune your results.
Key Considerations and Best Practices
Strengths of Using Contact Skills
Identify Niche Experts: Contact Skills are perfect for identifying professionals with specialized knowledge that may not be reflected in job titles. For example, you can target people with expertise in "Cloud Security" or "Regulatory Compliance in Fintech."
Improve Lead Quality: By focusing on individuals who explicitly list relevant expertise, you're more likely to generate higher-quality leads.
Clarify Role Ambiguities: Skills can resolve role ambiguities when job titles vary across industries. For example, "Growth Hacker" in one company might mean something different than "Digital Marketing Manager" in another, but their skills may overlap.
Limitations
Self-Reported Nature: Since Contact Skills are self-reported, there's the possibility of exaggeration or inaccuracies. For instance, someone might list "Machine Learning" without formal experience.
💡 Best Practice: To validate a contact’s expertise, cross-reference their listed skills with other data points such as job title, company role, or LinkedIn activity. Additionally, check whether the skill applies to their current or previous position and if people within their network have endorsed them.
Strategic Use Cases for Contact Skills
1. Hyper-Targeted Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
Contact Skills allow marketing teams to create more personalized campaigns. For example, a cybersecurity company targeting CTOs with "cloud security" expertise can craft messaging focused on industry-specific compliance challenges.
2. Personalized Cold Outreach
Sales representatives can enhance engagement by referencing a prospect’s skills. For example, an email might say: "I noticed your expertise in Salesforce integration—our tool helps automate CRM workflows, and I think it could benefit your team."
3. Talent Recruitment and Partnership Development
HR teams can leverage Contact Skills to identify candidates with rare skills, such as "Agile certification" or "cross-functional team leadership". Similarly, businesses seeking channel partners can use the feature to locate firms with "strategic alliance management" capabilities.
4. Competitive Intelligence
You can also use skills to monitor competitors. For example, a surge in "AI ethics" skills at a competitor’s organization may suggest a shift in their product development strategy, allowing you to anticipate their next move.
Data Accuracy Concerns and Mitigation
While UpLead ensures the accuracy of contact details (such as emails) through real-time verification, Contact Skills are still reliant on self-reported data. To mitigate potential inaccuracies:
Cross-reference skills with technographic data: Combine skills with technologies used (e.g., "Python" and "TensorFlow") to validate expertise.
Engagement filters: Prioritize contacts with recent activity or endorsements on LinkedIn to enhance the likelihood of a successful outreach.
Conclusion
UpLead’s Contact Skills feature provides a powerful tool for identifying professionals with specific expertise, allowing you to fine-tune your lead generation efforts. By strategically leveraging Contact Skills, you can enhance targeting, improve engagement, and ultimately drive better outcomes for your sales and marketing campaigns.
Next Steps:
Need help? Visit UpLead’s Support Center for additional resources and assistance.