If we want to run campaigns on 2-3 different verticals, how many leads should we start with?

Cormac Repman
Aug 7
3 min read

Updated: Aug 12

If you're testing 2-3 different verticals, we recommend starting with 1,000 leads per vertical. This gives you enough volume to generate meaningful data without overcommitting capital or your team's attention while campaigns are still being refined.

Why 1,000 Per Vertical Is The Baseline

A thousand leads per vertical balances two competing needs: statistical significance and operational sustainability.

With smaller lists (300-500 leads), you won't generate enough qualified meetings to identify what's actually working. You might see 3-5 meetings per thousand, so a smaller test could yield just one or two conversations. That's not enough to tell you if the vertical is viable or if your messaging just needs tweaking.

With a thousand leads, you're looking at realistic volume to validate whether the vertical converts at all, while still staying within a reasonable budget for testing.

The Timeline And Cost Reality

Running 1,000 leads per vertical across 3 verticals means you're looking at 3,000 total prospects in play. At our typical pricing model, that's a meaningful but manageable commitment.

The outreach usually takes 45-60 days to fully execute. Most conversions happen in the first 30 days, but you'll see stragglers respond through day 60. Our approach spaces messages across multiple touches without overwhelming your inbox, so you're not getting slammed with responses all at once.

Testing Multiple Verticals Simultaneously

You can absolutely run 2-3 verticals at the same time. In fact, we recommend it. Here's why: if you test verticals sequentially, you're looking at 4-6 months to get real data on three markets. Running them in parallel lets you identify your best-performing vertical in 60 days, then double down while the other campaigns are still running.

The data almost always surprises you. You might assume technology companies will be your best fit, but you see stronger conversion from professional services. We can't predict that without real conversations, so testing in parallel saves you months of runway.

How To Allocate Leads Across Industries

Not all verticals are created equal. If you're testing three industries and you have strong conviction on one, you could front-load it slightly. Maybe 1,200 leads in your confident vertical and 900 in the other two.

But here's the catch: if your confident pick underperforms, you want enough data from the secondary verticals to pivot quickly. Skewing the allocation too heavily often means you miss an unexpected winner.

Beyond The First 1,000

After your first thousand leads per vertical, you'll have real conversion metrics. At that point, the decision tree is clear.

If a vertical is converting at 2-3 meetings per hundred leads, that's your signal to scale. A second wave of 2,000-3,000 leads is the natural next step, and at that volume you can usually negotiate better pricing.

If a vertical converts at less than 1 per hundred, it might not be worth pursuing further, unless your sales team identifies a specific messaging angle to test.

The Risk Of Going Too Small

We see some prospects want to start with 200-300 leads per vertical to "test the waters." The problem: you can't actually test anything at that scale. You'll either get lucky and see a couple of responses, or you'll get unlucky and see none. Neither tells you whether the vertical works. You'll end up needing to test again anyway, which doubles your timeline.

Curious how this plays out for your specific verticals? Let's talk through your target industries and ideal customer profiles.

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