What is AI lead generation?

AI-powered lead generation is the process of using artificial intelligence and automation to find potential customers. AI technology automates the identification and contact of potential customers, unlike more manual traditional methods such as SEO and cold calling . Doing so means reps can focus on more meaningful interactions that enhance the customer experience (e.g., lead nurturing and negotiating).

How does AI technology work?

AI-powered tools use technology like automation and machine learning to find and attract potential customers from your company’s target audience. It scans vast amounts of data from various sources (e.g., social media, search engines and landing pages) to identify best-fit people. By analyzing patterns and preferences, AI algorithms can gather contact information and predict who will likely become a customer, minimizing sales reps’ decision-making.

What are the best AI tools used for lead generation?

The best AI lead generation tools depend on the functions you value, budget, company size and industry. Choose a tool that can help you improve areas where you lose time or struggle in your unique marketing and sales processes to boost conversion rates. Some of the most popular types of tools include: AI-powered chatbots . Automating conversations with website visitors to capture information and answer questions (e.g., conversational AI like ChatGPT). Predictive analytics . Analyzing datasets for patterns that help identify prospects most likely to become customers. Email marketing and marketing automation . Sending personalized content to engage and nurture prospects. CRM integrations . Integrating with customer relationship management systems to track and manage new leads throughout their journey. You can also choose an all-in-one platform like Pipedrive that includes multiple B2B lead-generation tools for your sales and marketing strategies.

Does AI lead generation consider the entire customer journey?

Effective AI lead generation tools have multiple use cases throughout the customer journey and sales funnel. For example, AI tools can help salespeople predict a certain demographic’s needs and pain points in the prospect stage. Using this information, you can make data-driven decisions and offer proactive solutions while generating and nurturing leads to become customers. You can also build on this knowledge the more you get to know someone. Therefore, AI lead generation efforts can help you build relationships across the customer journey , leading to loyalty and advocacy.

Best AI lead generation software

Find leads faster with lead generation AI

Revolutionize your sales approach, boost productivity and reclaim precious time spent on lead generation with the power of AI-driven CRM software.

AI can sift through and analyze vast amounts of data to identify potential customers more likely to purchase.

Learn how Pipedrive’s AI lead generation tools can help you quickly sort through the noise to find and engage ideal prospects.

14-day trial. Zero cost. Full access. No credit card required.

Identify the best leads with Pipedrive’s AI-powered LeadBooster

Prospector is one of four tools in Pipedrive’s LeadBooster toolkit.

Its AI engine diligently updates and verifies 800,000 profiles daily to help you discover the perfect leads.

Use it to:

Pinpoint leads that match your ideal customer profiles (ICPs)
Access a database of public and private lead sources, including over 400 million profiles and 10 million companies
Secure verified email addresses, direct-dial phone numbers and social media profiles
Stay fully compliant with GDPR and international data regulations

Learn more about how AI can enhance your lead generation efforts with Pipedrive’s lead generation software and LeadBooster add-on.

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Pipedrive’s automation and AI lead-generation tools

Find leads with prospector

Automatically identify and target potential customers who could be interested in your product or service

Engage leads with web chat

Seamlessly swap between Chatbot and Live Chat to talk to prospects and qualify more leads

Capture leads with web forms

Customize intuitive web forms to encourage inbound leads to share contact information

Automate tasks with AI

Personalize outreach in seconds and scale responses with Pipedrive’s AI email generator

Get insights with Sales Assistant

Get AI-powered insights from your smart assistant and automate follow-up reminders

Assign with lead distribution

Send qualified leads to the best sales rep based on location, skillset, expertise or product knowledge

What to look for in AI lead generation software

Your chosen AI lead generation software should help you capture high-quality leads with less effort.

Consider crucial features like:

Accurate lead scoring. Choose software that precisely identifies and prioritizes leads.
Automation. Automate lead generation and nurturing processes to reduce workload.
Integrations. Ensure software connects with existing third-party tools.
Data security. Look for robust privacy measures that protect sensitive information.
Customization options. Tailor your CRM and lead generation processes to your specific business needs.

Automate initial customer interactions

Handling a flood of messages can feel daunting for busy sales reps, especially when they’re striving to deliver prompt, meaningful responses.

Free up your sales and marketing teams with a chatbot that handles common questions and provides instant replies from templates.

Pipedrive’s Chatbot guides prospects through initial inquiries and captures, qualifies and scores leads for your reps 24/7.

Learn more about Pipedrive’s Chatbot.

Deliver personalized responses

In today’s fast-paced market, it’s crucial to make every customer feel valued and understood. Achieving this efficiently while navigating other sales tasks can be a balancing act.

Whether engaging in cold outreach or responding to incoming leads, AI can help you effortlessly scale your responses.

Work with the AI email writer’s natural language processing (NLP) prompts to customize the type, tone and length so you always sound like a human, not a bot.

Learn more about Pipedrive’s AI email writer.

Collect accurate contact information

Manually searching for and verifying details on company websites and social media takes time away from engaging with qualified leads.

Unearthing valuable insights about prospects can be the key to closing deals and turning them into customers.

Smart Contact Data pulls in crucial contact information from sources across the web, such as LinkedIn, in a single click.

Learn more about Pipedrive’s Smart Contact Data.

Enhance sales team productivity

Sales reps need access to tools that minimize manual admin and maximize meaningful engagement with prospects.

Boost productivity with software that enriches your CRM with real-time insights, provides tone-perfect messaging for marketing campaigns, puts qualified leads in your inbox and more.

Pipedrive’s AI Sales Assistant, for example, can prioritize prospects with the highest closing potential and suggest the next best steps.

Learn more about Pipedrive’s host of sales acceleration tools.

Respond to leads across platforms from one inbox

Switching between apps to respond to potential leads can result in missed messages, delayed responses and a fragmented lead generation strategy.

A unified inbox allows you to message leads across different platforms from one place, ensuring everyone receives a prompt reply.

Messaging Inbox centralizes Facebook and WhatsApp communications, assigns chats to team members and creates CRM contacts from social media messages.

Learn more about Pipedrive’s Messaging Inbox.

Over 500+ integrations

Expand the capabilities of Pipedrive with hundreds of apps and integrations

See all apps and extensions

How Fibersals reduced lead qualification time by 30% using LeadBooster

Fibersals previously struggled with spending long negotiation periods on low-quality leads.

Using Pipedrive’s powerful lead generation tool, LeadBooster, Fibersals could add more high-converting leads to its pipeline with 10% less admin work.

“I looked for the best in the market and saw that the world leader was Pipedrive. I tested it, liked it and that was it. We migrated our entire base, inserted some 10,000 contacts in Pipedrive and we’re still classifying and grouping data.”

Read the case study

AI lead generation FAQs

AI-powered lead generation is the process of using artificial intelligence and automation to find potential customers.

AI technology automates the identification and contact of potential customers, unlike more manual traditional methods such as SEO and cold calling.

Doing so means reps can focus on more meaningful interactions that enhance the customer experience (e.g., lead nurturing and negotiating).
AI-powered tools use technology like automation and machine learning to find and attract potential customers from your company’s target audience.

It scans vast amounts of data from various sources (e.g., social media, search engines and landing pages) to identify best-fit people.

By analyzing patterns and preferences, AI algorithms can gather contact information and predict who will likely become a customer, minimizing sales reps’ decision-making.
The best AI lead generation tools depend on the functions you value, budget, company size and industry.

Choose a tool that can help you improve areas where you lose time or struggle in your unique marketing and sales processes to boost conversion rates.

Some of the most popular types of tools include:
- AI-powered chatbots. Automating conversations with website visitors to capture information and answer questions (e.g., conversational AI like ChatGPT).
- Predictive analytics. Analyzing datasets for patterns that help identify prospects most likely to become customers.
- Email marketing and marketing automation. Sending personalized content to engage and nurture prospects.
- CRM integrations. Integrating with customer relationship management systems to track and manage new leads throughout their journey.
You can also choose an all-in-one platform like Pipedrive that includes multiple B2B lead-generation tools for your sales and marketing strategies.
Effective AI lead generation tools have multiple use cases throughout the customer journey and sales funnel.

For example, AI tools can help salespeople predict a certain demographic’s needs and pain points in the prospect stage.

Using this information, you can make data-driven decisions and offer proactive solutions while generating and nurturing leads to become customers.

You can also build on this knowledge the more you get to know someone.

Therefore, AI lead generation efforts can help you build relationships across the customer journey, leading to loyalty and advocacy.

Used by over 100,000 companies in 179 countries

In the forecast view, we look at what deals are due to close this month, next month just to make sure everyone is really honest about what they should be working on.

Carolyn PearsonFounder, Maiden Voyage

One of the favorite features within Pipedrive is the email integration. It pulls all of the clients details in, so that we don’t have to think about it.

Erin and DrewFounders, Pro Arts

As a business owner, my favorite feature in Pipedrive is the statistics and being able to look at the dashboard and use those metrics to help each individual on the team.

Lisa CoyleCEO, 360 Payments