Where have you found reliable lead gen support?

October 02, 2025

by a searcher from Northeastern University - D'Amore-McKim School of Business in Miami, FL, USA

Hey Guys, We currently building out our sourcing efforts at Avila Peak Partners, and I wanted to reach out to the community here on Searchfunder. One of the biggest challenges we’re tackling right now is finding the right lead generation strategy and partners to consistently build our pipeline. Any advice that you guys have might be greatly appreciated. - Where have you had success in finding reliable lead gen solutions? - Do you manage it in-house, outsource to freelancers, or work with specialized teams/agencies? - Any best practices or recommendations you’ve found valuable in terms of tools, outreach methods, or partners? Also, if there are any lead generation teams or individuals here who specialize in supporting searchers / SMB acquisitions, I’d love to connect. Please feel free to reach out directly. Thanks to all of you for any guidance, looking forward to hearing what’s worked for you all and hopefully connecting with the right partners. Feel free to reach out at redacted

Reply by a searcher
in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

^redacted‌, we have worked with 20+ searchers, helping them build their pipeline. I will send you a Loom video that provides a quick information on a few of the tasks we have done for others. We are also offering to let you try our services for 10 hours for just $29. You can find more information on our website, www.hireva.org

Reply by a searcher
in Miami, FL, USA

Hi Marco, I tend to think the foundation of reliable deal flow starts with relationships. M&A bankers, brokers, and advisors remain the best source of opportunities. In my view, this responsibility /effort falls on the investment execution team until the BD function is fully built in-house with at least one individual exclusivity focused on such effort. Advisor sell-side mandates may get picked over, but they continue to be the most consistent source of qualified opportunities that require the least amount of upfront resources, including time, brand awareness, and hiring costs. Proprietary deal development can certainly work, though it usually takes years to mature internally or requires a mix of offshore support and full-time internal commitment. On the outbound and proprietary side, we have found success with a blended approach. Strategy stays in-house, and we handle list building and outbound systems ourselves, while specialist freelancers step in for more strenuous list development and scrubbing when the pipeline needs support. Tools like Apollo, Clay, Uplead, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator have worked well for data and enrichment. For deliverability, we use separate sending domains, warmup services, and email verification platforms. On the sending and tracking side, sequencing tools and a CRM layer are important because some of the best conversions often come years after the initial outreach.

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