Sales reps spend most of their time building lists instead of selling. According to industry research, sales professionals dedicate roughly 70% of their time to non-selling activities, with manual prospecting being one of the biggest time drains. The best SaaS sales reps have figured out how to use Lusha Prospect Playlists that automatically keep their […]
Sales reps spend most of their time building lists instead of selling. According to industry research, sales professionals dedicate roughly 70% of their time to non-selling activities, with manual prospecting being one of the biggest time drains. The best SaaS sales reps have figured out how to use Lusha Prospect Playlists that automatically keep their pipeline full of high-quality leads.
Unlike traditional static lists that go stale in weeks, Lusha Prospect Playlists use AI to continuously add new contacts to your personal curated lists, that match your ideal customer profile. This eliminates manual prospecting while ensuring you’re always reaching decision-makers at companies that actually matter.
Here are 12 SaaS prospect playlists that actually work—each one targets companies at specific moments when they’re most likely to have budget and be ready to buy.
Quick reference: 12 SaaS prospect playlists
| Playlist name | Target companies | Best for | Key trigger events |
| Companies with freemium models | Freemium/self-serve companies | PLG sales teams | Usage spikes, upgrade signals |
| Recently funded startups | Recently funded Series A companies | New market entry | Funding announcements, hiring |
| Developer-focused companies | Developer-heavy organizations | Technical products | API launches, dev hiring |
| Companies investing in retention | Retention-focused SaaS | CS tools/services | NPS initiatives, CS team growth |
| Remote-first companies | Distributed teams | Collaboration tools | Remote job postings, office closures |
| Companies using competing tools | Users of competing tools | Competitive displacing | Pricing changes, feature gaps |
| Companies adding AI features | Organizations implementing AI | AI/ML solutions | AI job postings, ML investments |
| Companies scaling to enterprise | SMBs moving upmarket | Enterprise solutions | Security certifications, large deals |
| Companies building integrations | Platform companies | API/integration tools | Partner programs, marketplace launches |
| Companies with advanced analytics | Analytics-mature organizations | BI/analytics tools | Data team growth, dashboard adoption |
| Security-focused companies | Security-conscious SaaS | Security solutions | Compliance initiatives, breaches |
| Companies expanding internationally | Global expansion companies | Localization tools | International hires, market entry |
Detailed playlist strategies
1. Companies with freemium models
Target companies: SaaS businesses with freemium models showing upgrade signals
Why this works: Product-led growth companies are already focused on scaling user adoption and conversion. They understand the value of data-driven growth strategies and typically have a budget allocated for tools that improve conversion rates.
Targeting criteria:
- Company size: 50-500 employees
- Business model indicators: Free tier, self-serve signup, trial offerings
- Technology stack: Product analytics tools, A/B testing platforms
- Team signals: Growth marketing roles, product manager hiring
Trigger events to watch for:
- Usage data spikes in product analytics
- Upgrade from basic to premium analytics tools
- Hiring for growth marketing or revenue operations roles
- Launching new pricing tiers or paid features
Best messaging angles:
- Focus on conversion optimization and user journey improvement
- Emphasize data-driven growth and experimentation capabilities
- Highlight integration with their existing product analytics stack
Pro tip: Use Lusha’s technology tracking to identify fast-growing startups using specific PLG tools like Mixpanel, Amplitude, or Segment, then automatically add similar companies to your Lusha Prospect Playlist.
2. Recently funded startups
Target companies: Recently funded startups hitting operational growing pains
Why this works: Series A companies have fresh funding and urgent needs to scale operations efficiently. They’re actively seeking solutions to handle rapid growth and typically have budget to invest in tools that solve scaling challenges.
Targeting criteria:
- Funding stage: Series A ($3-15M range)
- Employee count: 25-100 with rapid growth
- Recent activity: Hiring spikes, new office openings
- Leadership: Experienced executives from scaled companies
Trigger events to watch for:
- Funding announcement within last 12 months
- Job posting volume increases of 50%+ month-over-month
- Executive hires from larger companies
- Moving to larger office spaces or opening new locations
Best messaging angles:
- Position as scaling solution rather than startup tool
- Share case studies from similar-stage companies
- Emphasize time-to-value and quick implementation
Pro tip: Use Lusha’s Funding filter to identify funding announcements according to your needs, add it to your own list and turn it live to start getting similar companies in the same industry with comparable employee growth patterns.
3. Developer-focused companies
Target companies: Developer-heavy organizations building integrations and technical products
Why this works: API-first companies prioritize technical excellence and integration capabilities. They’re more likely to appreciate sophisticated solutions and have technical evaluation processes that favor feature-rich platforms.
Targeting criteria:
- Engineering team size: 30%+ of total employees
- Technical indicators: Public API documentation, GitHub activity
- Stack signals: Modern development frameworks, cloud-native architecture
- Culture: Developer-first marketing, technical blog content
Trigger events to watch for:
- Launching public API or developer portal
- Engineering leadership hires
- Open source project contributions
- Technical partnership announcements
Best messaging angles:
- Lead with technical capabilities and architecture
- Highlight API quality, documentation, and developer experience
- Share integration examples and technical case studies
Pro tip: Use Lusha’s Technology Filter to build company lists and set up alerts for businesses using specific API management tools or modern dev frameworks—so you can automatically discover developer-focused prospects
4. Companies investing in retention
Target companies: SaaS businesses investing heavily in customer retention and expansion
Why this works: Customer success-focused companies understand the value of tools that improve customer relationships and reduce churn. They typically have dedicated CS budgets and are actively seeking solutions to optimize customer journeys.
Targeting criteria:
- Customer success team presence with dedicated leadership
- Retention metrics focus in job descriptions
- Customer education programs or resource centers
- Net Promoter Score initiatives
Trigger events to watch for:
- Customer success leadership hires
- Launching customer education programs
- Publishing customer health score methodologies
- Implementing customer feedback systems
Best messaging angles:
- Focus on customer lifetime value and retention impact
- Emphasize proactive customer health monitoring
- Highlight expansion revenue opportunities
Pro tip: Identify B2B SaaS companies using customer success platforms like Gainsight or ChurnZero, then use Lusha Prospect Playlists to automatically find similar customer-centric organizations.
5. Remote-first companies
Target companies: Organizations transitioning to or optimizing distributed work models
Why this works: Remote-first companies face unique operational challenges and actively seek tools that improve distributed team collaboration, communication, and productivity.
Targeting criteria:
- Remote work policy announcements
- Distributed team job postings across multiple locations
- Investment in remote collaboration tools
- Leadership advocating for remote work benefits
Trigger events to watch for:
- Office closure or downsizing announcements
- “Remote-first” job posting language
- Collaboration tool stack expansion
- Remote work policy blog posts or press coverage
Best messaging angles:
- Address distributed team coordination challenges
- Highlight async collaboration capabilities
- Share remote team productivity improvements
Pro tip: Use Lusha’s Technology Filter to identify companies that recently adopted remote collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom, or Asana—this indicates they’re actively investing in their distributed work infrastructure.
6. Companies using competing tools
Target companies: Organizations using inferior competing solutions showing dissatisfaction signals
Why this works: Companies already using competing tools understand the problem you solve and have a budget allocated. Timing outreach with dissatisfaction signals increases conversion likelihood significantly.
Targeting criteria:
- Current users of specific competing platforms
- Negative review mentions or support complaints
- Job postings seeking alternatives to current tools
- Platform limitation discussions in forums
Trigger events to watch for:
- Competitor pricing changes or feature removals
- Public complaints about competitor limitations
- Competitive evaluation job postings
- Migration-related technical discussions
Best messaging angles:
- Address specific competitor limitations directly
- Offer migration assistance and onboarding support
- Provide detailed comparison showing advantages
Pro tip: Set up Lusha Prospect Playlists to monitor companies using specific competitor technologies, then automatically surface similar prospects who might be experiencing the same limitations.
7. Companies adding AI features
Target companies: Organizations actively incorporating artificial intelligence into their products or operations
Why this works: AI-focused SaaS companies are innovation-driven and typically have budgets for cutting-edge solutions. They appreciate sophisticated technology and are often early adopters of advanced tools.
Targeting criteria:
- AI/ML engineering roles in job postings
- Machine learning infrastructure investments
- AI feature announcements or product launches
- Data science team expansion
Trigger events to watch for:
- AI engineer or data scientist hiring
- Machine learning platform implementations
- AI feature press releases
- Speaking at AI conferences or publishing research
Best messaging angles:
- Emphasize AI capabilities and intelligent automation
- Share technical implementation details
- Highlight competitive advantages through AI adoption
Pro tip: Use Lusha Prospect Playlists to identify SaaS companies adopting AI infrastructure tools, then automatically discover similar organizations investing in artificial intelligence capabilities.se Lusha playlists to identify SaaS companies adopting AI infrastructure tools, then automatically discover similar organizations investing in artificial intelligence capabilities.
8. Companies scaling to enterprise
Target companies: Small to medium SaaS businesses scaling upmarket to enterprise customers
Why this works: Companies moving upmarket need enterprise-grade solutions and have increasing budgets to match their growth ambitions. They’re actively seeking tools that help them serve larger customers effectively.
Targeting criteria:
- Enterprise sales role hiring
- Security compliance certifications (SOC2, ISO)
- Large deal announcements or case studies
- Enterprise feature development
Trigger events to watch for:
- Enterprise sales team expansion
- Security audit completions
- Fortune 500 customer wins
- Enterprise pricing tier launches
Best messaging angles:
- Focus on enterprise readiness and scalability
- Highlight security and compliance capabilities
- Share enterprise customer success stories
Pro tip: Track companies that recently achieved security certifications or hired enterprise sales leadership using Lusha Prospect Playlists, indicating their upmarket expansion efforts.
9. Companies building integrations
Target companies: Platform businesses building marketplace ecosystems and extensive integration networks
Why this works: Integration-focused companies understand the value of connected ecosystems and are actively seeking partners and tools that enhance their platform capabilities.
Targeting criteria:
- Partner program launches or expansions
- Integration marketplace development
- API partnership announcements
- Platform ecosystem job roles
Trigger events to watch for:
- Partner program manager hiring
- Integration marketplace launches
- API partnership press releases
- Platform conference sponsorships
Best messaging angles:
- Highlight integration capabilities and partnership potential
- Emphasize ecosystem benefits and network effects
- Share platform partnership success stories
Pro tip: Use Lusha Prospect Playlists to automatically identify companies that recently launched partner programs, indicating their focus on building integration ecosystems
10. Companies with advanced analytics
Target companies: Analytics-mature organizations ready for advanced business intelligence and data solutions
Why this works: Data-mature companies have already invested in basic analytics and are seeking more sophisticated insights. They understand the value of data-driven decisions and have a budget for advanced tools.
Targeting criteria:
- Data team expansion with specialized roles
- Advanced analytics tool implementations
- Data-driven culture indicators in content
- Business intelligence infrastructure investments
Trigger events to watch for:
- Data engineer or analyst hiring
- Business intelligence platform upgrades
- Data science conference participation
- Publishing data methodology content
Best messaging angles:
- Focus on advanced analytics capabilities
- Emphasize data quality and insights accuracy
- Highlight competitive advantages through better data
Pro tip: Identify SaaS companies using advanced analytics platforms like Looker or Tableau, then use Lusha Prospect Playlists to find similar data-mature organizations..
11. Security-focused companies
Target companies: SaaS organizations prioritizing cybersecurity and compliance investments
Why this works: Security-conscious companies have dedicated security budgets and understand the importance of robust security measures. They’re actively seeking solutions that enhance their security posture.
Targeting criteria:
- Security team expansion and leadership roles
- Compliance certification pursuits
- Security incident response improvements
- Privacy regulation compliance efforts
Trigger events to watch for:
- Security leadership hiring
- Compliance certification announcements
- Security incident disclosures
- Privacy policy updates for new regulations
Best messaging angles:
- Emphasize security features and compliance support
- Highlight risk reduction and audit readiness
- Share security-focused case studies
Pro tip: Use Lusha Prospect Playlists to track companies pursuing security certifications, indicating their active investment in cybersecurity improvements.
12. Companies expanding internationally
Target companies: US-based SaaS companies expanding into global markets
Why this works: International expansion requires significant operational changes and new tool capabilities. Companies in expansion mode have budget allocated for solutions that facilitate global growth.
Targeting criteria:
- International market entry announcements
- Global team hiring across multiple regions
- Localization and internationalization efforts
- Cross-border partnership development
Trigger events to watch for:
- International office openings
- Multi-region hiring announcements
- Localization project job postings
- Global partnership press releases
Best messaging angles:
- Address international scaling challenges
- Highlight multi-region capabilities
- Share global expansion success stories
Pro tip: Track companies that recently opened international offices or hired globally distributed teams, indicating their expansion priorities.
How to implement these playlist strategies
Step 1: Choose your top 3 playlists
Start with the playlists that best reflect your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Prioritize the ones aligned with your strongest customer segments or growth areas. Quality > quantity.
Step 2: Use Lusha’s filters to build your lists
Head to the Companies tab in Lusha’s prospecting screen. Use filters like Technology, Industry, Location, or any criteria that match your ICP.
Step 3: Save and enrich your lists
Save the results to a new list, then click “Add Similar Companies” to instantly expand your list with companies that share traits with your original targets.
Step 4: Set alerts for buying signals
Activate alerts for relevant signals like technology changes or buying intent—so you’re notified the moment a company shows signs of need.
Step 5: Add decision-makers and automate outreach
Curate a list of key decision-makers from those companies. Then, set up automated email outreach tailored to the pain points and language that resonate with this audience.
Step 6: Track, learn, optimize
Monitor engagement and performance for each playlist—response rates, meetings booked, pipeline impact—and refine your targeting or messaging as you go.
Pro tip: Lusha Playlists automate the discovery of new prospects, alert you to key buying signals, and help you act faster—so your pipeline never runs dry.
Real results from prospect playlists
The best SaaS sales reps use prospect playlists to stop wasting time on manual list building. Instead of constantly researching companies, they focus on specific trigger events that indicate when prospects are actually ready to buy.
What really works:
- Catching companies right after they get funded (they have cash and pressure to grow)
- Reaching out when they’re hiring fast (they need tools that scale)
- Timing outreach around product launches or expansions (they’re investing in growth)
- Focusing on companies with specific technology needs (they understand your value)
- Tracking compliance or security events (they have urgent, non-negotiable needs)
Getting started with prospect playlists
The key to playlist success is starting focused and scaling gradually. Choose 2-3 playlists that align with your proven customer patterns, set up automated criteria tracking, and develop targeted messaging for each audience.
Remember that prospect playlists work best when they’re continuously refined based on performance data. Monitor which companies convert to customers and adjust your criteria to find more similar prospects.
Ready to automate your prospecting? See how Lusha Prospect Playlists can automatically build and maintain these targeted lists, giving you more time to focus on selling instead of list building.
Start your free Lusha account →
