Enrichment doesn’t have to break the budget. Learn how waterfall enrichment maximizes data coverage while minimizing costs. With Lusha at the top of your waterfall, every CRM record gets the verified insights your sales and RevOps teams need to scale campaigns, personalize outreach, and close more deals.
Every go-to-market team knows the pain: enrichment costs can skyrocket, and still you end up with incomplete records. Lusha’s waterfall enrichment workflows solve this by sequencing enrichment sources in a smart order—so you maximize data coverage while keeping costs under control.
Why waterfall enrichment is so important
- Reduce costs: only call premium APIs when cheaper/faster options fail.
- Boost coverage: fill in every missing field by chaining multiple data sources.
- Standardize enrichment: every record follows the same clean, rule-based process.
- Scale campaigns faster: complete, verified records mean reps spend less time fixing data.
How the workflow works
Workflow:
New record enters CRM or Sheet (lead, contact, or account).
Lusha API performs first-pass enrichment (verified email, phone, title, company info).
If gaps remain → trigger second enrichment layer (alternate data provider / internal DB).
If still incomplete → call premium vendor or research workflow.
Consolidate results into CRM with standardized fields.
Tag record with “fully enriched” and sync to Sales/Marketing automation tools.
Result: 100% coverage of mission-critical fields—without overpaying for redundant lookups.
The value for RevOps and Sales
- RevOps: Cost-efficient enrichment process, less waste across vendors.
- AEs/BDRs: More complete profiles for faster personalization and outreach.
- Marketing Ops: Clean, consistent records to power segmentation and automation.
- Finance/Leadership: Better ROI on data spend.
Example automation: Zapier / n8n recipe
Trigger: New contact created in Salesforce
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Action: Lusha API enrich with verified data
↓
Action: If missing fields → call secondary enrichment API
↓
Action: Merge results → update Salesforce record
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Action: Tag as “Enriched” and notify RevOps in Slack
KPIs to track
- Enrichment cost per record
- % of fully enriched records (coverage)
- Time-to-enrichment (speed from record creation to usable)
- Campaign deliverability rates (email/SMS)
- ROI on data vendor contracts
Best practices for waterfall enrichment
- Always start with the most accurate/affordable vendor (Lusha) before chaining others.
- Define a “must-have” field list (email, phone, title, company size) so waterfall rules are clear.
- Avoid duplicate charges—log which vendor enriched which field.
- Review coverage vs cost monthly to fine-tune waterfall order.
FAQs
Waterfall enrichment is a workflow where multiple enrichment sources are sequenced in priority order. The system first tries the most cost-efficient/accurate source (like Lusha), then only calls additional vendors if gaps remain.
Waterfall enrichment ensures every record is completed by layering providerswithout overpaying for redundant lookups.
Lusha acts as the first-pass enrichment layer, delivering verified emails, phone numbers, and company insights. From there, teams can add additional layers only if needed.
Not if designed correctly. Automated flows (via Zapier, n8n, or native CRM triggers) make waterfall enrichment happen in seconds.
RevOps, SDR/BDR teams, and Marketing Ops—any team that relies on accurate data while managing enrichment budgets.
Yes. Track KPIs like cost per enriched record, % of fully enriched records, campaign deliverability, and pipeline impact.
