Balancing B2B Lead Generation through Manual Research and AI Innovation

Abstract

This study compared three lead generation approaches- manual searches, professional databases, and AI-driven tools. Manual searches found the most companies (94) but produced only two quality leads after 115 hours. Database and AI tools identified fewer leads (3 each) but required far less time—2 hours and 27 hours, respectively. Other methods like LinkedIn outreach and referrals yielded fewer leads but with higher quality.