Why generating lists of qualified leads with AI impacts your performance

The problem of manual prospecting

For decades, lead list generation was a manual, slow, and inefficient process. Sales teams spent hours researching LinkedIn, asking for referrals, buying ready-made lists (often out of date), and trying to separate what was really relevant.

This model had three major problems:

1. Low quality: generic and unupdated lists resulted in invalid contacts.
   
   
2. High cost: a lot of time and human effort, increasing the CAC.
   
   
3. Low predictability: cold and disqualified leads generated low conversion rates.
   
   

A study by Salesforce (State of Sales 2023) It shows that sellers spend on average 28% of the time just researching lead information, instead of selling. In Brazil, this reality is even more critical: according to ABM Academy (2022), more than 60% of B2B companies still work with manual lists or lists purchased from third parties, which directly compromises commercial performance.

Outbound in Brazil: data that shows the challenge

The Brazilian prospecting market is huge, but full of bottlenecks. According to research from RD Station (2023 Sales Overview):

• 76% of companies identify prospecting as the main sales challenge.
  
  
• 65% say they have difficulty finding qualified leads.
  
  
• Barely 22% of companies say they have predictability in the funnel.
  
  

In addition, according to InsideSales.com, 50% of sales go to those who respond first to the lead. In Brazil, the average response time to a contact is still higher than 24 hours in 47% of companies, which shows the difficulty in working with leads at the pace that the market requires.

This combination of bottlenecks—poor lists, delayed response, and little focus on ICP—explains why B2B sales performance in Brazil is still so inefficient.

Where AI changes the game

With the advancement of Artificial Intelligence, list generation ceases to be a manual activity and becomes strategic, automated and in real time.

An AI Agent can:

• Generate custom lists based on defined ICPs (e.g., segment, size, location, technologies used).
  
  
• Automatically validate contacts, eliminating invalid emails and non-existent phone numbers.
  
  
• Enrich data with additional information, such as billing, key positions, and purchase signals.
  
  
• Update in real time whenever there are changes in the market.
  
  

According to McKinsey (2023), companies that apply AI in sales have up to 50% more qualified leads and reduce research time by 60%. On the other hand, a study by Harvard Business Review It points out that organizations that adopt AI in prospecting register up to 35% more conversions.

The direct impact on performance

Generating qualified lists with AI isn't just buying time — it's completely changing the result of the funnel. Let's see some points of direct impact:

1. More real opportunities at the top of the funnel
   If before SDRs had to spend days prospecting contacts, now they can start working with leads that already make sense for the business.
   
   
2. CAC reduction
   Less time spent on bad leads means lower cost per acquisition. Nuvia data shows that companies that use AI Agents are able to reduce CAC by up to -50%.
   
   
3. Response speed
   AI Agents are able to interact with leads immediately on multiple channels, ensuring presence at the right time.
   
   
4. Greater predictability
   With lists that are always updated and qualified, the pipeline ceases to be a “kick” and is built on solid data.
   
   

Practical example: comparing manual vs. AI

• Manual prospecting:
  
  
  
  • An SDR takes an average of 6 hours to create a list of 100 leads.
    
    
  • 30% of contacts are out of date.
    
    
  • Only 5% of those leads move on to opportunities.
    
    
• Prospecting with AI:
  
  
  
  • In minutes, a segmented and validated list is generated.
    
    
  • The valid contact rate rises to 95%.
    
    
  • Up to 20% of leads convert into opportunities, quadrupling efficiency.
    
    

Nuvia's vision: lists that became a pipeline

At Nuvia, we believe that the future of sales lies in AI-Powered Growth. Our AI Agents not only create valid lists, but also:

• They identify Signs of intent to buy (ex: company that just raised investment, expanded staff, or changed technology).
  
  
• Talk to leads at multichannel (email, WhatsApp, LinkedIn).
  
  
• They nourish the relationship to the point of conversion.
  
  

👉 Result? In real operations, our clients have seen +35% in conversions and -50% in CAC.

The future of prospecting in Brazil

If generating lists is still a challenge for most companies today, the trend is that, in the coming years, only businesses that combine AI + human strategy manage to remain competitive.

According to Gartner (2024), until 2026, 60% of the activities of B2B prospecting will be driven by AI. This doesn't eliminate the human role, but it elevates it: sellers stop being “data hunters” to become strategic relationship advisors.

Conclusion

Generating lists of qualified leads with AI is more than efficiency — it's about transforming the way your company sees sales.

In Brazil, where prospecting is still the biggest bottleneck, applying AI means winning speed, accuracy, and predictability. With Nuvia AI Agents, you don't just have better data: you have the next step in B2B growth.

👉 Learn more at www.nuvia.co

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