Service
Custom Research Service
When standard databases fall short, our research team steps in. We build custom contact lists from scratch using human research, public records, and proprietary methods.
Our custom research service is for when you need contacts that no database can provide - niche roles, emerging industries, or custom data fields.
What's Included
Everything you get with custom research
Our Process
How it works
Describe your ideal contacts and data requirements
Our research manager scopes the project
Research team builds your list from scratch
Quality review and delivery within agreed timeline
Benefits
Why teams choose this service
Scope
What's included in the deliverable
- Human-led research for niches that databases do not cover well
- Public-records sourcing — SEC filings, professional licensing, board listings
- Per-project methodology document so the sourcing is auditable
- Custom field research on roles or attributes not in standard schemas
- Direct researcher contact during the project for spec clarification
- QA review on every delivered record
Method
How we deliver it
Custom research engagements start with a 30-minute scoping call to confirm what is buildable. Niche markets — manufacturing plant managers in a specific NAICS code, in-state private-equity associates by sector specialism, dental-practice owners in 3 ZIP codes — usually require sources our automated pipelines do not touch. The research manager builds a per-project workflow, a single researcher executes against it, and the deliverable comes with a methodology doc explaining where each field was sourced.
Sample output
What the deliverable looks like
Standard contact fields + the custom fields the project requested. Methodology document explains: source per field, verification check, exception notes, recommended outreach approach. For SEC-sourced records we include the filing URL; for board-sourced records we include the board page.
Pricing example
What it costs in practice
Custom research is priced per record at a premium over automated list-building, with a project minimum that scales with niche difficulty. A 500-record list of plant managers in food-and-beverage manufacturing ships in 7–14 business days. A 200-record list of in-state private-equity Principals ships in 5–10 business days.
Apex Manufacturing needed manufacturing plant managers — a role that does not surface cleanly on LinkedIn. We delivered 5,000 verified contacts in two weeks. Their internal estimate was three months of LinkedIn research. See testimonials.
Boundaries
What we won't do
Honest scope. We'd rather pass on a project than deliver something we can't stand behind.
- Take on research scopes where the addressable universe is too small to build a sustainable list.
- Skip the methodology documentation — every custom-research deliverable is auditable.
- Use sources we cannot show on a compliance review.
More FAQs
Additional questions about this service
How do I know if my project needs custom research vs. a standard list?
If your target persona has a clean LinkedIn title and works at a company with a public profile, a standard list works. If the role is niche, the company is privately-held, or you need a non-standard data field — that is custom research.
Can you research roles in international markets?
Yes — coverage varies by country. We confirm scope and sources before the project starts. EU and APAC custom research takes longer than US/Canada due to source availability.
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Frequently asked questions
Get started with custom research
Contact us to discuss your custom research needs or try a sample first.