How to find B2B customers: a step-by-step guide
Where B2B customers come from, how to build a target list of companies, how to reach the right person, and how AI shortens each step, with examples from Egypt and the Gulf.
Short answer: B2B customers are found by choosing a narrow market (one industry, one region, one company size), building a list of the companies in it, finding the person who decides in each, and contacting them with a relevant message, then following up. The main sources are business directories and maps, company registries, LinkedIn, industry events and referrals. AI tools now do the list building and research in minutes instead of days.
1. Choose a market narrow enough to describe in one sentence
“Companies in Saudi Arabia” isn't a market. “Logistics companies in Riyadh with 20 to 200 employees that run their own delivery fleet” is. A narrow market makes every later step easier: the list is smaller and cleaner, the message can speak to one problem, and the replies teach you faster.
2. Know where B2B companies can be found
| Source | Good for | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Maps and business directories | Local businesses: clinics, restaurants, shops, workshops | Few details on size or decision makers |
| Company registries and open data | Legal names, activity, sometimes size | Often no contact details |
| Companies and the people who work there | Manual and slow at scale | |
| Company websites | What they sell, who they serve, published contact details | Each one has to be read |
| Events, associations, referrals | Warm introductions | Hard to scale |
3. Build the target list
Combine sources so each company appears once, with its website, city, size and published contacts. Remove companies you already work with and anyone who asked not to be contacted. Score each company against your description, and start with the best-fitting 50 to 100.
4. Find the person who decides
In small companies it is usually the owner or general manager. In larger ones it depends on what you sell: operations for logistics software, the head of sales for lead generation, the marketing manager for marketing services. Use the company's website, its LinkedIn page and public announcements. If you can't find the right person, a short email to the published company address asking who handles the topic often works.
5. Write a first message they want to answer
- Open with something true and specific about their company.
- Name one problem you solve for companies like theirs.
- Ask one easy question (“Is this something you're working on this quarter?”).
- Write in their language: Arabic for many buyers in Egypt and the Gulf, English for others.
- Keep it under 120 words and add a clear way to opt out.
6. Follow up, then measure
Most replies come after a follow-up, not the first email. Send one or two short follow-ups a few days apart, then stop. Measure replies and meetings per market, keep the markets that answer, and drop the ones that don't.
How AI shortens each step
AI prospecting tools turn the one-sentence market description into a scored list, read each company's website to explain why it fits, find published contact details, and draft the first email and follow-ups. The steps stay the same; what took days of searching takes minutes. Your job moves to checking the list, approving the emails and talking to interested buyers.
With Yolias you write the market in one sentence, in Arabic or English. Yolias finds matching companies (and decision makers where public data lists them), shows which have a published email, writes the campaign, and sends it from your own mailbox after you approve it. Replies come back to your inbox in Yolias, sorted, and interested leads move to your CRM.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to find B2B customers?
Pick one narrow market, build a list of 50 to 100 well-matched companies, and send a short, specific email from your own mailbox with one follow-up. AI tools make the list and the drafts fast; the narrow market is what makes it work.
Where do I find B2B companies in Egypt or Saudi Arabia?
Maps and local business directories for local businesses, company registries and open data for registered companies, LinkedIn for companies and their staff, and the companies' own websites for what they do and how to reach them.
Should I buy a contact list?
Usually not. Bought lists are often outdated, shared with many senders and may not meet data protection rules. A smaller list you built for one market converts better and keeps your domain's reputation safe.