03 Lead Generation & Customer Acquisition
Playbook
Google Maps Prospecting Method
A six-stage playbook for turning Google Maps into a targeted prospect list, scoring who is worth approaching, and running a respectful outreach and tracking routine that produces booked conversations.
How to use this tool. This playbook is for owners and sales leads of B2B businesses who sell to other local businesses and want a repeatable way to find them. Set aside 60 to 90 minutes with a laptop and your best-customer list. By the end you will have a defined target, a scored prospect list of 20 to 30 businesses, ready-to-use outreach scripts and a weekly routine to keep it going.
Why it matters
Most local B2B businesses are already listed on Google Maps. It shows what they do, where they operate, how they present themselves and often how customers rate them. That makes it a free, current and geographically precise source of prospects, which is often better than a purchased list that is out of date the day you receive it.
The risk is that it becomes aimless browsing. The method below turns it into a short, disciplined process: decide who you want, search for them systematically, record what you find, score each one, then approach the best ones with a relevant message.
The method at a glance
- Define. Describe the customer you want more of.
- Search. Build a search plan by service area and business type.
- Capture. Record each prospect in a consistent list.
- Score. Rank prospects so you spend time on the best fits.
- Approach. Contact them with a relevant, compliant message.
- Review. Track results and adjust each week.
Stage 1: Define
You cannot search well until you know what a good customer looks like. Start from your existing customers, not from a wish list.
Prompts to answer:
- Which three customers are most profitable, easiest to work with and likely to buy again?
- What do they have in common: industry, size, type of premises, number of sites?
- Within how many kilometres, or which suburbs and regions, can you serve profitably?
- Who usually makes the buying decision (owner, operations manager, office manager, strata manager)?
Complete this table.
| Question | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Ideal customer type (industry and size) | |
| Service area (suburbs, regions, maximum travel time) | |
| Typical decision maker (job title) | |
| Problem we solve for them | |
| Average first-job value (your estimate) | |
| Businesses to exclude (too small, too far, competitors, poor payers) |
Stage 2: Search
Google Maps rewards specific searches. Combine a business type with a place, and vary both. Work through one suburb or region at a time so your list stays organised.
Prompts:
- What would your ideal customer be listed as? Think of two or three alternative category names.
- Which places carry a concentration of them, such as industrial estates, business parks or commercial strips?
- Which businesses are likely to refer you to others (for example, property managers, accountants, suppliers)?
Complete this search plan.
| Search term (type + place) | Area covered | Date searched | Prospects found | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tip: zoom the map so only your service area is visible before you search. Results shown are influenced by where you are looking, so a tight view gives you a tighter list.
Stage 3: Capture
Open each listing and record only what you need to decide and to contact. Publicly listed business details are fine to use for business-to-business outreach, but keep to what is relevant and do not collect personal information you do not need.
Use a spreadsheet or your CRM with these columns:
| Business name | Suburb | Business type | Size signal (single site, multi-site, large premises) | Website seen (yes/no) | Review signal | Decision maker name and role (if publicly shown) | Best contact route | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
What to look for on each listing:
- Photos and activity. Are there recent photos, posts or responses to reviews? This suggests an active business.
- Reviews. Complaints that match what you fix are a conversation starter. Praise for a competitor tells you the relationship exists.
- Website and details. Check their website for the owner's or manager's name, services and projects. Their site often reveals more about fit than the listing does.
- Hours and contact details. Note the best route: phone during business hours, a published business email, or a contact form.
Stage 4: Score
Score each prospect from 1 (weak) to 3 (strong) on each factor. This forces a decision before you spend time on outreach.
| Factor | What a 3 looks like | Score (1 to 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Fit with your ideal customer | Matches your Stage 1 profile closely | |
| Size and value potential | Likely to spend meaningfully or repeatedly | |
| Location | Well inside your efficient service area | |
| Visible need | Review, website or listing suggests a gap you fill | |
| Reachability | Decision maker or direct contact route is clear | |
| Timing signal | Growth, new premises, new hire or recent complaint visible | |
| Total (out of 18) |
Use these tiers as a starting rule, then adjust to your own results:
- 15 to 18, Tier A. Personal, tailored approach this week.
- 11 to 14, Tier B. Standard approach in your next batch.
- 10 or below, Tier C. Park it. Revisit in three months.
Stage 5: Approach
Keep the first contact short, specific and easy to say no to. One clear reason for contacting them, one small request.
Phone script (business line, working hours)
"Hello [name], it's [your name] from [your business]. We [one-line description of what you do] for businesses around [suburb or area]. I noticed [specific observation, such as a recent expansion or a point from their website], and thought it might be worth a short conversation. Is that something you handle, or would it be someone else?"
If they are not interested:
"No problem at all. Would it be alright if I send a one-page summary in case it's useful later?"
Email template
Subject: [Specific topic] for [their business name]
Hi [name],
I'm [your name] from [your business]. We [what you do] for [type of business] in [area]. I noticed [specific observation], and thought you might be interested in [one specific benefit].
If it would be useful, I can [small next step, such as a 15-minute chat or a free site check]. If not, no problem.
Kind regards, [Name, business name, ABN if appropriate]
If you'd prefer not to receive emails from us, reply with "unsubscribe" and we will remove you.
In-person drop-in (where appropriate, such as trade or industrial premises)
"Hi, I'm [name] from [business]. We work with a few businesses nearby on [what you do]. I won't take much time. Who would be the right person to leave my details with?"
Compliance checks before you send anything
- Email and SMS. The Spam Act 2003 requires consent (which may be express or, in some cases, inferred), clear identification of who you are, and a working way to opt out. Consent is not automatic just because an address is public. If you are unsure, use phone or a contact form, or seek advice.
- Phone. Calls to individuals, including some sole traders using personal numbers, must respect the Do Not Call Register. Check before calling.
- Privacy. Collect only what you need, store it securely, and delete it when it is no longer needed. Honour requests to be removed promptly.
Stage 6: Review
A prospecting list only works if you look at what happens to it. Track each contact and review weekly.
| Business | Date contacted | Method | Outcome (no answer, not now, meeting, quote) | Next step | Follow-up date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plan for three to five touches over four to six weeks, using different methods (call, email, drop-in), before you move a prospect to Tier C.
Checklist
- Ideal customer profile and exclusions written down (Stage 1)
- Service area and map view set
- Search plan completed for at least three areas or business types
- 20 to 30 prospects captured in one list
- Every prospect scored and tiered
- Tier A prospects researched on their website
- Scripts adapted to your voice
- Compliance checks completed for each contact method
- First batch contacted and logged
- Weekly review slot booked in your diary
Worked example (fictional)
Corella Fire Protection is a made-up Perth business that services fire extinguishers and emergency lighting.
The owner defines the ideal customer as multi-tenant warehouses and light-industrial businesses with 10 to 50 staff, within 30 minutes of Welshpool. The decision maker is usually the operations or facilities manager.
Searches are run for "warehouse Welshpool", "logistics Kewdale" and "manufacturer Canning Vale", giving 34 prospects. Scoring cuts it to six Tier A prospects, mainly because their listings show multiple sites and recent expansion, and their reviews mention a recent compliance inspection.
The owner phones the six with a short script and emails two who have a published business address and a clear role. Three conversations are held and two site checks are booked in week one. One of those becomes a recurring service agreement. The owner then notes that "multi-site" was the strongest scoring factor and adds it to the Stage 1 profile.
How to read the results
Good looks like this, as a rough guide rather than a benchmark:
- You can name your Tier A prospects without opening the list.
- Most of your contacts are reaching a decision maker, not just a front desk.
- Within two weeks you can see which search terms and scoring factors produced conversations.
- At least one in several approaches leads to a meeting. If not, review your message before the list.
If contact rates are low, the issue is usually the target or the message. If meetings are high but jobs are low, the issue is usually fit or pricing, not prospecting.
Common mistakes
- Searching too broadly. A list of 300 unscored businesses is a to-do list, not a pipeline.
- Skipping the scoring. Without it, you chase the easiest prospects, not the best.
- Generic messages. If your approach could be sent to anyone, it will be ignored by most.
- One touch only. A single unanswered call is not a rejection.
- Ignoring compliance. Spam Act and Do Not Call Register breaches create real risk for a small business.
- Never reviewing. If you do not record outcomes, you cannot improve the method.
Put it to work this week
- Complete the Stage 1 table using your three best customers as a guide.
- Run at least three searches and capture 20 prospects in a single list.
- Score every prospect and mark your Tier A group.
- Adapt the phone script and make five calls, or send two compliant emails, to your Tier A prospects.
- Book a 20-minute weekly review and update the tracking table.
Where Lotus helps
Lotus Strategic Services helps Australian small and medium businesses sharpen their target customer, build repeatable lead generation systems and measure what is actually producing work. We can review your list, scoring and messaging with you and help turn them into a steady weekly routine. Book a free 30-minute discovery call at lotusstrategic.com.au.