Start with the business problem
Describe what you sell, which organizations benefit, and what usually makes a company unsuitable. A short explanation of the buying context gives more direction than a long list of titles.
Separate company fit from contact fit
Company criteria might include business activity, geography, and size. Contact criteria cover function, seniority, and role equivalents. Review these separately so you know why a record belongs in the audience.
Define exclusions before the list is built
Existing customers, competitors, suppliers, and unsuitable sub-sectors may need to be excluded. Agree on the matching rules and a secure handoff method for any suppression file.
Ask for a sample with the intended schema
Review a sample using the columns and definitions you expect in the final delivery. Look for relevance, available fields, missing values, and consistent formatting rather than judging only the total record count.
Write down the delivery agreement
Confirm format, scope, available verification details, handling of exceptions, and the process for resolving a mismatch. A clear agreement makes the dataset easier to assess and use.
A sample is a working document.
Use it to question the criteria, the field definitions, and the handoff. Resolve the important details while the project is still small.
Discuss your brief ↗