PCB Sales MasteryAlteraFlex Circuits
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Module 12 1 min read

Prospecting — How to Find PCB Buyers

Cold, warm, and inbound sources, the 200-account target list, and the events worth attending.

The Three Sources of Leads

1. Cold (You go find them)

  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator searches by industry/role/company size
  • Thomasnet directory
  • IPC member directory
  • Trade-show exhibitor and attendee lists
  • Job postings (companies hiring "Hardware Engineer" or "Electrical Engineer" are buying PCBs)
  • Local manufacturing associations (e.g., NTMA, MAPP)
  • Driving around industrial parks (yes, really — "windshield prospecting" still works)

2. Warm (Referrals and existing relationships)

  • Past customers who moved companies
  • Engineers you've worked with at your shop
  • Component distributor reps (Digi-Key, Mouser FAEs talk to engineers all day)
  • Design houses and EDA reps
  • Industry consultants

3. Inbound (They come to you)

  • Website RFQs
  • Trade-show booth visitors
  • Referrals from happy customers
  • Google / SEO leads
  • Webinar / content / LinkedIn posts

A good salesperson in this industry runs all three sources in parallel.

Building Your Target List

Spend the first 30 days at a new job building a 200-account target list. Criteria:

  • Industry fits your shop's strengths (medical, aerospace, industrial, etc.)
  • 10–500 employees
  • Within a reasonable drive (regional preference matters)
  • Has engineers (LinkedIn confirms)
  • Active product development (job postings, news, fresh website)
  • Not already a customer (check internal CRM)

For each account, identify 3–5 contacts:

  • 1 engineer
  • 1 buyer
  • 1 ops/supply chain
  • 1 exec (small companies) or director (larger)

Industry Events Worth Attending

  • IPC APEX EXPO — The big PCB/electronics manufacturing show (annual, U.S.)
  • IMS (International Microwave Symposium) — RF/microwave
  • MD&M West / East — Medical devices
  • AUVSI Xponential — Drones, autonomous systems
  • AUSA, Sea-Air-Space, Modern Day Marine — Defense
  • CES — Consumer electronics
  • SEMICON West — Semiconductors
  • Battery Show — EV/battery
  • Local SMTA (Surface Mount Technology Association) chapter events — Regional

Tools That Help

  • CRM — HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Close. Don't rely on memory.
  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator — Worth the cost.
  • Apollo, ZoomInfo, Cognism — Contact data.
  • Thomasnet, IndustryNet — Manufacturer directories.
  • Email automation — HubSpot, Outreach, Apollo, Smartlead.
  • Conversational AI / call notes — Fireflies, Otter, Gong.
What you really need to remember
  • 30 days, 200 accounts, 3–5 contacts per account = 600–1,000 person prospect list to start.
  • Mix cold, warm, and inbound sources.
  • Trade shows are where decisions get made. Plan to attend 2–4 a year.

Practice questions

1

What is the recommended target-list size to build in your first 30 days?

2

Which event is THE big annual PCB / electronics manufacturing trade show in the U.S.?

3

Which signal on LinkedIn most strongly suggests a company is buying PCBs?

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