As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, the key to more effective cold calling is to warm them up by providing compelling, valuable information prior to your first call. One of the best ways to do this is by sending a personalized, well-written email. But where do you get the person’s email address? There are actually a variety of ways, but it does take a little digging and sometimes a little guesswork. Here are 5 ways that you can uncover your prospect’s email:
1. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a great way to find someone’s email, or at least of others in the organization. Start by going to the prospect’s profile page and scrolling down to “Advice for Contacting”. Most people don’t list their email, but many do (like me). If that doesn't work, then look for other employees in the company. Most companies have a standard email format, such as firstinitiallastname@company.com. By finding another email in that company, you can usually figure out your prospect’s email address. The employees most likely to list their emails in their profile are sales people, recruiters, public relations, and media relations.
2. The Company Website
Smaller companies often will list executive emails or a contact email on the website. Larger companies frequently have a media relations or investor relations page that lists a contact. Publicly traded companies post their annual reports on their website, which sometimes list email addresses.
3. Job Postings
Many job postings on company web pages and job boards list the recruiter and their email address. By utilizing the same email format, you can usually figure out your prospect’s email.
4. Trade Associations
Most associations provide a membership directory to their members. Even if you aren’t a member of the associations, sometimes this directory is available on their website. If your prospect is on an association board, in some cases their email is listed on the board of directors page
5. Use a Tool
There are a variety of tools that help you find a prospect’s email. Contact databases such as data.com provide contact info such as email and direct line phone numbers for a fee, and websites like findanyemail.net will do web and social media searches for their email. Findanyemail.com lets you do 5 free searches a day, and also provides paid services including unlimited searches and bulk contact searches.
None of these work all of the time, but with practice you should be able to find your prospect’s email address 90% of the time or more. What other ways have you found that work to find a prospect’s email address?
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