There is a reason why most business communication happens via email. So far, this is one of the most discreet, professional ways of reaching out to people — even people you do not know in person. Emailing is a great way to engage leads, attract prospects, even make offers to potential partners, investors, or job candidates. But how do you find your prospects’ email addresses? There are three options to find lead emails, all with their pros and cons.
Google As The Primary Info Source
Whenever you need to find someone’s email address, Google is the obvious go-to choice. Simple as it sounds, the results may not always be useful — even if you know the name of the person you are about to contact. On the bright side, Google search is 100% free, so you can try and look up this person’s email addresses. Sometimes, you may get lucky, but Google search results will not reflect the info you are looking for in most cases.
As a possible alternative, you can search for your prospects’ personal blogs or websites — they will usually have several valid contact means. You can also try your luck on a corporate website — often, companies post their top executive contact details online. Even if they do not, you can still guess the executives’ email because most corporate addresses out there follow the same logic: first and last names followed by a unique company mail client.
Sure, there can be some exceptions where only the first or last names are included, or when either first or last name is shortened. Still, looking at the typical email addresses within a particular company should give you some ideas for your next google search. However, no one can guarantee that you will easily find someone’s email on Google, so let’s move to more certain email lookup means.
Social Media As A Useful Search Tool
If your Google search proved unsuccessful (or if you simply decided not to waste any time on it), browsing through social media sites can deliver the results you are hoping for. Especially if you have this person in your connections already or at least know who you are trying to contact.
Note, however, that not all users make their email addresses public on social media. But, there are a few inside tricks that can help you with that. For example, if you cannot see an email address public on Facebook, check out if this person manages any pages. There, you can find the contact information you need. LinkedIn is another example of a social platform that does not feature its users’ email addresses too often. But, it often features users’ resumes, and the latter do have valid contact info you need.
Besides, there is a whole range of other social sites that may have users’ contact info. Check out Instagram, Pinterest, or try an advanced search on Twitter. As a last resort, you can just reach out to the person you want to contact via social media. If you two hit it off, you can always ask for an email address later.
Professional Software As The Surest Option
Sometimes, you will not have the time to go browsing Google or social media. Besides, you may not always know the name of the person you need or even want to get contact information in bulk. Both of these scenarios call for professional email lookup tools. The biggest advantage of such software is that specialized tools can quickly find relevant contact details without too much hassle. The downside is that they are not always free — except for a couple of trial searches.
Still, if looking up leads and prospects is part of your professional routine, paying a few bucks a month is well worth it, especially if you consider the time and effort it saves you. If you are not sure where to get started, check out https://www.signalhire.com/. This database has over 400 million verified contacts and a handy browser extension that allows you to pull contact data on any person just by looking at their social media profiles.
Another useful feature is a possibility of a bulk search directly via the internal database. This functionality is aimed at recruiters and marketers alike, allowing them to compile comprehensive lists of prospects based on industry, skillset, or even specific keywords. Finally, all data can be exported in neat CSV files, and there is always a chance to share it with a team of fellow recruiters or marketers.
Bonus Tip: How To Make Your Email Stand Out
Now that you know how to find your prospects’ emails, we would offer a couple of bonus tips on how to engage them. Since email remains a primary business communication tool, every professional receives dozens of messages a day. So, getting your offer across may prove even more challenging than finding a stranger’s email. The following tips should help, though:
Always Optimize For Mobile
Over half of all received emails are opened on mobile devices, so it is important to make your messages mobile-friendly. This includes a brief and catchy subject line, and a comprehensive preview of the message. When dealing with cold marketing emails, make sure that any graphics you attach are also mobile-friendly.
Avoid Sending Out Generic Messages
Most professional email tools today can customize bulk sent messages and address the recipients by names. Still, whenever you try to make a serious offer (potential partnership, job opportunity, etc.), you should better compose your emails from scratch. Sure, some info you share (i.e., job description) can be the same for different recipients. Still, people who receive an email from a stranger usually want to know how you found them and why you are contacting them. This intro should be uniquely written for each email recipient. Yes, that sounds like a lot of work, but in some cases, it is essential for effective emailing.
Stay Brief And To The Point
No one loves reading a long email. Do not bury the lead and move to the matter as quickly as you can. Offer to provide more details to anyone who is interested. And, of course, try to reply asap to their emails.
Proficient Prospecting For Earning Email Addresses
These tips are a good start both for mass email marketing campaigns and contacting prospects one-by-one. Make your emails positive and keep monitoring open and reply rates. It will help you come up with more creative ideas on how to find and engage your prospects in the long run.
