How to Find the Right Contact Person for Your Emails
Stop saying, “I hope you are the right person for this” in work emails. Misdirected messages rarely elicit a positive response. They make you sound unsure and unprofessional for not researching your contact person.
Make a habit of verifying recipients. Here are seven tips to ensure you always find the right contact person for work emails.
1. Google the Person You Need to Message
Before anything else, try using Google. It’s a powerful search engine with 100+ trillion pages indexed. You can look up anyone. A quick search will show their social media profiles, personal websites, photos, blogs, work experience, and contact details.
Considering Google’s extensive database, refined results need precise queries. You might not find relevant information unless you know the person’s full name. For instance, “Jose Luansing Jr.” has 7,350 hits. Meanwhile, typing “Jose” on Google produces 2.6 billion pages, which would prove difficult to sort.
For refined results, feed Google additional information. If you only know the person’s first name, search for their company or business website. Most brands have a Meet the Team page. Using the above example, adding “makeuseof.com writer” to the term “Jose” trims the results down to 10.1 million.
2. Go on Social Media
People with common names are hard to find. Unless they have a strong online presence, they won’t appear in the first few Google SERPs. Names like John, Joe, Smith, and Mary have billions of hits. Even for influencers and celebrities, overtaking historical figures named the same won’t be easy.
Instead of combing through hundreds of search results, turn to social media. You’ll still come up with several hits. However, most platforms let you filter your options based on location, mutual friends, education, and work. You won’t waste time on irrelevant results.
Once you find your prospect’s profile, look for their professional email address. Refrain from adding or following them. Not everyone feels comfortable having their coworkers and business partners on social media.
Exploreniche social networksif you can’t find your contact person on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Many prefer using non-mainstream channels.
3. Guess Emails and Cross-Check on Google
Guessing email addresses involves less uncertainty than people think. While the process requires trial and error, you don’t have to message random strangers. Just cross-check the contact details online. With Google, mailing service platforms, and social media sites, you’ll accurately eliminate incorrect guesses.
Work email addresses follow similar formats. Let’s say you’re looking for the contact information of Jose Luansing, a staff writer at MakeUseOf. His email address would likely be:
After listing the possible combinations, search them online. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram often hide email addresses—you’ll have better luck verifying them on Google and LinkedIn.
Also, check if the email address has a Gmail profile. Type your prospective addresses in a Gmail draft, then hover over each contact. In the below photo, only one address has a profile.
4. Use WHOIS Lookup Platforms
The above tips only work when tracking individuals. You might not find them helpful if you need to contact website owners you don’t know. Companies rarely introduce their web admins. In most cases, a brand’s Meet the Team page comprises its founders, executive, board of directors, and mid-level managers.
To find technical information about a website, useWHOIS lookup tools. They can tell you any domain’s owner, contact details, registrar info, and registered location. Some sites even disclose their business numbers. Just make sure you ask permission and introduce yourself before calling.
5. Ask Your Network
Should your research come to a dead end, ask for help online. See if someone will direct you to the person or department you need. Who knows? Your online friends might know your contact person. You could even request a casual introduction so that you won’t have to send a cold email.
Upload a brief post on your social media platforms. Mention the department or person you’re looking for, explain why you need them, and ask for the best way to get in touch. Hopefully, someone from the inside answers you. If not, gather helpful details—use them to generate precise results on Google and social media.
For better responses, visit industry-specific groups. Let’s say you need a specific blogger’s contact details. Instead of posting on your wall, ask around incommunities for freelance writers.
6. Use an Email Lookup Tool
While the above tips yield precise results, executing them takes time. You might spend several hours scouring pages on Google or asking around on social media.
If you’re tracking multiple people, consider usingemail lookup tools. Although most premium platforms charge subscription fees, they accurately verify email addresses in bulk. You’ll save a lot of time.
Let’s takeSnov.ioas an example. The Starter package costs $30 to $39 a month. However, it verifies thousands of email addresses simultaneously, plus you can extract all registered email addresses within a domain.
7. Just Send Your Email
If you still can’t trace the correct email address despite the above tips, look for alternatives. Your leads should have narrowed down, at least. Find ones associated with your contact person and see who can help you.
As always, maintain the proper tone. Although you’re uncertain about your recipient, avoid generic, half-baked lines that make emails unprofessional, like:
Remember: People receive dozens of emails regularly. You need personalized content tailored to the other party’s needs to cut through the noise. Otherwise, you won’t convey your message. And instead of using generic disclaimers, explain your situation. If you’re polite and sincere, recipients will direct you to the correct contact person.
Always Find the Right Contact Person for Your Emails
Whether you’re sending sales pitches or asking work questions, find the appropriate contact person. There’s no excuse for misdirected emails. Search engines, social media sites, and lookup tools have made email verification easier than ever. With a bit of research, you’ll find anyone’s contact information.
Apart from double-checking recipients, edit your introduction. Cut out generic, overused phrases. A confident, unique opening line that resonates with the recipient will spike your email open rates. Only personalized messages can cut through the noise.
Are you unknowingly ruining your professional email’s first impression? Avoid these common mistakes in your opening lines for a better response.
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