You know that company would want your solution if you just had the opportunity to connect with someone on the inside. You don’t know anyone over there so you can’t call. And the industry conference is still months away. If only you had an accurate email address for the decision maker or someone who could be your champion.
Email has long been the ideal, non-pushy medium of communication. For acquaintances, colleagues, or potential clients, an email gets your info in front of them but allows them to read at their own leisure. It’s no wonder that email marketing has gained traction over the years. But the continual challenge is finding up-to-date email addresses. Many businesses opt to purchase expensive lead lists, but the info may not fit your targeted customer profile.
Instead, here are 2 simple (and free) ways your business can find current email addresses of individuals you know you should be talking to.
Search LinkedIn
We all know LinkedIn is great for connecting with other business professionals, and once you’re connected you have access to their email address. So if there’s an individual you know you want to email, send them a message on LinkedIn asking to connect. (Sending a message with your Connection request increases the chances that they’ll respond.)
If there’s a company you’d like to connect with but you’re not sure who to message, check your existing connections to see if you know someone already connected with individuals at that company. Then ask your connection for an introduction.
Spending a little time surfing LinkedIn can yield big results when trying to cull email addresses for targeted leads.
Subscribe to their newsletter
This little gem often goes unnoticed in our fast-paced business lives. The company newsletter provides valuable information on a number of levels. Sometimes the newsletter will provide contact info for a few specific people, so add them to your list. The newsletter also provides names of people heading up certain projects or involved in certain activities. Even if the email addresses aren’t listed, you can still take the names and head over to LinkedIn. But the best part of the newsletter is the insight you gain into your potential client. Use the newsletter as an opportunity to learn about the goals and needs of the people you hope to reach and tailor your future contact with them.
Bottom Line
Finding a prospect’s email is just the start of an email marketing campaign. You need to have content ready to send to them that markets your solutions in a subtle way. And remember, aggressive sales pitches will flag spam filters, so tread carefully.