Whether you are trying to get through to an important customer or attempting to reach out to a potential employer or someone who could be of vital importance to crack the next deal, many people are often left wondering how to get hold of that all-important (and often elusive) email address.
Whether reaching out to a specific someone or attempting to build a database, emails are still a great form of communication, especially for professional dialogues. On top of the ability to convey reasonably more information compared to other forms, they provide the receiver with the opportunity to spend time, evaluate and even re-visit details before making a decision. A staggering 205 billion emails get sent every day and it is the number one preferred way of work communication even for millennials. Studies have shown that an estimated 72 percent of people would still prefer to receive promotional communications through emails. The value of getting hold of that important email address is very much self-explanatory, although often difficult to access. It could be what stands between you and your next career move or that million-dollar opportunity.
However, did you know that there are a number of clever ways that you can effectively use to get hold of anyone’s email address? Here is a list of the 5 most effective methods we have tried.
- Reach out
This is the simplest method in our list and the most non-intrusive. Reaching out to the person you are attempting to get hold of and requesting their email address can be done in various ways. And the best method we can recommend is using social media.
However, it is important that you first determine the most effective platform to use based on your specific requirements. After all, if you are looking to reach out to a potential employer, LinkedIn would definitely be the better option over Twitter or Facebook. Then make your move and introduce yourself with a compelling message to help them decide why they should share their email address with you.
If they have their own website or blog, you can also leave insightful comments on posts and articles, which could help you build rapport before officially reaching out to them. This would go a long way since, after all, no one would want to just share their email address with a total stranger.
- People search websites
Background search sites like Nuwber are definitely the easiest method we found to dig up an email address. While they may charge a small fee for their service, they can also get the job done pretty fast for you. Once you input the name, address or telephone number of the person you wish to reach, they can also get you an entire gamut of information that could help you pursue your future communications and strengthen relationships more effectively later on.
The information they could provide you will range from professional details and career history to credit scores and property ownership. They could also report on any criminal records or minor offenses like traffic violations. These sites seem to access a wide network of information sources such as databases, social platforms and public records to provide a comprehensive background report. They are increasingly becoming popular due to their accuracy and speed, as well as ease of access, providing you with the information you require with zero hassle.
By the way, some of these sites could also do reverse email lookups. Nuwber, for instance, claims that it can carry out background searches by simply entering a person’s email address.
- Email verification tools
We recommend this method when you have some idea of the email address, but not quite sure of its accuracy. There are plenty of free and paid email verification tools in the market, from NeverBounce to Email Checker. These tools work by checking the accuracy of how the email address is written as well as verifying the validity of the address by connecting to the relevant email server.
They will help you to avoid sending that all-important email to the wrong person and having to worry and wonder whether you have managed to get through to your targeted prospect. It could also help marketers to improve accuracy and reduce bounce rates of their email campaigns by avoiding wrong or non-existing email addresses.
- Online Profile Checks
This is probably the most fun way of looking up an email address, although it could be a bit time-consuming. Have a look through any online platform that allows profile creation since sometimes people share their email addresses for off-platform communications. Be creative and make sure that you try a wide range of platforms without limiting to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. If you have a little bit of an idea of their personal interests, check it out. Are they into photography? Try Flickr or PhotoBlog. Do they like writing? Then check Medium or other popular sites and blogs for writers. Who knows, you might find a few fun facts about the person along the way.
- Use Your Network
This option is for the amateur sleuth who loves a mystery to go digging into with a little bit of time in hand. First, you need to get your brain cracking and dive into a brief background search to decipher who knows whom. Try to determine how the network of the person you are looking into is connected to your own. This will take some real digging into social media sites, online activities, work background, social interests and much more. Find out which gym they go to. To which school do their kids go? Usually, there is always someone who can connect you to the person in question and either get an introduction or simply the email address. After all, they do say it’s a small world.
So, that’s our top 5 list of tried and tested ways to get hold of anyone’s email address. If you are pressed for time, you might choose a people search site like Nuwber and if you are an amateur Holmes, you might choose to dig into your network with a bit of sleuthing. The bottom line is, you no longer need to worry about getting hold of that important email address. There is always an option for everyone.
