Kaspr Blog - B2B | Prospecting | Sales | Recruitment

How to Find Someone’s Phone Number [For Selling]

Written by Daisy Shevlin | Sep 4, 2024 8:32:37 AM

Without someone’s phone number, you can’t cold call. Simple. 🤷

 

Whether you’re reaching out for the first time or following up after outreach on another channel, you need direct numbers. Finding a phone number would’ve been tedious for salespeople from years ago. But now you’re super lucky because tools have high-quality contact data.

 

Here’s how to find someone’s phone number (fast). We will run through a list of ways and tools to do it automatically while being ethical.

How to find someone’s phone number

Free and paid tools

Several tools can assist you in finding phone numbers. You’ve got tools like Kaspr that work to get contact details for you while prospecting on LinkedIn. Kaspr helps save SDRs time by doing leg work so they can just get straight on and call prospects. 

 

See how Kaspr works in this interactive demo. 👇

While Kaspr is aimed more at individual contributors and has monthly subscriptions you can cancel anytime, Cognism is an example of a more premium sales intelligence tool. Aside from contact data, Cognism helps sales reps and marketers by providing intent data. So you know who’s been looking at your business already and could be a hot lead.

 

Here are some pros and cons of using tools like Kaspr and Cognism to find someone’s phone number.

Pros:

  • Direct dials and cell phone numbers.
  • Time saving and efficiency.
  • Accurate data that’s updated in real-time.
  • Compliance considerations.
  • Global data: Kaspr and Cognism are particularly strong in Europe.
  • Integrations with other sales tools.
  • User-friendly and accessible.

Cons:

  • You’ll need to evaluate which tools best fit your needs.
  • Not all these tools have the same data standards.

Social media platforms

Social media profiles can be treasure troves of publicly available data if you know where to look. Particularly where someone’s got a strong online presence. They may even dare you to cold call them like David Bentham does in his LinkedIn “about” section.

 

  • Facebook: People sometimes list their phone numbers on their profiles. Use the search bar to enter the person’s name and explore their profile.
  • LinkedIn: Particularly useful for business contacts. Check the “Contact Info” section on a person’s profile.
  • Twitter and Instagram: While less common for phone numbers, sometimes people include their contact information in their bios.

 

If we’re being honest, this probably isn’t the best way to search for phone numbers. Even on LinkedIn, there’s no guarantee that the details are correct. Plus, there’s the question of compliance around getting B2B data this way.

Search engines

Using search engines like Google can yield surprising results.

 

  • Google Search: Enter the person’s name and keywords like “phone number” or “contact information.” Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases.
  • Reverse lookup: Websites like Truecaller allow you to enter a phone number to determine who it belongs to.

 

Again, this method is very time-consuming and manual, which isn’t great for an SDR with tons of cold calls to make.

Public records and directories

Public records and directories are another place where it’s possible to find phone numbers in B2B.

  • Public records: Government websites and public databases may list contact information, especially for businesses or property records.
  • Online directories: Websites like AnyWho or 411.com provide phone directories that you can search by name or address.

DIY methods and tips

If all else fails, consider these personal approaches.

  • Mutual contacts: Ask mutual friends or colleagues if they can share the person’s phone number.
  • Email lookup tools: Tools like Hunter.io can sometimes provide phone numbers associated with email addresses.
  • Verification: Always verify the information from multiple sources to ensure its accuracy.

Tools for finding phone numbers

1. Kaspr

Kaspr is a prospecting tool that finds phone numbers directly from LinkedIn. The data Kaspr provides helps SDRs, recruiters and founders connect with key decision-makers and people they need to cold call.

 

For anyone looking to grow in Europe and APAC, Kaspr’s data is particularly strong in these areas. The tool has a LinkedIn Chrome Extension and a web app for data enrichment. All aspects of Kaspr help to eliminate wasted time and resources on low-quality leads. And what’s more? You can try it for free.

 

👉  Check out Kaspr’s pricing.

Benefits

  • Direct integration with LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, HubSpot and Salesforce.
  • Large accurate database in Europe and APAC.
  • Business phone numbers for decision-makers.
  • Easy onboarding - no lengthy process.
  • Free plan to test it works for you.

Drawbacks

  • May not be suitable for large enterprises - Kaspr is for individual contributors and SMBs.
  • No intent data - just super accurate contact details. 

2. Cognism

Cognism is a sales intelligence platform that gives you the cell phone numbers and B2B email addresses of people you’d like to do business with. As well as correct contact details, Cognism also has intent data powered by Bombora. 

 

The platform takes away the pain of an empty pipeline and data hygiene by connecting you with x3 more live conversations. It’s easy to find someone’s phone number using the Cognism Prospector part of the platform, which includes list-building capabilities.

Benefits

  • Strong European database.
  • List-building capabilities with filters and AI Search.
  • Connect with 87% of your list.
  • Ideal for larger enterprises.

Drawbacks

  • Not as suited to smaller organizations.

3. ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo is known for its extensive business contact database, ideal for sales and marketing professionals. 

 

As well as finding phone numbers, ZoomInfo has intent, firmographic and technographic data. This enables SDRs to do company research before calling, such as looking at org structures to make sure they’re reaching out to the right people.

Benefits

  • Large database in the US.
  • Build targeted lists.
  • Detailed company insights.
  • Automate outreach and workflows.

Drawbacks

  • Big platform that may be too complex for some.

4. Clay

Clay uses waterfall enrichment to find data from multiple providers, including phone numbers. The platform also has an AI research agent and tool for personalizing messaging. 

 

All these features help to scale personalized outreach with data enrichment. 

Benefits

  • Waterfall enrichment with 75+ providers.
  • Research companies at scale with the AI research agent.
  • Chrome Extension for scraping websites.
  • Automated outreach.

Drawbacks

5. UpLead

UpLead is a powerful database that provides B2B contact and company data. It allows users to filter and target specific leads based on criteria such as industry, location, job title, and company size. 

Benefits

  • Advanced search filters for precise targeting.
  • Real-time email address verification.
  • Customized lead lists tailored to specific needs.
  • Integrations with popular CRMs.

Drawbacks

  • Credit packs are not as generous as those of other providers, like Kaspr.

6. Lusha

Lusha is a popular tool for finding B2B contact information, like valid phone numbers quickly. 

Its Chrome Extension allows users to find lead contact details on LinkedIn and other websites, with data verified through a stringent 7-step process

Benefits

  • Filter-based prospecting lists.
  • Intent data.
  • Direct phone numbers.
  • Integrations with CRMs like HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive, and Bullhorn.

Drawbacks

  • Less credits to test in its free tier than competitors.
  • Some previous users have cited data accuracy as a reason for switching to other providers.

💡 You might like to see how Kaspr compares to Lusha.

7. Adapt

Adapt provides many business contacts, focusing on email and phone number data. 

The tool offers over 25 data attributes, providing a comprehensive view of your prospects. Users can receive alerts for job title changes, new contacts that match saved searches, and more.

Benefits

  • Receive notifications when new contacts match your search criteria through dynamic lists.
  • Use search APIs for bulk export of company data.
  • Enjoy a wide variety of integrations to seamlessly transfer data to your CRM.

Drawbacks

What to do once you’ve found the number

Once you have the phone number, follow cold call best practices for reaching out. Introduce yourself and get to the point of relevance fast. Be respectful of the person’s response and privacy. 

If the number is outdated or incorrect, try more personal methods, like asking a mutual connection on LinkedIn to introduce you.

How can I find a phone number by name?

Finding a phone number by name involves using the methods discussed above: leveraging prospecting tools like Kaspr, using a trusted data provider and taking into account company research.

How can I find someone’s phone number without asking them?

To find someone’s phone number without asking them directly, use tools and techniques such as data providers. Ensure you use a GDPR and CCPA aligned tool.

Find phone numbers right now

Kaspr’s helping SDRs reach and sell to prospects right now. Save time and get started with the European data we’ve got today - Sign up now.

 

✅ No credit card required to sign up.
✅ GDPR and CCPA aligned.
✅ 500M+ email addresses and phone numbers.
✅ All-in-one prospecting tool.
✅ Fully self-service.
✅ Customizable plans.

 

💡 Explore our other guides on phone number and email address retrieval: