How to Get Phone Numbers For Cold Calling - 9 Ways

Case in point: Making cold calls is still considered the #1 most effective prospecting tactic.

Cognism says that the average cold calling success rate is only 2%. You can make 100 calls and only get two people into your pipeline. And that’s no guarantee those two will convert. 😬

Despite that seemingly low percentage, cold calling is still the most effective way to connect with prospects. As many as 49% of buyers prefer to be reached through a cold call instead of other methods, including email or direct mail.

For Sales Development Reps (SDRs), this means one thing: your phone skills are more crucial than ever. With only 5-10 minutes to prove your value, every call counts. The challenge? Getting the direct phone numbers.

So, where can SDRs get up-to-date phone numbers for the right prospects? That’s exactly what we’re going to talk about in this post. 👇

1. Use a prospecting tool

Prospecting tools are the quickest way to find many phone numbers for cold-calling lists. Tools like Kaspr fit right into your existing tech stack, making finding contact data on LinkedIn and Sales Navigator easy.

Kaspr has an extensive and verified database of phone numbers with 120M+ European B2B contacts. The focus is on quality: data as fresh as your morning croissant. 🥐

Accurate data is updated in real-time from over 150 providers, so as soon as you identify a valuable potential customer, you can get dialing right away. Kaspr makes prospecting easy, whether you opt for account-based selling (ABS)  strategies or just want to search for phone numbers on mass.

What’s more? Kaspr syncs data back to Salesforce, HubSpot and many other CRMs with native or Zapier integrations. 

Sign up here with your work email to get started! (No credit card is required).👇

The LinkedIn Chrome Extension and web app allow you to enrich LinkedIn data while looking for new leads. Access a single contact’s information or get phone numbers from target account lists in bulk.

But it’s not just about gathering numbers. The best tools also provide analytics, helping you track your outreach efforts and measure potential ROI. This data can be crucial in fine-tuning your prospecting pipeline.

👉 Find prospect’s phone numbers and sign up to Kaspr now.

2. Manually on LinkedIn

When using account-based sales (or account-based marketing campaigns), you’ll examine potential leads’ individual profiles closely. 

Sometimes, you can find a contact’s contact information, including email address and work phone number, right on their LinkedIn profile. This is known as the manual approach.

Here’s how you find the contact data. 

1. Go to view your prospect’s profile.
2. Click “contact info” in their bio.
3. If they have their phone number there, you can see it.

Additionally, it’s worth scanning the profile’s bio section. Some professionals include their contact details there, making it easier for potential connections to reach out.

The prospect may have their website, email address, and/or phone number listed. If it’s there, feel free to use it; this is not published automatically, and people must choose to share it.

There is always a risk that these phone numbers may be outdated. Ironically enough, people often forget to update contact information as they change their job title or company.

Because of this, your outbound sales team is better off relying on a platform that leverages multiple databases (like Kaspr 😉). They’ll increase your chance of success with outbound calls by having accurate and up-to-date phone numbers. 

3. Ask your network

Looking for the phone number of a specific prospect?

Get in touch with your network.

You can see if you’ve got any mutual connections with the person in that target account. Maybe one of your existing prospects in the sales process is connected and interacts with them regularly on LinkedIn.

Reach out with a message like this to ask if they have your target prospect’s phone number. 👇

Example 1:

“Hi {insert name}

I’m trying to get in touch with {first name and last name}, who’s {job title} at {company name}.

I see you two are in contact a fair bit, and I wondered if you had a phone number for them you could share with me?

{your name}”

Example 2:

"Hello {insert name},

I noticed you’re connected with {prospect’s name} at {company}. I’ve been trying to reach out to discuss {brief reason}. Would you be comfortable introducing us? If so, I’d happily draft a short message you could forward.

{your name}"

Example 3: 

"Hi fellow {group name} members,

I’m looking to connect with {prospect’s name}, {job title} at {company}. They’re not in our group, but I thought someone here might have worked with them or know how to reach them directly. Any leads would be greatly appreciated!

{your name}"

You need to leverage existing relationships if you can.

That “you’ll never get what you want if you don’t ask” idea has always been accurate in sales. It’s true when trying to close a deal, and it can also be true during the prospecting process.

4. Call the company switchboard

If you’ve found a potential customer that aligns with your ICP, you shouldn’t let anything stop you - including finding that prospect’s phone number!

If you know you want to target a specific company, SDRs can call a company’s switchboard.

If you explain who you’d like to speak to and, most importantly, why the gatekeeper can put you through. Of all the skills, getting past the gatekeeper certainly falls high on the list of sales rep wizardry. 🧙

While you shouldn’t be intimidated, it’s important to remember that gatekeepers are influential people within a business. They literally decide whether your cold call is going through or not.

They’re definitely the sort of people you want on side within target accounts.

Let’s talk about getting past those gatekeepers when you’re dialing the company switchboard. It’s an art, really, and here are some tricks that might just do the trick:

1. Be cool and friendly: “Hey there! I’m Sarah from Kaspr. Any chance you could help me get a hold of John?”
2. Act like you know the place: “Hey! Tom’s expecting my call about that project we discussed. Could you point me in his direction?”
3. Ask for their help: “I’m trying to find the right person to chat about IT security. Any idea who I should be talking to?”
4. Just be upfront: “Look, I’ll level with you. It’s a sales call, but I promise I’ll keep it quick. Can I borrow two minutes of Sarah’s time?”

5. Use a bulk phone finder

When you’re invested in building your lead lists, you might want to find phone numbers in bulk.

Bulk phone number finding tools can be essential here—as long as they provide accurate and verified information.

Some tools prioritize quantity over quality, so make sure you use a tool that values both.

Kaspr has over 500 million accurate, verified phone numbers and email addresses and is constantly checking to ensure the data is up-to-date. Create lists through platforms like LinkedIn Sales Navigator and then download the lists’ contact information in bulk.

With contact information associated with detailed lists, your sales reps can choose personalized lead generation strategies for each prospect to increase the chance of a sale. 

6. Use online directories

Online directories are a great way to find a specific prospect’s contact information.

For example, industry-based directories can often help you find prospects aligned with your ICP.

You can also use expansive tools like Kaspr that create databases of potential prospects with data pulled from multiple sources.

These prospect profiles include information like a prospect’s name, company, industry, job title, location, email address, and phone number(s).

Quickly get an idea of what the company is about and what they do there, so your sales reps will be ready with that personalized outreach. ⏱️

7. Google search operators

Have you ever wished you could make your Google searches a little more laser-focused?

You actually can with Google search operators.

These special characters and commands are unique search parameters that help you find exactly what you want. 

You can, for example, enter a prospect’s name and a specific site you want to search. This can make your search process fast and efficient to quickly grow your list (and your number of cold calls). 

8. Look for personal sites and online resumes 

Want to sell to consultants or founders of small companies? There’s a good chance that you can find their personal business website, which may have their phone number listed.

And if you want to reach employees at larger companies, look at online resumes. Some people post their resumes on online directories or job search sites so recruiters can reach out at any point.

In many cases, these resumes will have their phone numbers, job histories and responsibilities laid out clear as day.

You might be looking at a slightly dated resume, and they may be at a new company or a new position, but this can still give you a great starting point. Especially if you already know the lead, you want to connect with and just need to find their digits. 

9. Just ask them

We’re about to blow your mind with this tip. It’s a traditional method that may be almost extreme by today’s standards.

But if you’ve identified a prospect and can’t find their phone number through any other method, reach out however you can.

That may be a LinkedIn request or an email. Whatever works.

Let them know that you think you could solve some of their problems and that you’d love to speak with them about how they can do this. Ask if you can get their phone number and set up a time for a call.

If you can leverage the value you offer and make it relevant to their needs and pain points, there’s a good chance they’ll say yes, sharing their number and a suitable time to talk.

Effective follow-up strategies

Follow-ups are where the magic happens in sales. According to the Cognism cold-calling report, three dials are the optimal number to have the best chance of connecting with a lead. 

Don’t be that SDR!

So, you’ve had your first chat. Great! Now what? Strike while the iron’s hot. Send a quick thank-you email the same day, recapping what you discussed. But don’t stop there. If you hear crickets, here’s a dialer-heavy cadence. 👇

Here’s the secret sauce: make each follow-up count.

Don’t just be like, “So, ready to buy yet?”

Instead, try something like:

“Hey Sarah, 

Remember we talked about your inventory headaches? I stumbled across this article that might help. 

Got 15 minutes this week to chat about how we could put this into action for you?”

Mix it up with emails and calls, and maybe even try your luck with a WhatsApp message. But remember, nobody likes a pest. If you’ve reached out 5-7 times and got nothing, it might be time for the “it’s not you, it’s me” breakup:

“Hi Tom, 

I get it—you’re swamped, and we’re probably not at the top of your list right now. I’ll stop bugging you, but give me a shout if things change. 

I’m always here if you need a hand.”

Stick with it, be smart about it, and you’ll soon turn those maybes into yeses. Remember, things change, and just because someone isn’t ready to buy right now means they never will be. That’s why leading with value wins out.

FAQs about getting phone numbers for cold calling

Do you still have questions about finding prospects’ phone numbers? Check out our answers! 👇

Is cold calling illegal?

No, cold calling isn’t illegal in B2B. However, the rules are generally stricter for cold-calling consumers. It’s important to remain respectful, as prospects sometimes get startled by unsolicited calls; emotions can naturally run high.

What are the steps to build a cold call list?

When you want to build a cold call list, follow these steps:

1. Set goals for how many prospects you want to add to the list.
2. Define what type of prospects you want to reach; is it a broad list, or are you looking for a certain ICP?
3. Use automated prospecting tools to identify potential customers and collect their contact information.
4. Manually search for information that you weren’t able to find. 

Where do people get numbers to cold call?

SDRs may find prospect phone numbers in various ways, but the most effective method is to use prospecting tools like Kaspr to find users’ contact information.

Use Kaspr to find phone numbers for a single specific lead, or use the list-building tools to download phone numbers of an entire list in bulk. 

What data should be included in cold call lists?

Cold call lists should include the following data for each prospect:

• Name.
• Contact information.
• Company.
• Company information.
• Job title.
  
  

Click for phone numbers that actually ring. 👇📞

How do you get phone numbers for cold calling free?

It is hard to imagine getting phone numbers for cold calling without paying a lot, and getting them for free is nearly out of this world.

👉 Get started free with Kaspr to access B2B phone numbers and unlimited email addresses.

Kaspr enriches contact data while you browse LinkedIn profiles. You can also enrich in bulk on Sales Navigator, Recruiter Lite, or the LinkedIn search results. Use the Chrome Extension to add your leads to a list and manage them in the web app.

What are the best practices for verifying phone numbers?

Here are the key steps to ensure phone number accuracy:

• Validate number authenticity through automated verification tools.
• Cross-reference country code with the user’s IP location.
• Implement One-Time PIN (OTP) verification.
• Keep numbers editable throughout the process.
• Use multiple verification channels as a backup.
• Verify cell phone and landline numbers differently, as they have unique capabilities.
• Allow users to correct any input mistakes rather than starting over.

This multi-step approach helps ensure you’re collecting and working with valid, accessible phone numbers. Or you could use a data enrichment tool like Kaspr to automate this process and automatically enrich your CRM.

How can I build a cold calling list effectively?

Here are the key steps to build an effective cold-calling list:

1. Create a clear customer profile.
2. Focus on quality over quantity of leads.
3. Prioritize direct dial numbers to save time reaching decision-makers.
4. Join industry associations to connect with decision-makers.
5. Keep your list updated regularly (data becomes outdated quickly).
6. Include only verified, accurate contact information.
7. Track interactions and remove unqualified leads.
8. Consider using affiliate partners for lead generation.
9. Ensure compliance with telemarketing regulations.

Building a quality list is crucial for sales success—the better your list, the more effective your outreach will be.

What are the ethical considerations in cold calling?

Yes. Cold calling is ethical when you aim to help prospects rather than just push for sales. The key is understanding your prospects’ pain points and ensuring your solution addresses their needs. Instead of treating people as just another name on your list, position yourself as a trusted advisor who helps make informed decisions.

Ethical cold calling means being transparent about who you are, respecting prospects’ time, and avoiding deceptive or high-pressure tactics. It’s crucial to do your research beforehand and accept when someone isn’t interested. If you’re focused on providing genuine value and helping prospects solve real problems rather than just closing deals, your cold-calling practice stays on the right side of ethics.

Remember: The goal is to build a relationship and add value, not just make a sale.

Legal considerations [2024 update]

Cold calling remains legal under GDPR and CCPA but requires careful compliance with data protection regulations. Under GDPR, organizations need a “legitimate interest” to contact prospects and ensure proper data handling. Similarly, CCPA grants individuals rights over their data usage.

Under UK-specific regulations, you can make calls without prior consent if the number isn’t listed on the TPS (the UK’s Do Not Call register) and the person hasn’t previously objected. However, all calls must be “fair” and not cause unjustified harm.

Non-compliance with GDPR can result in fines of up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover, whichever is higher.

Get phone numbers for cold calling now

If you want to get more prospect phone numbers, Kaspr can help. 💪

Use Kaspr’s LinkedIn Chrome Extension to view a prospect’s phone number and email while viewing their LinkedIn profile. You can also export phone numbers in bulk from lists created on LinkedIn or Sales Navigator through Kaspr.

Get selling from day one, sign up now. 👇