Finding someone’s email address can be tricky, especially if you don’t already have a connection with them on LinkedIn. However, with some strategic searching and messaging, it is possible to obtain email addresses through LinkedIn in many cases. Here are some tips and approaches to try.
Make Use of LinkedIn’s Search Functions
LinkedIn has advanced search functions that allow you to search for specific keywords, job titles, companies, locations, schools, and more. Make use of these filters to narrow down your search results to the specific individual whose email you need to find. Search for their name, company, job title, school, geographic location, and any other details you may know. This will help surface their profile so you can then try to uncover their email.
Check Their Profile For An Email
Some LinkedIn users include their professional email address directly on their profile. Always thoroughly check the profile for an email listed in any of these locations:
– Contact info section
– Summary or background sections
– Recommendations they wrote for others
– Articles or posts they have written
If the email is listed publicly on their profile somewhere, this is the fastest and easiest way to find it.
Use Their Name Format Strategically
If no email is listed on their profile, your next step is to try guessing or figuring out their likely email address format. Most professional emails follow the structure of:
Or:
Or:
Knowing the person’s name and company, try inputting different permutations of their name into these email address formats. For example, if their name is John Smith and they work at CompanyX, some possibilities could include:
– [email protected]
– [email protected]
– [email protected]
Hopefully one of these educated guesses may lead you to figuring out the structure of their email address.
Check Their Company Website
Most company websites include a staff directory or list of employee email addresses. You can search “[Company name] email format” to try and find their email naming convention formats. If the company uses firstname.lastname@ or flastname@ formats, you can plug the person’s name into this format to generate their likely email address.
Some company sites even include searchable employee directories that let you input a name and pull up the person’s email. Explore the company’s site for any employee listings that may reveal their email.
Use Email Verification Tools
There are various online email verification tools and browser extensions you can use to plug in guessed email formats and validate if they are real, active email addresses. Some options to explore include:
– MailTester
– Email Checker Browser Extension
– ZeroBounce Email Verification
– MailboxValidator
Simply input the possible name permutations and company emails into these tools. If it shows the email is valid and active, you have successfully figured out the right email address.
Search Social Media
Check other social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook to see if the individual uses the same email address listed there. People often use the same or similar email addresses across multiple social platforms.
You can also try searching on social media by their name and company to see if their email is mentioned publicly in any posts, comments, or listings.
Messaging Strategies to Obtain Email
If you still have had no luck uncovering their email address through searching online, you can also try messaging the person directly through LinkedIn. Here are some tips for reaching out to obtain their email:
Send a LinkedIn Connection Request
One easy option is to simply send them a LinkedIn connection request. Include a customized message explaining why you would like to connect with them and ask them to please reply with their business email address.
Many people will include their email in the reply when accepting connection requests. So this can be an effective way to obtain their email while also establishing a new LinkedIn connection.
Use InMail to Message
With a LinkedIn premium account, you have access to send InMail messages to anyone on LinkedIn, even if you are not connected. Send them an InMail politely asking for their email address for professional reasons you describe.
Because InMail goes directly into their inbox and they can privately reply, many people will reply with their business email address provided the request seems professional and legitimate.
Comment on Their Posts
Scroll through their LinkedIn profile to check if they have made any recent posts or shared any articles. You can leave a comment on one of their posts politely asking them to contact you via email for a professional opportunity or discussion.
They can then reply to your comment with their email address without it being publicly visible to others.
Reply To Their Post
Similarly, you can make your own public post on LinkedIn and tag them in the post. When they receive the notification, they can reply directly to your post with their email address included but not publicly visible.
Let them know in the post you would like to discuss something professional via email. This public post tactic works well because they can privately reply with their email without having to necessarily accept your connection request first.
Third Party Tools
There are also specialized third-party tools and services some people use to try and uncover professional email addresses:
Email Extractors
Email extractors or email finders are sites designed to find email addresses associated with specific names and companies. They use a variety of search techniques, databases, and verification processes to associate email addresses with individuals.
Some options to explore include RocketReach, VoilaNorbert, or FindThat.email. Simply input the full name and company into these tools.
Email List Sales
There are some sites and providers that sell or provide access to curated lists and databases of professional email addresses, such as EmailListVerify and Exact Data Scraping Services. This is generally not recommended, and quality and legality can vary significantly.
Use extreme caution accessing any databases or lists being sold, as many were not obtained properly or ethically. Make sure proper permission and consent has been given.
Email Appending Services
Email appending services will connect or “append” an email address to specific records or customer data files, such as CRM and sales databases. They use various data sources and matching logic to attach emails to specific records.
This can be helpful if you already have a large CRM database of leads but need to fill in their email addresses. Email appending providers include Melissa, Datanyze, and ZoomInfo. However, you need access to large databases in order to utilize these types of professional services.
Conclusion
Finding someone’s professional email address through LinkedIn takes some detective work, persistence, and creativity. Make use of LinkedIn’s advanced search features, check their profile thoroughly, use name formats strategically, verify through email tools, and message them politely. Avoid anything unethical or illegal at all times. With the right mix of public searching, messaging, tools, and services, obtaining valid email addresses is possible in many scenarios.
