How to Find Business Phone Numbers for Sales Prospecting? 8 Best Ways

If you’re a B2B sales rep, the first thing you need to start cold calling your prospects is a list of business phone numbers.

But, getting your hands on reliable business phone numbers for a substantial list of prospects is easier said than done. A huge chunk of your prospects don’t make their contact details public for you to easily access. 

As a result, you waste prime selling hours simply searching for prospect business phone numbers and laying the groundwork to sell. Not to forget, if and when you do find contact details, there’s no way of knowing whether the phone numbers are reliable or direct dials. 

All in all, you lose valuable deals by not reaching the right prospect at the fright time. 

So, save yourself the time and effort, and check out the right methods and tools to find your prospect’s phone number in the shortest amount of time.

Here, we list down the 8 most effective ways to find business phone numbers to help you streamline your sales prospecting efforts and drive efficiency. 

1. Invest in a B2B Data Provider to Get Business Phone Numbers

A B2B data provider is a company that sells B2B data to other businesses. These companies essentially collate contact data from multiple sources and streamline it into useful databases. These databases are vast and contain virtually all important information on your prospect. This includes contact details, company details, industry-specific data, job titles, technographics, location, etc. 

Why are B2B data providers first on this list, you ask? Because these offer unparalleled convenience and accuracy. After all, these tools help you:

• Find business phone numbers for every prospect in a matter of seconds
• Organize your data for easy navigation
• Ensure all your business systems work with updated data

In short, B2B data providers manage it all for you. 

But, there are dozens of B2B data providers available in the market. So, which one should you go for? We’ll help you save time and effort foraging for the best one and give you the answer straight up- Prospect IQ by Klenty. 

Prospect IQ by Klenty is a B2B prospecting database platform that offers access to over 440 million contacts. Its waterfall data enrichment model allows it to enrich data from over 10 vendors, ensuring you work with nothing but the most accurate and reliable data. 

Key Features:

• Phone Finder: Get accurate phone numbers of prospects with just their email addresses and ṇdrive your cold calling rates.  
• 26+ Filters for Precise Targeting: Leverage multiple filters such as job title, revenue, technology and more to navigate your prospect list like a pro. You can also maintain your favorite filter views to access your most valuable prospects quickly.
• Comprehensive Account Insights: Simply feed in the domain name and get all relevant information on every account in one place.
• LinkedIn Prospector: Import LinkedIn URLs directly into your CRM with a single click. 
• Automatic CRM Updating: No manual work for you! With Prospect IQ, your CRM stays updated with the latest contact data at all times.
• Ensures Legal Compliance: Rely on data that is legally procured and meets global data privacy standards. 

Pricing:

Prospect IQ comes with flexible pricing plans to fit your specific prospecting efforts. Whether you need both phone and email data or just phone numbers, you can customize the pricing to pay for only what you need.

• Email: Starts at $40/month (billed annually) for 1000 email credits/month
• Phone: Starts at $40/month (billed annually) for 200 phone credits/month

Pros and Cons of Using Prospect IQ:

Pros:

• Get access to 700% more email and phone data over the average B2B data provider.
• Get highly verified business phone numbers to drive your cold calling success rate.
• Gain company hierarchy data to know who’s in your prospect’s company to successfully execute account-based prospecting.

Cons of Prospect IQ:

• Prospect IQ is not for sales teams who just need a generic list of prospects bunched together. Rather, Prospect IQ is well-suited for you if your workflow starts with identifying ICP accounts within your target market and the right stakeholders within accounts. 
• Prospect IQ’s pricing model is designed for businesses looking to have a strategic advantage with top-tier data insights. So, you might need to carefully consider your budget.

2. Use Online Directories

Online directories are virtual databases that offer you access to the contact details of businesses and individuals. You can leverage these to find your prospect’s business phone numbers by simply typing in their name, company details and the like. 

Platforms such as Whitepages allow you to search business phone numbers for free with just the name and the location. However, if you sign up for its premium or business subscription, you get access to additional features such as address histories, and information on when is the best time to call your prospect. 

Pros and Cons of Using Online Directories:

Pros:

• Offers access to a variety of information
• Get paid as well as free access

Cons:

• Might not offer all essential information in its free version
• No strict verification process, so you run the risk of getting obsolete or inaccurate data

3. Check Social Media 

Social media platforms are a treasure trove of data if you know where to look. Find phone numbers for business professionals on the following social media platforms:

• LinkedIn

If your karma points are brimming, you might only need to click on ‘Contact info’ on your prospect’s LinkedIn profile to find their phone number. But, most people don’t have their phone numbers publicly available on LinkedIn, so you can try emailing them to find their contact number.

• Instagram

Chances are your prospect hasn’t shared their phone number in their Instagram bio. In this case, navigate to the “contact” tab on their profile. If that’s a bust too, check if they’ve mentioned any other social media profile link in their bio or a post. Check out that platform as well. 

And if all else fails, simply direct message them on Instagram and let them know you want to connect with them.

• Facebook

Search your prospect’s name in the search bar once you’ve logged into your Facebook account. Based on that, you’ll get a list of profiles. Once you click on your prospect’s profile, navigate to the “About” section under their profile picture and click on “Contact and basic info.”

Unless your prospect has hidden their contact details, you should be able to see their phone number here. Other than this, consider messaging your prospect on Facebook to connect with them.

• X (Formerly Twitter)

This micro blogging is used by 67% of B2B marketers as a digital marketing tool. So, chances are your prospect is on it—it's just a matter of how to find their business phone number.  

Since user contact data is not publicly displayed on X, you might have a tough time finding business phone numbers here. Nonetheless, check out your prospect’s bio for leads. They might have shared a link to other social media profiles or websites where you might find their contact information. 

If that doesn’t work, be upfront and drop them a private message asking them to connect with you.

Pros and Cons of Using Social Media Platforms:

Pros:

• No location boundaries
• Free to access

Cons:

• Has a low chance of offering contact information 
• Time consuming

4. Try People Search Engines 

People search engines help you find business phone numbers and much more. With just their name, you can discover valuable information such as contact details, current address, past address, employment history, social media accounts, etc.  

You can use people search engines like BeenVerified and enter your prospect’s first name and last name before hitting “search.” The tool will then comb through billions of data points across multiple public records and databases to prepare a detailed report on your prospect. 

While you can use some of these platforms for free, their paid subscription allows you access to additional information such as background reports and offers services such as email and address lookup. These can be a big help when curating personalized pitches. 

Pros and Cons of Using People Search Engines:

Pros:

• Easy to access and use
• Give you access to a massive database

Cons:

• Might offer obsolete or inaccurate information
• Time consuming

5. Visit Company Websites 

Business websites usually list all pertinent information about the company, including its contact details. Here is how to leverage your prospect’s company’s website.

• Ring up The Office Number

Navigate to the “Contact Us” section on the website and you should be rewarded with a phone number.  Smile and dial the company’s main line mentioned on the website. You’ll most probably get connected to the front desk, an office manager or an assistant. 

Request them to put you in contact with your prospect. If your prospect’s phone line is busy, ask for their number to contact them directly.

• Submit a Contact Form

Another way to go is by sharing your name, email and a short message on the “Contact Us” page, as shown above. Here, don’t beat around the bush. Instead, clearly mention why you’re reaching out and to whom in particular. Request your prospect’s phone number. 

The reason for this clarity is that most likely your message will be read by a customer support executive. Stating your purpose and need will allow them to address it quickly and save you time. 

Pros and Cons of Using Company Websites:

Pros:

• Updated and accurate contact information.
• Easy and free to access.

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer direct contact with the prospect.
• Some companies might not list their phone number and instead limit contact to messages on the website on email addresses.
• Can be highly time consuming and inefficient.

6. Outsource to Freelancers 

This is a great option if your plate is overflowing and you just can’t seem to find time to complete tasks on your to-do list. In such a case, why not outsource the task of gathering business phone numbers to a freelancer?

Websites like Upwork and Fiverr help you find individuals who are trained and experienced in B2B sales prospecting services. These freelancing professionals know exactly what to look for, and how to verify contact details. If you do decide to explore this option, keep the following in mind:

• Check out the freelancer’s experience and portfolio to understand their capabilities.
• Make sure you maintain complete clarity as to the freelancer’s responsibilities, tasks and goals.
• Analyze the reviews on the freelancer’s profile to gauge whether they’re a good fit. Do they meet deadlines? Are they easy to contact when hired? How satisfied are past customers with the freelancer’s work?
• Have a discussion with them about the tools they plan to leverage to collect business phone numbers. 

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing to Freelancers:

Pros:

• Saves time and human resources otherwise required to engage in finding business phone numbers
• Hiring freelancers can be cost-effective 

Cons:

• Choosing the right freelancer can be highly time-consuming, as sales teams must analyze profiles, study reviews and experience before engaging one for the task.
• Sales teams might not get results immediately, as freelancers first need to understand the ideal buyer criteria and other specifications.

7. Check Email Signatures

If you’ve already made contact with your prospect and received a reply, revisit their email. Most professionals mention the following in their email signature:

• Name
• Designation
• Company
• Social media links
• Phone number
• Email address

Alternatively, if you haven’t received a reply from your prospect, check if your colleagues have had email conversations with them. Other teammates in your sales and marketing divisions might have the prospect’s phone number and just never uploaded the information to your CRM. 

Ask the teams to do a quick search, and you might just find the prospect’s accurate business number.

Pros and Cons of Leveraging Email Signatures:

Pros:

• Time-efficient.
• Accurate and updated contact information.

Cons:

• Requires prior contact with the prospect.
• Reps must involve other teams to check their records for the prospect’s contact information in case reps themselves haven’t had prior contact themselves.

8. Use Google’s Advanced Search Options

Google advanced search options allow you to refine your search much more than regular Google. By visiting www.google.com/advanced_search, you get access to multiple fields that will help the search engine narrow down its search and offer truly relevant results. These advanced search fields include:

• “All these words”: Results must include every word you enter.
• “This exact word or phrase”: Results must include the exact word or phrase you enter, and in the exact order.
• “Any of these words”: Results must include at least one of the words you enter.
• “None of these words”: Results must not include the words you enter. 
• “Numbers ranging from”: Results must include a number that falls between the numbers you enter.

You can feed in the required fields, and then engage filters to further narrow down your search. Some of these include:

• Language: Results must be in a specific language
• Region: Results must be pages published in a specific region of the world
• Last Update: Results must include pages that were updated within the time you select. 

Selecting such filters will allow Google to sift through results quicker and help you find business phone numbers more efficiently. 

Pros and Cons of Using Google’s Advanced Search Options:

Pros:

• Easy and free to access
• Helps narrow down the search

Cons:

• Time-consuming
• Risk of gaining inaccurate and obsolete information

Which Among These is the Best Way to Find Business Phone Numbers?

Depending on your budget, timeline, etc. you can choose to find business phone numbers through any of the methods we’ve mentioned above. However, keep 2 things in mind when deciding which route to take:

• Firstly, manual list building is not only a daunting affair, but a time-consuming one as well. Especially if your prospects are scattered across the globe. 
• Secondly, you need a method that promises you accurate business phone numbers. Otherwise, you’ll watch the clock tick away as you collect unreliable contacts and compromise your connect rates and meetings booked quota. 

So, if you’re looking for a sure shot way to boost your sales prospecting with reliable business phone numbers, a B2B data provider like Prospect IQ is your best bet. 

Here’s why Prospect IQ is the best way to find business phone numbers:

• Saves Time Wasted on Manual List Building: Generate highly targeted prospect lists instantly using Prospect IQ’s 26+ data filters.
• Save Money on Buying Lists from Multiple Vendors: Prospect IQ sources data from over 10 data vendors to ensure your prospect phone numbers and email addresses are verified. Get reliable prospect lists without breaking the bank.
• Engage Key Decision Makers from Good-Fit Accounts: Prospect IQ’s company hierarchy data allows you to learn exactly who to contact within your target account along with their verified phone numbers and email addresses. Execute account-based prospecting successfully.
• Reach Out Confidently Across Multiple Channels: Take a comprehensive approach to your prospecting efforts by getting access to not only your prospect’s phone numbers, but also their verified email addresses. No more worrying about reaching the wrong number or email bounces. 

In short, Prospect IQ manages all the background work of collating and enriching your business phone number database so that you can concentrate on what you do best—selling.

Book a demo to know more about how Prospect IQ helps you find business phone numbers.

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