If you’ve ever spent hours chasing down the “right person” at a company, only to end up stuck in a generic inbox or talking to someone with zero authority, you know how painful prospecting can be. This guide is for anyone—salespeople, founders, recruiters, consultants—who needs to get past the gatekeepers and actually reach decision makers. We’ll walk through how to use Findthatlead to do exactly that, minus the fluff.
Why Findthatlead? What It Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Let’s get one thing straight: Findthatlead won’t magically hand you a list of CEOs who are desperate to talk to you. It’s a tool that helps you find email addresses and social profiles for people at specific companies, based on public data. Used well, it can save you a ton of time and help you focus your outreach on the right humans.
But it’s not perfect. Sometimes you’ll get outdated info, or you’ll still have to do some manual digging. Automated tools like this are as good as the data feeding them—and the data’s never flawless. Still, if you want to stop guessing and start emailing real people, it’s a solid option.
Step 1: Get Clear on Who You Actually Want
Before you even open Findthatlead, decide exactly what type of “decision maker” you’re after. Not all decision makers have CEO in their title. Depending on what you sell (or do), you might want:
- Heads of Marketing
- CTOs or Heads of Product
- Operations Managers
- HR Directors
Pro Tip: Start specific. “Someone in charge of IT” is vague. “VP of IT at mid-size software companies in Germany” is actionable.
Write down your ideal job titles, company size, and industry. This will save you hours later.
Step 2: Set Up Your Findthatlead Account
Obvious, but don’t skip it. Go to their site, sign up, and pick a plan. The free version lets you poke around, but you’ll quickly hit limits if you’re serious.
What matters:
- You get a certain number of “credits” per month. Every lookup burns a credit.
- Chrome extension is handy (lets you grab leads from LinkedIn), but you can use the web dashboard if you’re not a Chrome fan.
Step 3: Use “Lead Search” the Right Way
This is the feature you’ll use 80% of the time. Here’s how to get the most out of it:
- Go to the Lead Search tab.
- Enter your target company domain (e.g.,
acme.com). - Add job titles you care about: e.g., “Head of Marketing,” “CTO,” “Operations Director.”
- Hit search.
Findthatlead will return a list of people with those titles (or similar ones) at the company, along with possible email addresses and sometimes LinkedIn profiles.
What works: - Use variations on titles (“VP Marketing,” “Marketing Director,” “Chief Marketing Officer”) to cast a wider net. - If you’re targeting smaller companies, you might only get one or two people. That’s normal—sometimes the founder is the head of everything.
What doesn’t: - Don’t expect perfect info for every company, especially tiny startups or companies outside North America/Europe. - Generic titles like “Manager” or “Executive” will return random folks who can’t help you.
Step 4: Try the “Prospector” Tool for Lists
If you want to build a list of decision makers across an industry (not just at one company), use the Prospector tool:
- Go to the Prospector tab.
- Filter by:
- Industry (as specific as possible)
- Company size (e.g., 51-200)
- Location (country, city, etc.)
- Job title (again, be precise)
- Set how many leads you want to pull.
You’ll get a downloadable CSV with names, emails, company info, and sometimes LinkedIn URLs.
Things to know: - The data’s only as good as public records and what Findthatlead can scrape. Expect to weed out some duds. - Double-check emails before mass emailing (more on this below).
Step 5: Validate, Don’t Just Blast
Here’s where most people blow it: They grab a list and start blasting emails. Don’t. First, double-check the data:
- Use Findthatlead’s built-in email verifier, or a third-party tool like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce.
- Cross-reference with LinkedIn, especially if it’s a high-value target. (Yes, this is tedious. Welcome to prospecting.)
- Look for company changes—people change jobs all the time.
Pro Tip: If you’re sending more than a handful of emails, always validate first. Nothing tanks your sender reputation faster than a bunch of bounces.
Step 6: Personalize Your Outreach (or You’re Wasting Your Time)
The fastest way to get ignored is to send a generic, obvious template. Use what you’ve learned:
- Mention something specific about their role or recent company news.
- Keep it short. Decision makers are busy.
- Don’t pretend you’re their best friend if you’re not. Be clear about why you’re reaching out.
Example:
Subject: Quick question about [their company]’s [relevant project or department]
Hi [Name],
I came across your profile while looking for [job title]s at [company]. Noticed you recently [something specific].
I help [similar companies] with [specific solution]. Would you be open to a quick call next week to see if this might be useful for you?
No need to overthink it. Just don’t be a robot.
Step 7: Track Replies and Keep Your List Fresh
- Use your CRM, a spreadsheet, or even a notebook—just track who you’ve contacted, when, and who actually replied.
- Clean your lists every few months. People move jobs, companies change, emails go stale.
- If someone replies “not interested,” thank them and move on. Don’t be the person who keeps hounding them.
What to Ignore (and What to Watch Out For)
- Don’t pay extra for “premium” data sources—most of the time, it’s the same stuff in a different skin.
- Don’t buy giant lists from random people online. They’re usually full of garbage or spam traps.
- Don’t automate your outreach until you’ve nailed your message and targeting. If you do, you’ll just get ignored faster.
Some companies use tricks to hide their employees’ emails or use weird naming conventions (like john.doe+marketing@company.com). If Findthatlead can’t find it, try guessing (first.last@domain.com, first@domain.com, etc.), but always verify before sending anything.
When Findthatlead Doesn’t Work
No tool is a magic bullet. Findthatlead is most useful if:
- The company has any public presence.
- You know roughly who you’re looking for.
- You’re willing to do a little manual digging.
It will struggle if:
- You’re targeting stealth startups, tiny businesses, or sectors that avoid public profiles.
- You want instant access to everyone, everywhere. (Nobody has that.)
In those cases, LinkedIn, company websites, and referrals are your friends.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Finding decision makers is always a mix of tools, hustle, and trial and error. Don’t get hung up on finding the “perfect” dataset or over-automating. Start with Findthatlead, get your first few leads, and see what works. Tweak your search, refine your message, and repeat.
Don’t let the quest for perfect data keep you from taking action. The best way to get better at finding (and connecting with) decision makers is to actually do it—and learn as you go.