Ever spent hours googling, scrolling LinkedIn, or scraping company websites just to find the right person to email? Yeah, it’s a pain. If you’re in sales, recruiting, or even just networking, you know the hardest part is getting past generic contact forms and finding the actual decision makers. That’s where Snov’s domain search tool comes in handy. But here’s the thing: tools like this are only as good as your workflow. Let’s cut through the noise and get straight to the point—how to use Snov to find real people you can actually contact at companies you care about.
Step 1: Set Up Your Snov Account and Understand the Limits
First things first: you’ll need a Snov account. The free plan lets you poke around, but you’ll hit limits quickly if you’re serious about prospecting.
- Sign up: Basic sign-up is painless—just an email and password.
- Credits matter: Every search and email you find burns through your monthly credits. Don’t waste them on broad or random searches.
- Paid plans: If you’re doing this regularly, expect to pay. The free tier is tight.
Pro tip: Ignore the features you don’t need, at least for now—Snov has a bunch of email drip and automation tools, but if your goal is simply to find decision makers, stick to the basics.
Step 2: Identify the Domain You Care About
You need to know the company’s website domain (like company.com). That’s what Snov uses to pull employee data.
- How to get the domain?
- Most companies use their main website (not a landing page or product subdomain).
- For big companies with multiple domains, pick the one tied to the HQ or main brand.
- Don’t guess. If you’re not sure about the right domain, check the company’s LinkedIn or official website footer.
What doesn’t work: Plugging in vague keywords or company names without the domain. Snov isn’t a search engine—it needs the actual domain.
Step 3: Use Snov’s Domain Search
Now for the main event. Here’s how to actually run a search:
- Navigate to Domain Search: Log into Snov, and find "Domain Search" in the left menu.
- Enter the domain: Type the company’s domain (e.g.,
stripe.com) and hit search. - Review the results: You’ll see a list of people with names, job titles, and email addresses (sometimes partial, sometimes verified).
What you’ll see: - Names and job titles: Usually includes C-level, VP, Director, and sometimes mid-level managers. - Email addresses: Some are fully revealed; others are hidden until you use a credit to unlock them. - Social links: Sometimes you get a LinkedIn profile or Twitter handle—nice to have, but not always there.
Reality check: Snov’s data is decent, but not perfect. Smaller companies might have only one or two contacts. Big enterprises could have dozens, but not always the exact person you want.
Step 4: Filter and Zero In on Decision Makers
This is where most people waste time—they just grab any email and blast away. Don’t do that.
- Job titles to look for:
- For sales: CEO, CTO, Head of [Department], VP of [Function], Directors.
- For recruiting: HR/People Ops, Engineering Manager, Team Leads.
- Ignore: Generic emails like info@ or support@. These rarely get to the right person.
- Use filters: Snov lets you filter by department, seniority, etc. Use these to avoid sifting through interns or entry-level staff.
Pro tip: If you can’t find the exact title, go up a level. Directors and VPs often have hiring power or budget authority.
Step 5: Verify Email Addresses Before Reaching Out
Here’s where most people trip up: sending emails that bounce or go straight to spam. Snov claims to verify emails, but don’t blindly trust it.
- Check the verification status: Snov flags emails as "valid," "risk," or "unknown."
- Green is good: Prioritize “valid” emails. Anything else—proceed with caution.
- Double-check if critical: For big deals, consider running the email through another verifier (like Hunter or NeverBounce).
What doesn’t work: Don’t waste credits unlocking every email. Focus on the highest-value targets with clear job titles.
Step 6: Export and Organize Your List
You don’t want to work inside Snov forever. Export your results so you can work your own process.
- Export options: Snov lets you export to CSV. From there, upload to your CRM, Google Sheets, or wherever you track outreach.
- Keep it tidy: Note down job titles, LinkedIn URLs, and verification status. Remove duplicates and generic emails.
Pro tip: Add a column for “reason to contact”—before you start blasting emails, know why you’re reaching out to each person.
Step 7: Reach Out—But Don’t Spam
You’ve got names and emails. Now what? The temptation is to send the same message to everyone. Resist it.
- Personalize every message: Reference something specific about the company or the person’s role.
- Be brief: Decision makers get a ton of cold emails. Get to the point fast.
- Follow up, but don’t be a pest: One reminder after a week is fine. More than that is just noise.
What to ignore: Don’t expect magic. Even with good data, most cold emails get ignored. That’s normal. The point is to increase your odds, not guarantee results.
Honest Pros and Cons of Snov for Finding Decision Makers
What works: - Fast way to pull up lists of real people at most companies. - Usually finds at least one or two decision makers for mid-sized firms. - Cheaper and simpler than hiring a data research firm.
What doesn’t: - Data can be stale, especially for fast-growing or high-turnover companies. - Missing info for tiny startups or very new companies. - Sometimes, you’ll get role mismatches or outdated titles.
Ignore the hype: No tool has a magic list of every decision maker at every company. Snov is a shortcut, not a silver bullet.
Some Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Blasting generic emails to everyone you find.
- Assuming every email is current or will reach the right person.
- Wasting credits on companies outside your ideal customer profile.
- Skipping LinkedIn or web research—Snov is a start, not the end.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Getting to real decision makers isn’t rocket science, but it’s not magic either. Use Snov’s domain search as a time-saver, not a crutch. Focus on quality over quantity, verify your info, and tailor your outreach. If something doesn’t work, tweak your process and try again. The best approach is the one you actually use—so keep it simple and stick with what gets you results.