Many professionals in the import and export industry fall into a common trap: sending hundreds of cold emails every day, only to receive few, if any, replies. The real issue isn’t the quantity of emails—it’s the lack of precise customer contact information, especially for key decision-makers like purchasing managers.

Once you identify the right contact person, your development efforts become significantly more effective.

Directly obtaining customer contact details and reaching out to procurement decision-makers brings multiple benefits:

📈 Higher Profit Margins: For example, an Italian lighting company bypassed intermediaries and directly supplied products to hotel chains. As a result, their profit margin increased from 12% to 28%.

🔁 Stronger Client Loyalty: Suppliers who solve real customer pain points enjoy a repeat customer rate that’s 3 times higher than the industry average.

In short: Accurately getting customer contact information, targeting the right people, and avoiding detours means higher efficiency and greater profit.

Methods I Use to Dig Deep and Identify Key Contacts in a Company:

Method 1: Trade Data Search – Fastest and Most Efficient

Platforms like Tendata offer comprehensive trade data. Simply enter the company name, click on the target company, and you'll find a variety of customer contact information.

Tendata provides not only the company’s official contact details (phone, email, social media, etc.) but also direct contacts for decision-makers, including CEOs, Directors, and Sales Managers—all accessible with one click.

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Method 2: Company Website Research

A company’s official website is a treasure trove of basic information and a great place to get customer contact information quickly.

Visit the “Contact Us” page to find general emails like info@ or sales@, and combine this with details from the “About Us” or team pages to identify key personnel.

📌 Pro Tips:

Can't find the purchasing email? Politely ask to have your email forwarded to the procurement department.

Use names from the website and standard email formats to guess direct emails.

Common departmental email formats:

·Sales: sales@companydomain.com

·Support: support@companydomain.com

·Executives: ceo@companydomain.com or initials@companydomain.com (e.g., jackma@alibaba.com)

Method 3: Google Advanced Search Commands

Google’s advanced search techniques can help uncover hidden or less obvious email addresses, making it easier to get customer contact information.

🔍 Search Examples:

·"Company Name" "@companydomain.com" email

·"Product Keyword" "@gmail.com" OR "@hotmail.com"

·site:companywebsite.com email (to search for emails within a specific site)

⚠️ Tips:

Use quotation marks (“”) to lock keywords and filter noise.

If Google blocks you, use incognito mode (Ctrl+Shift+N).

In countries like Russia, customers often use local search engines like Yandex, which is a great alternative for finding company sites and emails in regions like Ukraine, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and more.

Titles to Search for Based on Your Target Audience:

1. For Owners, Executives, and General Managers:

CEO, President, Managing Director, General Manager, Director, Executive Director, Chairman, COO, CFO, CMO, Owner, Vice President, CTO, CIO, CHRO, CLO, CRO, CCO, CSO, CINO, Chief Diversity Officer.

2. For Procurement and Purchasing Roles:

Purchasing Manager, Procurement Manager, Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), Buyer, Purchasing Agent, Supply Chain Manager, Category Manager, Vendor Manager, Sourcing Manager, Contract Manager, Director of Procurement, VP of Purchasing, Global Sourcing Manager, Senior Procurement Specialist, Head of Strategic Sourcing, Procurement Director of Operations, Chief Supply Chain Officer, VP of Supply Management, Senior Category Buyer, Global Procurement Director.

3. For Technical Leadership:

CTO, CIO, Director of Engineering, Director of Technology, Engineering Manager, Technical Director, IT Manager, Software Development Manager, Head of IT Operations, Systems Architect, CPO (Chief Product Officer), R&D Director, CDO (Chief Data Officer), Technical Lead, VP of Engineering.

With these titles, you can target and get the right customer contact information based on your specific business needs.

Method 4: Leverage Social Media Platforms

·LinkedIn: Search for the target company page, filter roles like "Purchasing Manager" or "Procurement Director", and check for contact information or send a direct message.

·Facebook: Some companies publish their emails or contact details on their page—don’t overlook this channel.

Method 5: Use Trade Show Directories

Many industry trade show websites list exhibitors or buyer contact info—making it a powerful tool to obtain client contact details.

How to Do It:

·Google: “industry keyword + trade show 2025” (e.g., “LED lighting trade show 2025”)

·Visit the trade fair website and locate the “Exhibitor List”

·Click through to company websites and visit their “Contact Us” pages

·If emails are not listed, use the earlier Google command method

Final Thoughts

Getting customer contact information is not just the beginning of marketing—it's often the key to unlocking real business opportunities.

While others are still blindly writing "Dear Sir/Madam", you're already addressing the purchasing director by name and having meaningful conversations.

Information asymmetry is your competitive advantage. Those who know how to find the right people are the ones who close real deals.