1. Hunter
Free trial
Hunter.io is an email-finding and verification tool that helps businesses discover and verify professional email addresses for lead generation and outreach.
It is widely used by sales teams, recruiters, and marketers to connect with decision-makers through accurate and verified contact details.
The Starter Plan costs $49 per month, offering 500 searches and 1,000 verifications, while a free plan provides 25 searches and 50 verifications per month.
2. Apollo
Free trial
Apollo.io is a sales intelligence and engagement platform that helps businesses find leads, enrich contact data, and automate outreach.
It is popular among sales and marketing teams for its extensive database, email verification, and automated workflow features.
The Basic Plan is free with limited searches, while the Starter Plan costs $49 per month, offering unlimited email credits and 200 mobile credits.
3. Snov
Free trial
Snov.io is an all-in-one cold outreach and lead generation platform that helps businesses find, verify, and automate email campaigns.
It is widely used by sales and marketing teams for email prospecting, automation, and CRM integration.
The Smallest Plan starts at $39 per month, including 1,000 credits for email searches and verifications, plus 5,000 email recipients per month.
4. Instantly
Free trial
Instantly.ai is an AI-powered cold email automation tool designed to help businesses scale their outbound sales with high deliverability and automation features.
It enables users to find leads, personalize emails, and automate follow-ups for better engagement and conversions.
The Basic Plan starts at $37 per month, allowing unlimited email sending accounts and AI-driven campaign optimization.
5. RocketReach
Free trial
RocketReach is a contact discovery platform that helps businesses find verified email addresses, phone numbers, and social media profiles of professionals worldwide.
It is widely used by sales teams, recruiters, and marketers to connect with key decision-makers and expand their outreach efforts.
The Essentials Plan starts at $53 per month, providing 80 lookups per month and access to verified contact information.
6. Lusha
Free trial
Lusha is a B2B contact intelligence platform that helps businesses find and verify professional email addresses, phone numbers, and company details.
It is widely used by sales and marketing teams to connect with key decision-makers and improve lead generation.
The Pro Plan starts at $39 per month, offering 480 credits per year for contact lookups and integrations with CRM tools.
Information about the industry
Reaching the right person is one of the most important steps in international sales. Instead of sending emails to generic addresses like info@ or contact@, exporters should connect directly with key decision-makers who have the authority to make purchasing decisions. Contact discovery tools help businesses find verified email addresses and phone numbers of company executives, making communication more direct and effective. This increases the chances of getting a response and building valuable business relationships.
Email automation further improves outreach efforts by allowing exporters to send personalized messages at scale. Instead of manually sending hundreds of emails, businesses can automate follow-ups, track responses, and optimize their messaging for better results. By combining verified contact discovery with email automation, exporters can save time, increase efficiency, and improve their chances of securing international deals.
What is contact discovery in exporting?
Contact discovery is the process of finding the right people to reach out to within a company. It helps exporters connect with decision-makers, such as purchasing managers, business owners, or importers, instead of wasting time on generic company emails.
Why is it important to find direct contact details of decision-makers?
Reaching out to the right person increases the chances of getting a response. Generic company emails are often ignored, but personalized emails sent to decision-makers can lead to faster business deals.
How can I find email addresses and phone numbers of potential buyers?
Business directories and company websites
Professional networking platforms
Industry trade fairs and business events
Email-finding tools that verify and extract contact details
What is email automation, and how does it help exporters?
Email automation allows exporters to send bulk emails to potential buyers without manually typing each message. It helps save time, follow up automatically, and improve response rates with personalized outreach.
How can I personalize cold emails to increase replies?
Use the recipient’s name and company name
Mention a specific product or need they might have
Keep the email short, clear, and professional
Include a call to action, like requesting a meeting or sending product details
How do I avoid my emails going to spam?
Ensure your email content is not overly promotional, avoid too many links, and use a verified email address. Warming up your email account and maintaining a good sender reputation also help improve deliverability.
What’s the best way to follow up with potential buyers?
Follow up with a polite reminder after a few days if there is no response. A good follow-up sequence includes:
First email: Initial introduction and product offer
Second email: Reminder with additional value (pricing, testimonials)
Third email: Last follow-up, asking if they are interested or need more information
Is cold emailing legal?
Cold emailing is legal in most countries if done correctly. Always comply with data protection regulations, include an unsubscribe option, and avoid spammy practices.
What’s the difference between a verified and an unverified email address?
A verified email address has been checked for accuracy and is less likely to bounce. Unverified emails may be outdated or incorrect, leading to higher bounce rates and email delivery issues.
Can I use email automation for follow-ups?
Yes, email automation tools allow you to schedule follow-ups, track responses, and send reminders automatically. This ensures you don’t miss potential sales opportunities.
How do I track the performance of my email outreach?
Use email tracking tools to monitor open rates, click-through rates, and responses. If your emails are not being opened, you may need to adjust the subject lines or sending times.
What should I include in my first email to a potential buyer?
A clear introduction of who you are and what you offer
Your contact details and company website
How your products can benefit their business
A request for a quick call or reply to discuss further
How many emails should I send before stopping?
It’s best to send 2-3 follow-ups before moving on. If a contact does not respond after several attempts, they may not be interested or available at the moment.
What are the benefits of automating my email outreach?
Saves time by sending bulk emails in minutes
Increases response rates with automated follow-ups
Helps track email performance and engagement
Reduces manual work and improves efficiency
Can I send bulk emails using my regular email provider?
Most standard email providers have sending limits. For large-scale email outreach, it’s better to use dedicated email marketing or sales automation tools.