Prospecting & Contact Data
How to Find the Right Contact at a Company
To find the right contact at a company, start with who owns the problem your product solves and who controls the spend, then look for that job function rather than a specific title. Titles vary widely between companies, so decision ownership is a more reliable guide than what someone's business card says.
Practical guide · Published September 20, 2026 · Written by Jeffrey Huis in 't Veld
Start with decision ownership
Three roles matter in most purchases: the person who owns the problem, the person who influences the decision and the person who controls the spend. They can be three different people, or one. For the reasoning behind this, see how to find the right decision-makers at target accounts. Decide which of the three your postcard is meant to reach before you start searching.
Search by function, not exact title
The same title can mean very different authority at a five-person company and a five-thousand-person one, and the same responsibility can appear under many titles. Search for what someone is responsible for, then use their actual title on the list, since that is what appears on the mailer. See job title vs. job function.
Adjust for company size
In small companies the owner or a founder often makes the decision directly. In mid-sized companies it usually sits with a department head. In large companies it may be a team lead, a director or a committee, and the person with the biggest title is often not the one who evaluates the product. Adjust the target role as company size changes.
Where to find names
Useful sources include the company's own team or leadership page, professional networking profiles, trade association member lists, conference speaker lists, press releases and your own CRM. Record the source and date for each name, because roles change quickly and you will want to know how old a record is.
Confirm before you add someone to the list
Check that the person is still in the role. Look for a recent source, such as a current profile or a recent announcement, and treat a name found only on an old page as unverified. Verification is covered in more detail in the guide to verifying prospect and contact data.
Frequently asked questions
Target the function, meaning what someone is responsible for. Use their exact title on the final list, since that is what appears on the mailer.
Often the owner or a founder, since they usually make purchasing decisions directly. In larger companies the right contact is more likely a department head or team lead.
You can mail a role at the company instead of a named individual. Named personalization is stronger where available, but a well-chosen role is still workable.
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