In B2B sales, reaching the right decision makers is often the biggest challenge. Especially in the manufacturing sector, organizational structures can be complex and contact information isn’t always easy to find.
This guide shows you different ways to identify and connect with the people who actually influence purchasing decisions. From using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, to checking company websites, to more advanced tools.
Tutorial 1: Find business decision-makers on LinkedIn Sales Navigator (paid)
1. Open LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Set up your preferences for job functions, seniority levels, and company sizes that match your ideal customer.
2. Enter the company name
Type in the target company and activate Apply your sales preferences.
3. Use advanced lead search
Filter by job title, department, or company headcount (e.g., CEOs at smaller firms, Engineering Managers, or Procurement Directors at larger manufacturers).
4. Save and engage
Browse suggested profiles, send InMails, or save contacts to your lead lists. This way you build a pipeline of business decision-makers within your target companies.
Tutorial 2: Find business contacts on company websites (free)
1. Visit the company website
Go to the official site of your target manufacturer.
2. Check key sections
Look at Contact Us, About Us, Careers, or Press Releases. These pages often contain direct emails, phone numbers, or at least names and roles of relevant managers.
3. Identify names and roles
If you can’t find direct emails, look for names and job titles that you can later match with LinkedIn or a tool like SalesPort to enrich the data.
4. Save the details
Store the information in your CRM or outreach list. Even if you don’t get the email right away, you’ve identified potential decision-makers to target.
Tutorial 3: Extension with direct contact data using SalesPort (fastest & free)
Let’s take the website trumpf.com as an example. Here’s how research works with SalesPort:
1. Open the extension
Go to the company website and activate the SalesPort Extension. You will see the bottom navigation bar.
2. Switch to Contact Finder in the bottom nav bar
Tap the search icon in the bottom nav bar to open Contact Finder.
3. Use keyword search before revealing
Type a relevant keyword in the search field to narrow results before you reveal any contact. Examples: Robotics, Machine tools, CNC, Additive manufacturing, Automation, Laser, R&D. This search runs within the first 100 contacts shown. It doesn’t use up credits unless you click on Load more.
4. Filter by the right criteria
Use the filters in Contact Finder to refine by:
Country: for example Germany
Department: for example Engineering
Seniority level: Head, Director, or Manager
5. Refine again with keyword search before reveal
Before revealing contact details, you can further refine by entering additional keywords such as Robotics, Machine tools, CNC, or R&D to narrow down the list even more.
6. Select the right contact and reveal details
Click a contact to open the profile card, then reveal and copy the verified email and other details, or add the contact to your list.
Why SalesPort is unbeatable for manufacturing sales
Time-saving: Instead of researching for hours, you have the key decision makers in front of you in seconds.
Precise: Thanks to filters by country, department, and seniority, you reach exactly the target group that matters.
Efficient: Whether in Engineering, Robotics, or R&D, you identify the people who actually make decisions.
👉 Get the free SalesPort Extension now and try it yourself.
FAQ: Finding leads in companies
1. How do I find leads in a company?
You can research team pages, LinkedIn, or Google. The most efficient way, however, is with tools like SalesPort, which gives you the relevant contacts instantly. For more general strategies, check out our blog article: How to find the decision maker in a company.
2. Where do I find Contact Finder in the extension?
Open the SalesPort Extension, then use the bottom nav bar and tap the search icon to switch to Contact Finder.
3. Can I search by keywords like "Robotics" or "Laser"?
Yes. Enter keywords in the search field in Contact Finder before revealing to narrow results to specific topics or technologies.
4. What job titles are typical for decision makers?
Common titles are Head of Engineering, R&D Director, VP Manufacturing, Production Manager, or Head of Procurement.
5. Is there a list of decision makers in a company?
Public lists are rare. With SalesPort, however, you can generate a filtered overview of all relevant contacts in a company.
6. Who are the key decision makers in B2B?
Key decision makers are the people responsible for budgets and purchasing decisions. Depending on the company, these can be Managers, Directors, or C-level executives.
7. Is it legal to find decision maker emails?
Yes, as long as you comply with GDPR and use the contacts for legitimate B2B communication. SalesPort only provides verified business contacts.
8. Does SalesPort work better than Google or LinkedIn?
Yes, because SalesPort combines all steps in one extension. Instead of switching between platforms, you get decision makers with contact details in seconds.
