If you want to know more about a company’s working domain, customers, financial health, and market reputation, simply going to their website might not help. In such cases, you must dig a little deeper and conduct more research. But, it’s not as easy as it sounds. If you don’t know where to start, trying to uncover information about a company may seem like a daunting task. This is why this article will discuss the best way to get the information you need.
Why Source Company Information?
Before we list the best methods and tools you can use to get the right company information, you have to understand why it’s necessary. If you want to pitch an organization but don’t know anything about them, it’d be similar to taking an exam without studying at all. If you don’t do the proper research, you will fail or settle for less. Before working together with any firm, you should be aware of its specifics, such as its business plan, number of workers, sales, revenue, and limitations. Once you do proper research, you will have more confidence about asking the right questions. And, if you don’t conduct prior research, you will just ask irrelevant questions. Or, worse, you’ll end up contacting the wrong people to begin with.
Where to Look for Company Information?
Researching a company can seem like a heavy task if you don’t know where to look. Below we have discussed some places you can start looking to get the right information.
1. Company Websites
Company websites are the best and the primary place you should start looking for when you research a particular organization. They feature tons of information, such as reports, press releases, and financial documents. You can go to the “About Us” section of the website and find the details you need. Researching the company website is often the very first step in gathering information about that organization. However, it is not always the most efficient. You must understand that companies always wish to look better for marketing or branding purposes. This method is one of the best if you just need some basic information about the company. However, if you want to dig deep, this method can turn out to be time-consuming. In such cases, let’s see what else you can do.
2. Social Media
Social media platforms are great places to find out more information about a company. These pages often feature details about what the organization does, what values they have, and if they have any vacancies. The companies’ social media profiles can tell you a lot about what kind of services and products they offer. Additionally, social media pages make it simple to find out about a company’s location, competition, and clients. If you wish to conduct free research, social media can provide excellent insights. The data you will be receiving will be reliable and of high quality. However, remember that the organization will not be 100% transparent on its profiles. Regardless, you can still learn a lot about the company’s number of followers, the level of their engagement, and the kind of users that engage with their content.
3. Employee Testimonials
Who can know better about a company than the person who works with it, right? If you want absolutely honest information about how a company is, current or ex-employees can help you gather it. There are several platforms on the internet, like Glassdoor, where you can find employee reviews and form your own opinion about how the organization might be. Employee testimonials or reviews can help you gather information companies will normally not reveal themselves. You can even find unflattering information, so it’s important to keep an open mind. However, before you ask employees about the company, make sure you trust them. Ask the opinions of close friends and family who you can trust. After conducting your research, share your findings with your network. Get the inside dirt on the corporate culture and job possibilities from people you know.
4. Directories and Yellow Pages
Another easy way to know about a company and its contact details is through directories, yellow pages, or a special Chrome Extension email finder. Companies often list themselves, so you have a high chance of finding what you are looking for if you’re patient enough. These websites feature several filter options that you can use to narrow down your search. Moreover, you can find a company based on a Zip code since several firms are now connected with Google Maps. Sometimes, you can even find more than just basic information and discover details like email address, contact details, address, and more. However, directories work best when you can independently verify the facts. Oftentimes, directories feature outdated information, even listing firms that are no longer in existence. You can take the help of directories to identify companies easily, but you have to make sure to verify that data. In such cases, the extensive database of companies from SignalHire can help. The data provided by this tool are verified by third-party services, so you can be sure that the information is up-to-date.
5. LinkedIn
LinkedIn has emerged as one of the top professional networking sites for discovering internships, work opportunities, professional connections, expanding your network, and expanding your business. People use this website to improve, learn about themselves, and see what their peers are up to. It is renowned for both the quantity and quality of its enormous B2B database. You can find out more about a company and keep updated on its ventures using LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great place to get information about a company, especially if you are trying to get hired by them. The platform often features contact numbers, email addresses for hiring managers, and listings for job openings. You can also find credible news and articles about the company through LinkedIn. Other than that, thanks to the massive database of LinkedIn, it will also be easy for you to locate information like email addresses and phone numbers.
6. Industry Journals
You can also learn a lot about a company through its publications and journals. Companies often need to release publications stating important data like their worth, the number of employees, and other such information. Using this data, you can know where a company is on its journey, its strategies, weak points, and more. This method works mostly when researching financial companies. You can know their influence on the local economy. Using this approach, you can also find the information you won’t normally find elsewhere. One downside of this method is that you will need the right skills to analyze and process the information.
7. Customer Service
The last resort is to contact the customer service team of the company you are trying to find information on. It is important to remember that companies have every right and incentive to offer information about themselves to ensure that their services and products stand out from the rest. Hence, you can just contact the customer support team and ask about details of the company.
Final Thoughts
Finding information about a company should not be a stand-alone thing that you do once and then never go back to anymore. It’s important to update your database periodically. The market is always evolving, and companies grow through major changes yearly. You must therefore have access to every piece of company information if you wish to collaborate with them or get recognized by them. In that pursuit, it is also important to learn more about the executives and decision-makers of the company to impress them. Before you acquaint yourself with them, you should know about their preferences and other details. The methods we listed above will help you to find the company information that you need before you can make a pitch to them. Using these tricks, you will learn more about any corporation’s employment procedures, pay scales, and business procedures.
