How to Stop Unwanted Sales Calls When You Run a Small Business

If you run a small business, you already know: the moment the world finds out you're a business owner, your phone starts ringing with people trying to sell you things you didn't ask for. SEO services. Merchant processing. "We noticed your Google listing could use some work." The list is endless.

I don't know about you, but I'm busy. I'm running a consulting business, serving clients, managing projects, and wearing about fourteen hats at any given time. The last thing I need is to spend twenty minutes a day fielding calls from people I've never met, pitching services I don't need.

For a while I just ignored them. Then I started politely declining. But recently, I started doing something different — I started asking them a simple question:

"Hey, I appreciate the call. But I'm curious — where did you get my information?"

And that's when things got interesting.

The Culprits Behind the Calls

Two names came up almost immediately. The first was Apollo.io, a B2B sales intelligence platform that maintains a massive database of business contacts. The second was Dun & Bradstreet, the old-guard data company that's been compiling business information for over a century.

These aren't shady operations working out of someone's basement. They're legitimate, well-funded companies whose entire business model revolves around collecting your information — your name, your phone number, your email, your company details — and selling access to salespeople who want to reach you.

And here's the thing: they're just the tip of the iceberg. Once I started digging, I found over a dozen platforms doing the exact same thing. Your data is sitting in databases you've never heard of, being sold to people you've never met, so they can interrupt your Tuesday afternoon with a pitch about website redesign services.

So I did what any frustrated small business owner would do. I researched every single one of these platforms and found out how to remove myself from all of them. And now I'm sharing that with you.

The Big List: Every Lead Generation Database (and How to Remove Yourself)

Below is every major lead generation and data broker platform I could find that may have your business information. For each one, I've included what they do, the direct link to opt out, and a quick note on what to expect during the process.

My advice? Block off 30–45 minutes, pour yourself a coffee, and knock these out in one sitting. Your future self will thank you.

Pro tip: Before you start, open a new text document and paste in your name, business name, email address, phone number, and mailing address. You'll be entering these repeatedly, so having them ready to copy-paste will save you time.

B2B Sales Intelligence Platforms

These are the heavy hitters — the platforms that salespeople actively use to find and contact business owners like you and me.

Apollo.io

One of the most popular B2B prospecting tools out there. They maintain a database of hundreds of millions of business contacts and sell access to sales teams. This is one of the two that came up when I asked callers where they found me.

Opt out here: Apollo.io Privacy Center

Submit your business email through their privacy center form. You'll get a verification email. Removal typically takes 24 hours to 10 business days. You can also email privacy@apollo.io directly.

ZoomInfo

A massive B2B data platform used by enterprise sales teams. If you've ever gotten a weirdly specific cold email that seems to know everything about your business, ZoomInfo may be the source.

Opt out here: ZoomInfo Remove Profile

Enter your email and phone number, verify with a confirmation code, then submit the removal form. If your email matches a profile, removal happens in about 24 hours. Otherwise, allow up to 14 days.

Lusha

A browser extension and platform that lets salespeople look up direct phone numbers and emails for business contacts. Very popular with SDR teams.

Opt out here: Lusha Request Removal

Fill out the removal form and confirm via email. You can also call 1-866-467-8688 (Service Code 2001#) or email support@lusha.com.

Seamless.AI

An AI-powered sales tool that helps reps find contact information in real time. They claim to have data on over 150 million businesses.

Opt out here: Seamless.AI Data Request

Look for "Do Not Sell My Information" in their site footer, or use the direct link above. You can also call 855-953-3265. Allow up to 30 calendar days for processing.

RocketReach

A prospecting platform that aggregates professional contact information from public sources, social profiles, and data partnerships.

Opt out here: RocketReach Remove Profile

Use the removal form and verify via email. You can also reach them at privacy@rocketreach.co or call +1 (833) 212-3828.

Hunter.io

Primarily an email finder tool. Type in a company domain and Hunter will surface associated email addresses. Simple but effective — and your email is probably in there.

Opt out here: Hunter.io Claim & Remove

Use the claim form or click "Do Not Sell My Info" on their site. Verify via email. Removal typically takes about 5 working days.

Cognism

A UK-based B2B data platform that's growing fast in the U.S. market. They provide phone-verified contact data to sales teams.

Opt out here: Cognism Data Opt-Out

Submit the form with your name, work email, and phone number. Allow up to 30 days for processing. Note: your data may reappear if it's found again through public sources.

SalesIntel

A B2B data provider that uses human researchers to verify contact information. They market themselves as having the most accurate data in the industry.

Opt out here: SalesIntel Opt-Out

Select "Delete/Do Not Sell My Data" as the request type and submit the form. Expect a response within 7 business days.

Lead411

A B2B sales prospecting tool that combines contact data with company "trigger events" like new funding rounds or leadership changes.

Opt out here: Lead411 Privacy Choices

Fill out the removal form on their privacy page. You may need to confirm via email.

UpLead

A B2B contact database that markets itself as a more affordable alternative to ZoomInfo. Over 85 million contacts in their system.

Opt out here: UpLead Opt-Out Request

Fill the form, select "Delete my Information," and verify ownership via email or SMS. Processing takes 24–48 hours. You can also email team@uplead.com.

LeadIQ

A LinkedIn-based prospecting tool that lets salespeople capture contact information as they browse LinkedIn profiles.

Opt out here: LeadIQ Request Removal

Submit the removal form. Typically processed within 24–48 hours, with full removal within 5 working days.

Clearbit (now part of HubSpot)

A data enrichment platform that was recently acquired by HubSpot. They take a basic email address and fill in everything else — name, company, title, social profiles, you name it.

Opt out here: HubSpot Privacy Preferences

Since the Clearbit acquisition, opt-out is handled through HubSpot's privacy preferences portal. Submit your info and verify via email.

Business Data Brokers & Directories

These are the companies that aggregate business data on a massive scale. Some have been around for decades. They don't just sell to individual salespeople — they sell bulk data to other companies, marketing firms, and yes, those annoying call centers.

Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)

The granddaddy of business data. D&B has been collecting business information since 1841. They provide business credit reports, executive contact info, and company data. This was the other one that came up when I asked a caller where they got my info.

Opt out here: D&B Manage Your Personal Data

Look for "Your Privacy Choices" or "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" in the footer. Complete the form. Allow 10–15 business days. You can also call 800-526-9018.

Data Axle (formerly InfoUSA / Infogroup / Data.com)

One of the largest data brokers in the country, operating under many names over the years. They maintain massive consumer and business databases used for direct mail, telemarketing, and digital advertising.

Opt out here: Data Axle Do Not Sell

Submit the form or email optout@data-axle.com. Fair warning: this one takes the longest — up to 6–8 weeks. Your data is "suppressed" rather than fully deleted, but it stops the sharing.

Crunchbase

Originally a startup database, Crunchbase now profiles millions of companies and their founders, executives, and key personnel. If you've ever raised funding or been featured in a press release, you're probably in here.

Opt out here: Crunchbase Do Not Sell

Fill out the opt-out form. Note: because Crunchbase is partly crowdsourced and pulls from public records, your data may reappear over time. You can also email support@crunchbase.com.

People Search Sites

These platforms blur the line between personal and business data. They aggregate everything they can find about you and make it searchable by anyone.

Spokeo

A people search engine that aggregates data from public records, social media, and commercial sources. Anyone can search for you and find your phone number, address, and business associations.

Opt out here: Spokeo Opt-Out

Search for your profile on Spokeo first, copy the URL of your listing, then submit it through the opt-out form with your email. Verify via email. Takes 24–48 hours. Important: if you have multiple listings, you need to opt out of each one individually.

BeenVerified

A people search platform that pulls personal and business contact information from public records and data partnerships.

Opt out here: Visit BeenVerified.com and scroll to the footer to find "Do Not Sell My Personal Information."

Search for your record, then submit the opt-out. Verify via email. Takes 24–72 hours. Like Spokeo, multiple profiles require individual removal.

Whitepages

The online version of the old phone book — except with way more data. Business listings, personal phone numbers, addresses, and more.

Opt out here: Visit Whitepages.com and look for the suppression request section.

Search for your listing, copy the profile URL, and submit a suppression request. You'll need to verify via an automated phone call. Removal takes about 24 hours, but data may reappear over time.

Pipl

A deep-web people search engine that aggregates information from public records, social media, and commercial databases to build detailed personal profiles.

Opt out here: Pipl Manage Your Information

Submit the online form with your name and email, or email privacy@pipl.com directly. Allow 14–30 business days for processing.

Don't Forget LinkedIn

I want to call this one out separately because it's a little different. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is one of the most-used prospecting tools out there, and technically your data isn't being "sold" — it's being surfaced through LinkedIn's own premium platform. But that doesn't mean you're helpless.

Go to your LinkedIn privacy settings, and under "Data Privacy," you can limit how your profile information is shared with third-party services and advertisers. You can also restrict who can see your email address and phone number. It won't stop Sales Navigator users from seeing your profile, but it does limit what contact information they can access.

The Nuclear Option: California's DELETE Act

If you're a California resident (or your business is based there), you have a powerful new tool at your disposal. The California DELETE Act created a centralized platform called DROP (Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform) that lets you submit a single deletion request to over 500 registered data brokers at once.

Submit a DELETE request here: California DROP Platform

Submit one request and it reaches 500+ registered data brokers. Brokers are required to respond within 90 days. This is by far the most efficient option if you qualify.

Even if you're not in California, it's worth keeping an eye on this — other states are considering similar legislation, and some of these brokers may honor deletion requests regardless of where you live.

Let an AI Agent Do It for You

If you've read this far and thought, "I love this, but there is absolutely no way I'm spending 45 minutes filling out forms," — I hear you. Here's the good news: if you use any kind of AI assistant that can browse the web (Claude, ChatGPT with browsing, or any AI agent tool), you can copy-paste the prompt below, fill in your details, and let it do the work for you.

I wrote this prompt specifically for this purpose. Just replace the placeholder info with your real details, hand it to your AI agent, and go do something more productive with your afternoon.

Copy and paste this prompt into your AI agent:

---

You are my personal privacy assistant. Your job is to remove my information from every major lead generation database and data broker listed below. Here is my information:

Full Name: [Your Full Name]
Business Name: [Your Business Name]
Business Email: [your@business-email.com]
Personal Email: [your@personal-email.com] (if different)
Phone Number: [Your Phone Number]
Business Address: [Your Business Address]
State of Residence: [Your State]

For each platform below, navigate to the opt-out page, fill in my information, and submit the removal or "do not sell" request. Where email verification is required, let me know so I can click the confirmation link.

B2B Sales Intelligence Platforms:
1. Apollo.io — https://www.apollo.io/company/privacy-center
2. ZoomInfo — https://privacyrequest.zoominfo.com/remove/verify
3. Lusha — https://www.lusha.com/privacy-center/request-removal/
4. Seamless.AI — https://login.seamless.ai/personalDataRequest
5. RocketReach — https://rocketreach.co/remove-profile
6. Hunter.io — https://hunter.io/claim
7. Cognism — https://www.cognism.com/data-opt-out
8. SalesIntel — https://salesintel.io/opt-out/
9. Lead411 — https://www.lead411.com/your-privacy-choices/
10. UpLead — https://www.uplead.com/opt-out-request/
11. LeadIQ — https://leadiq.com/request-removal
12. Clearbit/HubSpot — https://www.hubspot.com/hubspot-privacy-preferences

Business Data Brokers:
13. Dun & Bradstreet — https://www.dnb.com/en-us/why-dnb/data-transparency/personal-data.html
14. Data Axle — https://www.data-axle.com/do-not-sell-my-data/
15. Crunchbase — https://preferences.crunchbase.com/dont_sell

People Search Sites:
16. Spokeo — https://www.spokeo.com/optout
17. BeenVerified — https://www.beenverified.com (footer: "Do Not Sell My Personal Information")
18. Whitepages — https://www.whitepages.com (footer: suppression requests)
19. Pipl — https://pipl.com/resources/privacy-documents/my-information-privacy

Bonus — If California Resident:
20. California DROP Platform — https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/

Instructions: Visit each URL and complete the opt-out/removal form using my information above. Select "Delete my data" or "Do not sell my data" wherever that option is available. If a site requires me to search for my own profile first (like Spokeo), do the search, find my listing, and then submit the opt-out. If a CAPTCHA blocks you, let me know and I will complete that step manually. If any URL is broken or has moved, search for "[Platform Name] opt out" to find the current page. Keep a running log of each platform: whether the submission succeeded, if email verification is needed, and any issues you encountered. When you are done, give me a summary showing the status of each one so I know which ones need me to verify via email.

---

A few notes on using this: Not every AI agent can actually browse the web and fill out forms yet — but the ones that can (like Claude with computer use, or OpenAI's Operator) will handle most of this list without breaking a sweat. For any platforms that require CAPTCHAs or phone verification, the agent will flag those for you to finish manually. It's not perfect, but it'll knock out the vast majority of the work in minutes instead of an hour.

A Few Things I Learned Along the Way

This isn't a one-and-done situation. Most of these platforms continuously collect data from public records, business registrations, social media, and data partnerships. That means your information can reappear weeks or months after you've removed it. I'd recommend setting a calendar reminder to check back every few months.

Processing times vary wildly. Some platforms like Apollo and ZoomInfo process removals in 24–48 hours. Others, like Data Axle, can take up to 6–8 weeks. Don't assume it didn't work just because the calls don't stop immediately.

"Suppressed" doesn't always mean "deleted." Some companies keep your data on file but flag it as "do not share." It achieves the same practical result — your info stops being sold — but your record still exists in their system.

There are paid services that can help. If you don't want to spend the time doing this manually, services like Incogni and OneRep will submit opt-out requests on your behalf and monitor for reappearances. They typically run $6–15/month. Whether that's worth it depends on how much you value your time.

Always be polite when asking. When I started asking callers where they got my information, I made a point of being kind about it. Most of them are just doing their job, and honestly, a few of them were surprised themselves when they told me the source. Being polite keeps the conversation productive and sometimes gets you better information about exactly how your data is being used.

The Bottom Line

Look, I get it. As small business owners, we're already stretched thin. The idea of spending an hour filling out opt-out forms feels like yet another thing on an already impossible to-do list. But here's how I think about it: every cold call you take is 5–10 minutes of your life you're never getting back. If you're getting three or four of those a day, that's a half hour — every single day — being stolen from your actual work.

Thirty minutes now to fill out these forms could save you hundreds of hours over the next few years. That math works for me.

And if nothing else, at least start asking where they got your information. You might be surprised by the answer — and it gives you a starting point for taking your privacy back.

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