A direct dial is a landline or VoIP number assigned to a single employee. Calling it puts you through to that person or their personal voicemail rather than a receptionist or a general queue.

Direct dials are common in larger companies, in regulated industries and in roles that sit at a desk all day, such as finance, operations and inside sales. They are less useful for owners of small businesses, who are usually on a mobile.

The number to watch is whether the record is genuinely personal. Main lines, department lines and numbers with an extension appended are frequently sold as direct dials, and they are the single biggest reason a calling list underperforms.