Key takeaways
- A brief is one page that changes what you say, not a research dossier.
- Start with the CRM, so you never ask what the buyer already told you.
- Scale the effort to the meeting: less for a first call, more for a committee.
- Every fact in the brief needs a source you can open.
- End the brief with your questions and the next step you want.
What should an account brief template include
An account brief template should include only what could change the conversation. If a fact would not alter a question or a sentence you plan to say, leave it out.
- Company: what it does, who it sells to and what has changed recently.
- History: past conversations, open deals and who on your side was involved.
- People: each attendee's role, time in post and what they have said publicly.
- Likely priorities: two or three, each tied to something you found.
- Questions: what you need to learn, and the next step you want to agree.
How much pre-call research is enough
Pre-call research is enough when you can say why this company might act now and what you want to learn from the call. Stop there; more reading rarely changes the meeting.
Scale it to the stakes. A first discovery call needs the company basics and the person's role. A late-stage meeting with several stakeholders deserves a check on each person, recent news and everything said so far.
How do you research the people you are meeting
Research the people you are meeting through their role, how long they have held it and what they say publicly about their work. Someone three months into a new job is often looking for early changes; someone long in post may have built the process you want to replace.
Use what you find to choose questions, not to show off. Mentioning a buyer's recent post can feel attentive or intrusive depending on how you do it.
How do you prepare for a discovery call
Prepare for a discovery call by writing two or three hypotheses about the buyer's problem and the questions that would confirm or kill each one. Hypotheses make you listen for something specific; a blank page makes you pitch.
Decide the next step you want before the call starts, such as a second meeting with the budget holder, so the last five minutes have a purpose.
How do you make every claim in a brief checkable
Make every claim checkable by keeping a source next to it, whether a web page, a news article or a CRM note. When a fact is wrong, you find out before the buyer corrects you.
Pebbles Ai Research writes with inline numbered citations and a source list, and is instructed to back key claims with two independent sources where possible and flag single-source ones. Combined with the notes on the Pebbles Ai CRM record (the CRM is labelled Beta), that gives a brief where each line can be traced.
How to prepare a pre-call brief, step by step
Do this the day before the meeting, not ten minutes before.
- Open the CRM record and read past notes, emails and the deal stage.
- Research the company's website and recent public news, keeping a source for each fact.
- Look up each attendee's role and what they have said publicly about their work.
- Write two or three likely priorities and how your offer touches each one.
- List the questions you need answered and the next step you want to agree.
- Fit the brief on one page and share it with anyone joining the call from your side.
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- CapabilityResearch & analysisAsk an assistant to research the company from its website and public sources; the answer comes with inline numbered citations and a source list you can check.
- CapabilityProspecting & customer recordsThe CRM record (in Beta) shows details, activity, notes and linked deals, so the brief starts from what was already said.
Common questions
What is the difference between a pre-call brief and an account plan?
A brief prepares you for one meeting. An account plan sets your goals, people and steps for the whole relationship and changes far less often.
Can AI write a pre-call brief for me?
It can draft one from public sources and your CRM notes. Check the citations and add your own judgement on priorities before you rely on it.
What if I find nothing recent about the company?
Use the call to ask. "What has changed for you this year?" is a good discovery question in its own right.
Should I share the brief with the buyer?
No, but share a short agenda before the meeting. It shows you prepared and lets them add what matters to them.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
