How do you research a company before outreach?

What should account research cover

Account research should cover what the company sells and to whom, what has changed recently and who is likely to care about that change. Anything beyond those three questions belongs to discovery, once you are talking.

• What they sell and who buys it, from the homepage and product pages.
• Recent news: launches, new markets, partnerships or leadership changes.
• Open roles, which show where the company is investing.
• Customer stories and logos, which show who they sell to.
• The tools or channels they visibly use, where it matters to your offer.

How do you research a prospect's company website

Research a prospect's company website in a set order: the homepage headline, the product or services pages, the careers page and then the news or blog. Each tells you something different, and the order stops you reading blog posts before you know what the company does.

The homepage shows how they want to be seen. Product pages show who they sell to. The careers page shows which teams are growing, and the news page shows what they are proud of this quarter.

How long should company research for sales take

Company research for sales should take as long as the account is worth and no longer. A broad list needs a few minutes per company to confirm fit and find one hook; a named target account can justify a proper read of its recent news and reports.

Set a stop rule before you start: once you have one change, its source and the role it matters to, write the email. More reading rarely improves a first message.

How does one finding become one opening line

One finding becomes one opening line when you state the change plainly and connect it to the problem you solve. The pattern is the change, what it usually means for the reader's team, and a question about it.

For example, if a company's careers page lists several new sales roles in one region, an opening line might note the expansion and ask how the new team will find its first accounts. The example is illustrative; the line works because it is true, recent and relevant.

What goes into an account research template

An account research template holds the few fields a seller needs to write and a colleague needs to pick up the account later. Keep it on the account record, not in a private document.

• What the company does, in one line.
• The recent change you found, with the link to its source.
• The roles that change matters to.
• The angle you will use, and the one you ruled out.
• The date of the research, so the next person knows how fresh it is.