.png)
.svg)
25
April
2025
.svg)
The number one thing any salesperson can do to radically increase their likelihood of success is to improve their preparation.
Being prepared is not just about finding information that supports your proposition. It is about credibility. It signals to the customer that you believe the opportunity for value is significant enough to have done the work.
A well-researched salesperson is a credible salesperson, and credibility builds trust. But research is not just plugging prompts into ChatGPT based on what the gurus tell you.
There is something in the art and graft of real research. The way your mind digests and makes sense of information. The sparks of insight it generates. The ideas it surfaces about how your solution can create value. The point of view it helps you form.
The impact of combining customer research with industry and product experience is huge. If you worked at Bain or McKinsey, customers would pay millions for that point of view. In sales, we give it away for free. But it only has value if we have done the work.
How much should you research? Relative to the size of the opportunity. And we recommend starting with the 5 Rs.
THE 5RS OF RESEARCH
- REPORTS/RELEASES
Find company reports, not just annual or financial reports, but anything that gives insight into the organization's current position and direction.
-
Annual Reports
-
Earnings Announcements
-
Analyst/Industry Reports
-
Press Releases
-
Product Releases
- RECONNAISSANCE
Gather intelligence on the organization's business and look for themes that connect back to what you found in step one.
-
Social Media
-
Customer Reviews
-
Glassdoor Reviews
-
Rivals – All of the above👆
-
Regulations that may impact
-
Industry Trends
- RELEVANCE
With an early understanding of your customer in hand, consider what relevant value you can bring to them.
-
What are their goals as a company?
-
What are their strategies to support those 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟𝗦?
-
What initiatives are in place to support the strategies?
-
What obstacles are in the way?
- ROLES
Research the people you will be meeting. Their profiles will give you insight into their responsibilities, priorities, and career history.
-
Role and Responsibilities
-
Career History
-
Company Tenure
-
Social Media: What is their style? Who are they connected with?
- REQUIREMENTS
Based on everything above, what will this organization need to achieve its goals?
-
Decision Criteria (Technical, Economic, Relationship)
-
Which Roles need to be involved?
Many of the components across these five areas feed directly into the Value Pyramid, a powerful tool for bringing your point of view to the customer and positioning yourself as a trusted advisor from the very first conversation.
.png)
-1.png)
.png)