Company research for sales
Understand the company, evidence and unknowns before outreach.
Workflow
From a company name to a better first conversation.
Research the company, keep the evidence, work out who is likely to own the problem, decide whether it is worth your time, and reach out from a short brief. Do all of it yourself, or split it across a team.
The workflow at a glance
01
Opportunity Brief
The answer before you reach out.
02
Research Desk
Research the company in one place.
03
Evidence
Keep the source behind every important finding.
04
Decision-maker
Find the person most likely to own the problem.
05
Approval Gate
Review the fit before outreach.
06
Assignment
Send approved prospects to the right person.
07
Sales Desk
Give the seller the context, not another research task.
08
Field feedback
Use real conversations to improve future research.
Step by step
What happens at each stage and what needs to be true before the prospect moves forward.
Anyone can list steps. The useful part is knowing when the research is good enough to act on, and when it is not.
01
Opportunity Brief
Owner · Research, consumed by salesOne clear page showing why the company may be worth contacting, the evidence, the likely decision-maker, contact context, unknowns and what to discuss first.
What stops it here
There is no brief until the research has been reviewed. Nobody reaches out on work nobody has checked.
02
Research Desk
Owner · ResearchWork through target companies in a queue and keep useful findings, notes and sources attached to the company as you research.
What stops it here
A company you cannot give a reason to contact stays in research. Knowing its size and industry is not a reason.
03
Evidence
Owner · ResearchEach finding records where it came from, when it was seen, when it was last checked, and whether it was observed directly or inferred.
What stops it here
A finding with no source attached will not carry a review. If you cannot show where it came from, it does not count.
04
Decision-maker
Owner · ResearchLikely decision-makers are identified with the evidence behind the judgement, and disagreement between sources is shown rather than resolved silently.
What stops it here
When two sources name different people, you see both. Nothing quietly picks a winner on your behalf.
05
Approval Gate
Owner · Research leadCheck whether the research is strong enough to act on. Approve, hold or reject the prospect and keep the reason with the record.
What stops it here
A failed check stops the prospect there, and the screen tells you which check failed.
06
Assignment
Owner · Sales managementApproved accounts are assigned deliberately, with the plan visible before it commits.
What stops it here
Unreviewed prospects cannot be handed to a seller. The action is refused rather than allowed with a warning.
07
Sales Desk
Owner · SalesThe brief, the contact route and the first-conversation context are on one screen. The outcome is recorded in a tap.
What stops it here
One company at a time. You record what happened before the next one is offered.
08
Field feedback
Owner · Sales, consumed by researchWhat the rep learns returns to the account: wrong person, wrong number, problem confirmed, or timing changed.
What stops it here
What you learn on the call updates the record, so the next person starts from the last conversation rather than from scratch.
The review step
Research should be checked before outreach.
The review step makes the final decision visible. A prospect can be ready, held for more research or rejected, and the reason stays with the record.
Minimum Evidence Policyv3.1READY
Clear reason to contact this company
Sources attached
Research checked recently
Likely decision-maker identified
Contact route checked
Service fit reviewedReviewer judgement
Decision
READY
Reviewer
Research lead
Reason
Research and service fit confirmed.
Recorded
26 Aug 2026, 10:14 UTC
- 10:14 Ready for outreach · Research lead
- 10:08 Research checked · Research lead
- 09:58 Research finished · A. Reyes
Review checklist
Named and versionedUse the same standard each time and keep changes visible.
Decision
Ready, hold or rejectHold sends the prospect back for a specific recheck.
Reason
Kept with the decisionSee why the prospect moved forward or stopped.
Reviewer
A named personThe review is visible instead of happening silently.
Recheck
Due date carried forwardKnow when important research should be checked again.
The exact review history and fields available in your account can be confirmed when access is set up.
For solo users and teams
Use the same workflow alone or split the work across researchers and sellers.
| Role | Responsible for | Can reach |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | Researches companies, records findings and sources, and identifies likely decision-makers. | Assigned companies and their research. |
| Research lead | Checks the research and marks prospects ready, held or rejected. | Research, sources and review decisions. |
| Sales manager | Assigns ready prospects and reviews team activity and outcomes. | Ready prospects and team activity. |
| Sales rep | Works assigned prospects, records what happened and returns useful feedback. | Their assigned prospects. |
Try it with companies you actually want as clients.
Use companies you already know or genuinely want to win, so you can judge whether the research is useful.
Continue the workflow
Go from finding a company to understanding the opportunity.
Find the right decision-maker
Map the business problem to the role most likely to own it.
Understand B2B buying signals
Separate useful timing context from weak clues and assumptions.