How to Prepare for a Sales Callin 5 Minutes
The difference between a good sales call and a wasted one is almost always preparation. Reps who walk in knowing the prospect's priorities close at 2-3x the rate of reps who wing it.
The Old Way: Tab Hell
Open LinkedIn. Scan their profile. Copy their job title.
Open their company website. Skim the About page. Look for recent news.
Google "[company name] news." Read 3 articles. Forget the first one.
Check their 10-K or Crunchbase for financials. Get sidetracked.
Look up their competitors. Fall down a rabbit hole.
Try to remember what you found. Write messy notes.
Realize you're 45 minutes in and still don't have a clear game plan.
Multiply that by every call, every day, every week. That's not preparation. That's busywork disguised as diligence.
The 5-Minute Method
Step 1: One Data Point
LinkedIn URL, company website, or work email. That's all you need.
30 seconds
Step 2: AI Research
Prep5 analyzes background, company data, strategic initiatives, and competitive landscape.
3-4 minutes
Step 3: Review & Go
Scan AI-generated insights. Pick the 2-3 most relevant talking points.
1 minute
What Good Preparation Actually Looks Like
About the Person
- Career trajectory and tenure
- Likely priorities based on role
- Shared connections or interests
- Recent posts or articles
About the Company
- What they actually do (beyond the tagline)
- Recent strategic initiatives
- Funding, revenue, or growth stage
- Recent news and partnerships
About the Opportunity
- Why would they care about your product?
- What problems are they likely facing?
- Who else in the org would care?
- What's their likely buying process?
Your Game Plan
- 2-3 personalized talking points
- Questions that show homework
- Hypothesis about their biggest pain
- A clear next step to propose
The Preparation Advantage in Numbers
2.7x
more likely to get a second meeting
35%
higher win rates with thorough prep
50%
shorter sales cycles
74%
of buyers choose the rep who adds value first
The 5-Minute Pre-Call Checklist
Who am I talking to?
Role, tenure, career background
What does their company do?
In your own words, not their tagline
What are they focused on right now?
Strategic initiatives, recent news
Why would they care about us?
Specific connection to their priorities
What's my opening question?
Something that shows you did your homework
What's my proposed next step?
Don't end the call without one
Start Preparing Smarter
Prep5 gives you AI-powered prospect and company intelligence in under 5 minutes. Free company research. Chrome extension for one-click insights from LinkedIn.