Sales Call Prep

The pre-call intelligence report that turns a 50/50 sales call into an 80/20 one. Researches the company (with a sales lens — not Wikipedia facts, but buying signals, pain indicators, competitive landscape, and budget context), researches the person (not just their bio, but their authority level, priorities, likely objections, and what they care about), then maps everything to your product to generate a specific call strategy.

What makes this different from meeting-brief:

Dimension	meeting-brief	sales-call-prep
Focus	Who is this person?	How do I sell to this person?
Company research	Basic overview	Sales-lens: pain signals, budget indicators, competitive stack, decision process
Person research	LinkedIn + GitHub + news	Authority mapping, buying style, priorities, likely objections
Product connection	None	Maps your product's value to their specific situation
Output	Background brief	Call strategy with talk track, questions, and objection prep
Audience	Anyone with a meeting	SDR, AE, founder walking into a sales call

When to Auto-Load

Load this composite when:

• User says "prep me for my sales call", "call prep for [company]", "research [person] before our demo"
• User says "I have a call with [person] at [company] tomorrow", "meeting prep for a prospect"
• User has an upcoming meeting with a prospect (not an internal meeting, not a customer check-in)
• An upstream workflow (meeting lifecycle, daily BDR rhythm) triggers call prep for sales meetings

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Step 0: Configuration (One-Time Setup)

On first run, collect and store these preferences. Skip on subsequent runs.

Your Product Context

Question	Purpose	Stored As
What does your company do? (2-3 sentences)	Frame product-to-prospect mapping	company_description
What problem do you solve?	Identify if the prospect has this problem	pain_point
Who is your ideal buyer? (title, department)	Map to the person on the call	ideal_buyer
What are your top 3 proof points? (customer, metric, result)	Arm the seller with specific evidence	proof_points
What are the top 5 objections you hear? And how do you handle each?	Pre-load objection handling	common_objections
What competitors do you run into? And what's your positioning against each?	Competitive prep	competitors
What's your pricing model? (ballpark)	Budget qualification context	pricing_model
What does your typical sales process look like? (stages, timeline)	Calibrate call objectives by stage	sales_process
What discovery questions do you typically ask?	Augment with prospect-specific questions	discovery_questions

Data Source Config

Question	Options	Stored As
Where do you track deals?	Salesforce / HubSpot / Pipedrive / Close / Supabase / None	crm_tool
Where do you track outreach?	Smartlead / Instantly / Outreach / None	outreach_tool

Store config in the current working directory or wherever the user prefers.

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Step 1: Gather Context

Purpose: Understand what this meeting is, who's attending, and what stage the deal is at. Pull any existing data from CRM/outreach history.

Input Contract

meeting_input: {
  # Option A: Calendar-driven (meeting already scheduled)
  calendar_event: {
    title: string
    date: string
    time: string
    attendees: [ { name: string, email: string } ]
    description: string | null
    meeting_link: string | null
  }

  # Option B: Manual input (user tells you who the call is with)
  manual: {
    person_name: string
    person_title: string | null
    person_email: string | null
    person_linkedin: string | null
    company_name: string
    company_domain: string | null
    meeting_type: string | null       # "discovery", "demo", "follow-up", "negotiation", etc.
    notes: string | null              # Any context the user provides
  }
}

Process

1. Identify the prospect(s) from calendar or manual input. Filter out internal team members.

2. Check ALL prior interaction sources (critical — do this before any web research):

   The goal is to reconstruct a complete interaction timeline before the call. Walking into a meeting without knowing you've already emailed someone, had a deal in pipeline, or that a teammate talked to their colleague is a credibility killer. Check every available source.

   A) CRM Records (Attio, Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.)

   Check for BOTH the person AND their company. Pull:

   What to Check	What to Pull	Why It Matters
   Company record	Does the company exist in your CRM? What lists is it on?	Shows if they're already a prospect, customer, or cold
   Contact record	Does THIS person exist? Are there other contacts at the company?	Tells you if a colleague already engaged with you
   Active deals	Any open deal for this company? Stage, value, owner, age?	You might already be mid-cycle with them — don't restart the conversation
   Closed deals	Any won or lost deals? If lost, what was the reason?	Lost deals = you know their objections. Won deals = upsell conversation.
   Deal notes	Notes from previous calls, meetings, or interactions	Read every note — they contain gold for personalization
   Deal history	Stage changes, timeline, velocity	Shows how fast (or slow) they move
   Other contacts at company	Names, titles, roles of other people you've talked to	Reference them: "I was speaking with [colleague] about..."
   Comments / activities	Any logged calls, emails, tasks, or comments on their record	May contain context that didn't make it into deal notes

   B) Outreach / Sequencing Tool (SmartLead, Instantly, Outreach, Lemlist, etc.)

   Search by email AND by name. Pull:

   What to Check	What to Pull	Why It Matters
   Campaign membership	Were they in a campaign? Which one? When?	You already reached out — don't pretend this is a cold intro
   Emails sent	Exact subject lines and email bodies you sent them	Know what you said so you don't repeat yourself or contradict it
   Their reply	Did they reply? What did they say? Full reply text.	Their exact words are the best conversation opener: "You mentioned X..."
   Lead category	Interested / Not interested / Out of office / Bounced / etc.	If they were marked "interested," you know their temperature
   Trigger signal	What signal sourced this outreach? (hiring, funding, leadership change)	Reference the original signal: "When we first reached out, it was because [signal]..."
   Sequence position	Which email in the sequence did they respond to (or stop at)?	Tells you what messaging resonated vs. fell flat
   Email account used	Which sender mailbox was used?	Know which "version of you" they interacted with

   C) Other Interaction Sources

   Check any additional places where prior contact may have occurred:

   Source	What to Check
   Client notes file	Any existing notes — may reference past conversations, call summaries, or decisions
   Previous content/outputs	Past call preps, outreach drafts, or research that included this person or company
   Calendar	Previous meetings with this person or company
   LinkedIn messages	Direct messages or InMail exchanges (ask user if they recall any)
   Referral context	How did this meeting come about? Warm intro from whom? Ask user.
   Shared Slack/email threads	Any back-channel conversations about this prospect

   D) Compile Interaction Timeline

   After checking all sources, build a chronological timeline of every touchpoint:

   interaction_timeline: [
     { date: "2026-01-15", type: "outreach_sent", detail: "Email 1 of hiring-signal campaign. Subject: 'The new CCO mandate'" },
     { date: "2026-01-18", type: "reply_received", detail: "Replied: 'Interesting, let's chat next month'" },
     { date: "2026-02-01", type: "deal_created", detail: "Deal created in Attio. Stage: Meeting booked. Value: $36K" },
     { date: "2026-02-10", type: "call_completed", detail: "Discovery call. Notes: 'Interested in outbound automation, evaluating Clay'" },
     { date: "2026-02-10", type: "deal_stage_change", detail: "Stage moved to Evaluation" },
   ]
   

   This timeline goes directly into the 30-Second Brief and Call Strategy. If you have prior interactions, the call type, opening line, and discovery questions all change:

   Prior Interaction	How It Changes the Call
   No prior interaction	True cold discovery — qualify from scratch
   Outreach sent, no reply	Warm-ish — they've seen your name. Reference the email: "I sent you a note about X a few weeks ago..."
   Outreach sent, they replied positively	Warm — pick up where the conversation left off. Don't re-pitch.
   Outreach sent, they replied negatively	Handle carefully — they already said no. Understand why before re-engaging.
   Active deal in CRM	You're mid-cycle — this is a follow-up, not a discovery call. Read all notes.
   Lost deal in CRM	Re-engagement — acknowledge the history: "I know we talked back in [month] and the timing wasn't right..."
   Colleague already engaged	Multi-thread — reference the colleague: "I've been working with [name] on..."

3. Determine call type and objective:

   Call Type	How to Detect	Default Objective
   Cold discovery	No prior deal, first meeting	Qualify: Do they have the problem? Budget? Authority? Timeline?
   Warm discovery	They replied to outreach positively	Qualify + build rapport. They already showed interest — figure out why.
   Demo	Post-qualification, scheduled demo	Show value. Map product to their specific pain. Get next step.
   Follow-up	Post-demo, they're evaluating	Handle objections. Introduce new proof. Advance to proposal.
   Negotiation	Proposal sent, discussing terms	Close. Handle final objections. Align on timeline and terms.
   Champion call	Internal champion, not decision maker	Arm the champion. Give them ammunition to sell internally.
   Executive meeting	VP+ or C-suite involved	Be strategic, not tactical. ROI and vision, not features.

Output Contract

meeting_context: {
  call_type: string
  call_objective: string
  prospect: {
    name: string
    title: string | null
    email: string | null
    linkedin_url: string | null
    company: string
    company_domain: string | null
  }
  prior_interactions: {
    has_prior_contact: boolean           # Critical flag — changes the entire call approach
    interaction_timeline: [              # Chronological list of all touchpoints
      {
        date: string
        type: "outreach_sent" | "reply_received" | "deal_created" | "deal_stage_change" |
              "call_completed" | "note_added" | "linkedin_message" | "referral" | "other"
        source: "crm" | "outreach_tool" | "email" | "linkedin" | "notes" | "calendar" | "other"
        detail: string                   # What happened, in one sentence
      }
    ]
    crm_context: {
      company_record_exists: boolean
      contact_record_exists: boolean
      active_deal: {
        stage: string
        age_days: integer
        amount: number | null
        owner: string | null
        notes: string[]
      } | null
      closed_deals: [ { outcome: "won" | "lost", amount: number, reason: string | null } ]
      other_contacts: [ { name: string, title: string } ]
      comments_and_activities: string[]
    } | null
    outreach_context: {
      campaign_name: string | null
      campaign_status: string | null
      emails_sent: integer
      emails_sent_detail: [ { seq_number: integer, subject: string, date: string } ]
      their_reply: string | null         # Full reply text
      reply_date: string | null
      lead_category: string | null       # Interested, Not Interested, etc.
      trigger_signal: string | null      # What signal sourced the outreach
    } | null
    other_context: {
      client_notes_mentions: string[]    # Relevant mentions from notes.md
      previous_outputs: string[]         # Previous call preps, research, etc.
      referral_source: string | null     # How this meeting came about
    } | null
  }
  additional_attendees: [ { name: string, title: string } ] | null
}

---

Step 2: Company Deep Dive

Purpose: Research the prospect's company with a sales lens. Not a Wikipedia summary — focus on signals that indicate need, budget, urgency, and competitive landscape.

Input Contract

prospect: { company, company_domain, ... }  # From Step 1
your_company: { ... }                        # From config

Process

Research across seven dimensions. Use web search (always available) as the primary tool.

A) Company Overview (Quick Context)

What to Find	Where to Look	Why It Matters for the Call
What they do (1-2 sentences)	Website, Crunchbase, LinkedIn	Sets the context for everything else
Industry / vertical	Website	Determines which proof points to use
Company size (employees)	LinkedIn, Crunchbase	Maps to pricing tier and complexity
HQ location	Website	Timezone, regional context
Founded year	Crunchbase	Maturity indicator
Business model (B2B/B2C/marketplace)	Website	Affects how they think about tools

B) Financial & Growth Signals

What to Find	Where to Look	Why It Matters for the Call
Funding history	Crunchbase, web search	Indicates budget availability and growth stage
Last funding date + amount	Crunchbase, press releases	Recent raise = fresh budget, evaluating vendors
Revenue estimate (if public or disclosed)	Press, SEC filings, web search	Budget calibration
Growth trajectory (hiring velocity, office expansion)	LinkedIn, job boards	Growing = buying. Flat/contracting = harder sell.
Recent layoffs	Web search, news	Budget pressure — position as cost-saving, not cost-adding

C) Pain & Need Indicators

What to Find	Where to Look	Why It Matters for the Call
Job postings related to your product's domain	LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed	Hiring for the role = they have the problem you solve
Complaints/challenges on social media	LinkedIn posts, Twitter, Reddit	Direct evidence of pain you can reference
Industry-specific challenges	Industry reports, web search	Common pain points they're likely facing
Recent company news that implies need	Press, blog, LinkedIn	Expansion, new product, compliance change = new needs
Product reviews of their product (if applicable)	G2, Capterra, app stores	Their customers' complaints may point to needs your product addresses

D) Technology & Competitive Stack

What to Find	Where to Look	Why It Matters for the Call
Current tools in your category	Job postings (mentioning tools), website source, BuiltWith	Know what you're displacing or complementing
Competitor's product in use?	Web search, job postings, LinkedIn mentions	Prepare competitive positioning
Tech stack (relevant parts)	Job postings, website	Integration opportunities or blockers
Vendor evaluation signals	G2 comparisons, LinkedIn research posts	Actively shopping = high intent

E) Decision-Making Landscape

What to Find	Where to Look	Why It Matters for the Call
Organizational structure	LinkedIn, website team page	Who else is involved in the decision?
Other stakeholders (above/below the prospect)	LinkedIn	Who do they report to? Who reports to them?
Recent leadership changes	LinkedIn, web search	New leader = re-evaluating stack
Company culture signals	Glassdoor, careers page, LinkedIn	Fast-moving vs. bureaucratic affects sales cycle
Procurement style	Company size indicator	SMB = founder decides. Enterprise = procurement process.

F) Relationship Mapping

What to Find	Where to Look	Why It Matters for the Call
Mutual connections	LinkedIn	Warm intro potential, reference-ability
Past interactions with your company	CRM, outreach history	Don't repeat what they already know
Customer of a partner?	Partner records	Potential warm angle
In your existing customer's network?	LinkedIn, web search	"Your peer [company] uses us"

G) Recent Company News (Last 90 Days)

What to Find	Where to Look	Why It Matters for the Call
Product launches	Blog, press	New products = new ops challenges
Partnerships announced	Press, LinkedIn	New partnerships = integration needs
Awards / recognition	Web search	Compliment material, shows what they're proud of
Controversies / issues	Web search	Landmines to avoid
Earnings / performance	Press, SEC	Business health indicator

Output Contract

company_research: {
  overview: {
    name: string
    description: string
    industry: string
    employee_count: string
    location: string
    founded: string
    business_model: string
  }
  financial: {
    funding_total: string | null
    last_round: { amount: string, stage: string, date: string } | null
    revenue_estimate: string | null
    growth_signal: "growing" | "stable" | "contracting" | "unknown"
  }
  pain_indicators: [
    { signal: string, source: string, relevance_to_product: string }
  ]
  tech_stack: {
    known_tools: string[]
    competitor_in_use: string | null
    integration_opportunities: string[]
  }
  decision_landscape: {
    decision_maker_likely: string     # Title of likely decision maker
    other_stakeholders: string[]
    procurement_style: "founder_led" | "committee" | "procurement" | "unknown"
    estimated_sales_cycle: string
  }
  recent_news: [
    { headline: string, date: string, relevance: string }
  ]
  relationship_map: {
    mutual_connections: string[]
    peer_customers: string[]          # Your customers in their network
    past_interactions: string | null
  }
}

---

Step 3: Person Deep Dive

Purpose: Research the specific person on the call. Not just their bio — understand their authority, priorities, communication style, and likely concerns.

Input Contract

prospect: { name, title, email, linkedin_url, company }  # From Step 1
company_research: { ... }                                  # From Step 2
your_company: { ... }                                      # From config

Process

A) Professional Profile

What to Find	Where to Look	Why It Matters
Current title + department	LinkedIn	Authority level, budget ownership
Time in current role	LinkedIn	<6 months = new, evaluating stack. 2+ years = established, harder to displace incumbent
Career trajectory	LinkedIn experience	Moving up fast = ambitious, wants tools to accelerate. Lateral = stable, risk-averse.
Previous companies	LinkedIn	Industry experience, tools they've used before
Education	LinkedIn	Conversation starter, common ground
Skills / endorsements	LinkedIn	Technical vs. business orientation

B) Authority & Buying Power Assessment

Factor	How to Assess	Implication
Title level	VP+ = likely has budget. Director = may have budget. Manager = influencer, not buyer. IC = user/champion.	Determines whether to talk ROI (buyer) or workflow (user)
Department	Does their department buy your product?	If they're in engineering and you sell to sales, they might be evaluating for someone else
Reports to whom	LinkedIn org structure	The person above them is likely the decision maker if they're not
Team size	LinkedIn, company page	Larger team = more at stake, bigger deal potential
Budget indicators	Title + company size + funding	"Does this person plausibly control the budget for our product?"

Authority classification:

Level	Who	How to Sell
Economic buyer	VP+, C-suite, founder	Talk ROI, strategic value, competitive advantage. Don't demo features.
Technical buyer	Director, senior manager, tech lead	Talk capabilities, integrations, implementation. Demo the product.
Champion	Manager, senior IC	Talk workflow improvement, daily life impact. Help them build the internal case.
User	IC, operator	Talk ease of use, time savings, learning curve. Get them excited to use it.
Evaluator	Analyst, consultant	Talk data, comparisons, proof points. Be thorough and transparent.

C) What They Care About

What to Find	Where to Look	Why It Matters
Recent LinkedIn posts	LinkedIn activity	What are they thinking about? What problems are they voicing?
Articles they've shared	LinkedIn shares	What topics interest them?
Comments they've made	LinkedIn engagement	What opinions do they hold?
Conference talks / webinars	Web search, YouTube	What are they publicly expert in?
Published content (blog, podcast)	Web search	Deep insight into their thinking

D) Communication Style Signals

Signal	How to Detect	How to Adapt
Data-driven	Posts include numbers, references studies, shares reports	Lead with metrics and ROI. Bring a business case.
Visionary	Posts about trends, future of industry, big ideas	Lead with vision and strategic impact. Don't get stuck in details.
Operational	Posts about process, efficiency, team management	Lead with workflow improvement and implementation ease.
Skeptical	Posts questioning tools/trends, contrarian takes	Anticipate tough questions. Lead with proof, not claims.
Relationship-oriented	Posts about people, culture, team wins	Spend time on rapport. Don't rush to the pitch.

E) Likely Objections (Predicted)

Based on their profile, company situation, and your common objections:

Their Situation	Likely Objection	Pre-Load
Using a competitor	"We already have [tool]"	Prepare competitive positioning, switching cost analysis
Recently hired	"I'm still getting up to speed"	Position as "quick win for your first 90 days"
Small team / early stage	"We can't afford this right now"	Prepare ROI framing, start small options
Large enterprise	"Our procurement process takes 6 months"	Prepare for a longer cycle, ask about process early
Technical role	"Does it integrate with [our stack]?"	Prepare integration story
Recently burned by a vendor	"We tried something like this before"	Prepare "what's different" narrative

Output Contract