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Before you pick up the phone or open a new email to contact a sales prospect, you should already be an expert on the people and organization you are trying to reach. Research is as critical a part of the sales cycle as any other step. If you don't know what you're talking about, you'll never get a meeting or return phone call. 

To learn how to better research prospects, and the different ways to prepare for a cold call vs. a meeting, we turned to Jeff Ragovin, Chief Strategy Officer for Salesforce Marketing Cloud, to fill us in on how he conducts his research before connecting with prospects. 

How Do You Research a Prospect Before First Contacting Them?


  • Understand the prospect's target customer.
  • Make sure you’re selling is in line with what they might buy. Create a solution for them.

How Should You Research a Company Before a Meeting?


  • Before the call, research the structure of the organization, their industry, and recent news; you always want to go into a meeting as prepared as possible. 
  • Use all your available technology; mobile, tablet, computer, etc. to access information wherever you are. Be as up-to-date as possible before the big meeting.