Some sellers research for forty minutes and then sound scripted. Others research for none and ask questions the prospect's website already answers. Both lose goodwill. What you need is a short, repeatable routine that gives you just enough to start a good conversation.
This guide describes a five-minute routine, shows how to turn what you find into questions rather than statements, and explains where research stops being helpful.
What research is for
Research has one job: to help you ask better questions and avoid obvious ones. It is not there to prove how much you know. A prospect who hears "I read your annual report and noticed three things" may feel watched. A prospect who hears "I saw you are expanding to a second site, how is that changing things?" feels listened to.
So, as you research, collect questions, not facts to recite.
The routine: five minutes, five steps
Set a timer. When it rings, stop and dial.
Minute one: the person
Look at the prospect's role and how long they have been in it. A newly appointed manager often has different concerns from one who has held the post for years. Note their likely responsibilities. Do not dig into personal details that have nothing to do with work.
Minute two: the company
Read the first screen of their website and any recent news item. What do they sell, who do they sell to and are they growing, changing or reorganising? One sentence in your notes is enough.
Minute three: the likely problem
Based on role and company, write one guess about what might be difficult for them. Label it a guess. For example: "A growing team might be outgrowing spreadsheets." You will test this on the call, not state it as fact.
Minute four: the history
Check your own records. Have you or a colleague spoken to them before? What happened? Did they say "not now"? Starting a call without knowing there was a previous one is awkward for both sides.
Minute five: the opening and the questions
Write your opening sentence and two questions on a sticky note. That is all you carry into the call.
Turning research into questions
The conversion is simple: replace a statement with a curious question.
| Research finding | Weak use | Better use |
|---|---|---|
| New site opening | "I saw you are opening a new site." | "How is the new site changing how your team works?" |
| New manager | "I see you only started in March." | "What are you hoping to change in your first year?" |
| Product launch | "Congratulations on your launch." | "How has the launch affected your workload?" |
The better version invites the prospect to explain. It also shows you read something without making a performance of it.
Dialogue 1: research used well
Seller: "Hello Karen, this is Alex Morgan from Northfield Software. I saw that your team recently opened a second depot. Is this a bad moment, or could I ask you one question about it?"
Karen: "Go on."
Seller: "When you went from one location to two, what became harder to coordinate?"
Karen: "Deliveries, mostly. We used to know who was where just by looking across the yard."
Seller: "That makes sense. How are you keeping track now?"
The seller used one piece of research to ask one open question. The call is about Karen's situation, not the seller's reading.
Dialogue 2: research used badly
Seller: "Hello Karen, Alex Morgan from Northfield Software. I have been studying your company and I noticed you opened a second depot in March, that your fleet has twelve vehicles, and that you recently hired a new operations lead."
Karen: "Right. Where did you find all that?"
Seller: "Oh, just from public pages."
Karen: "Hm. What do you want?"
The facts may all be accurate, but the delivery sounds like surveillance. Nothing in it invites Karen to speak. The seller then has to recover from a worse starting position.
Where research stops being helpful
Stop when research starts to feel personal. Use information that relates to the person's work and was shared publicly for professional purposes. Avoid mentioning private matters, family or anything that would feel intrusive if they heard it said aloud. When in doubt, leave it out.
Also stop when it becomes a way to avoid dialling. A routine with a timer helps. Five good minutes beat an hour of postponement.
Sources worth five minutes
- The company's own website and news page.
- Their public professional profile, for role and tenure.
- Your own CRM or call notes.
- A recent mention in industry news, if one exists.
You do not need all of these every time. Choose the one or two that are quickest for the kind of call you are making.
Research for different call types
- Cold call: focus on role and a likely problem. Keep the opener short.
- Warm lead: read exactly what they submitted. See the warm inbound guide.
- Follow-up: reread your own notes and the last thing you promised.
- Existing customer: look at what they already use and when they last spoke to someone on your side.
The call preparation guide goes deeper into planning a longer discovery conversation.
A practice drill: from facts to questions
This drill takes about ten minutes.
- Choose a real company you might call, or make one up.
- Run the five-minute routine, using a timer. Stop when it rings.
- Write down three facts you found.
- Convert each fact into a curious question. Remove any that sound like a performance.
- Say your opening sentence and your best question aloud. Time it. Under thirty seconds.
- Imagine the prospect says "Why do you ask?" and write a calm, honest answer.
Practising the conversation, not only the research
Notes help you start. They do not help when the prospect says something unexpected. DIRI AI is an AI phone-call practice tool: you speak aloud and the AI plays the customer, so you can test your opening question and hear what comes back. After each call you get a report highlighting key moments and a suggested next step. The sample call page shows an example. The AI plays the customer only; you remain the seller.
Related: How to Prepare for a Sales Call, Discovery Questions That Open Up Customers, Cold Call Openers.
Where to go from here
The best research is brief, honest and turned into curiosity. Set the timer, write two questions and dial.
If you want a low-stakes place to rehearse, DIRI AI has a Free plan: 3 voice calls a month of up to five minutes each, no card needed. Start free and try your research-based opener today.