The Ultimate Account Research Checklist

When most sales reps think of account research, it often means a quick glance at LinkedIn before a call.

But that is not how top sellers operate.

The best reps go far beyond the basics. They dig deep into a company’s priorities, recent activity, and key decision-makers. They surface insights that create urgency, uncover pain points, and shape personalized messages that win meetings and close six or seven-figure deals.

At Salesmotion, we have spent the last year studying how high-performing sales teams approach account research. We built a platform to automate the process. Along the way, we created a practical resource any seller can use: the Ultimate Account Research Checklist.

This checklist breaks research into three clear levels so your team can stop guessing and start engaging with precision.

You can download the high-resolution checklist PDF at the end of this post.

Level 1: Basic Company Research

Start with context and qualification.

Before tailoring a point of view or aligning with strategic priorities, you need a strong grasp of the business. Begin by answering questions such as:

• What does the company sell?

• Who are their customers?

• What industry are they in?

• Are they growing, shrinking, or flat?

• Where are they based? Do you cover that territory?

These answers help you assess whether the company is a good fit and provide the context for deeper research.

Sources: LinkedIn, company website, pricing pages, case studies.

Level 2: Deep Company Research

This is where many reps stop. But it is where top sellers gain a real advantage.

At this stage, you are gathering insights, not just information. You are looking for:

• Annual reports that show executive priorities and challenges

• SEC filings that reveal financial realities or risk factors

• Press releases that announce strategic shifts or product changes

• Earnings call transcripts and podcasts that provide tone and intent directly from leadership

This type of research gives you insight into what matters most to the company and why they might care about your solution.

Sources: Investor relations sites, Edgar, BusinessWire, SeekingAlpha, ListenNotes.

Level 3: Contact Research

Companies do not buy. People do.

To connect with decision-makers and influencers, go beyond titles. Look into:

• Who just joined the company and what impact they might want to make

• Who left recently and what gaps may now exist

• Stakeholders’ professional backgrounds and past roles

• Personality traits or interests that show up in posts, podcasts, or online profiles

This level of research helps you build trust early and tailor your message to resonate on a personal level.

Sources: LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Twitter/X, company blogs, podcasts, Reddit.

Why This Checklist Matters

Effective account research is not just prep work. It is a competitive advantage.

Used consistently, this checklist will help your team:

• Personalize outreach with relevance

• Identify timing triggers and signals that drive urgency

• Develop more strategic point-of-view messaging

• Engage decision-makers with confidence

Salesmotion was built to automate this kind of research across thousands of accounts. The goal is simple: help sales teams focus on selling, not searching.

Download the Checklist

We created a high-resolution, print-ready version of the Ultimate Account Research Checklist. It is perfect for onboarding, outbound planning, or deal reviews.

Download the PDF Checklist

You can also right-click and save the image below.

Want to make account research effortless? Get salesmotion.io today.