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. A strong sales intelligence platform can accelerate this process across an entire territory.
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.
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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 data 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.
“My ultimate goal is to know more about the company than they know themselves. Before, that took hours across multiple tools. With Salesmotion, I can get there in 30 minutes or less and walk into a Fortune 500 conversation fully prepared.”
Jeff Dalo
Senior Director Business Development, Analytic Partners
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 buying 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.
“This is my singular place that very simply summarizes a company's top initiatives, strategies and connects them to my solution. Something I would spend hours researching manually, now it's automated.”
Derek Rosen
Director, Strategic Accounts, Guild Education
Key Takeaways
- Effective account research goes far beyond a quick LinkedIn check and operates across three levels: basic company research, deep company research, and contact research.
- Basic research qualifies fit by answering fundamental questions about what the company does, who their customers are, and whether they are growing.
- Deep research into annual reports, SEC filings, and earnings calls uncovers executive priorities and strategic challenges that inform your messaging.
- Contact-level research on decision-makers, their backgrounds, recent role changes, and personal interests helps build trust and tailor outreach on a personal level.
- Used consistently, a structured research checklist helps teams personalize outreach, identify timing triggers, and engage decision-makers with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a sales rep research before reaching out to a prospect?
At minimum, reps should understand what the company does, who their customers are, their growth trajectory, and whether they fit the Ideal Customer Profile. Top performers go further by reviewing annual reports, SEC filings, and earnings calls to understand strategic priorities, then research individual decision-makers for personal context.
How long should account research take?
Manual research for a single account can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on depth. AI-powered platforms like Salesmotion can reduce this to minutes by automating the collection and synthesis of information across hundreds of sources.
What are the best sources for deep account research?
For deep company research, the best sources include investor relations sites, SEC Edgar filings, BusinessWire press releases, SeekingAlpha earnings analysis, and podcast appearances by company leaders. For contact research, LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Twitter/X, and company blogs are essential.
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.
You can also right-click and save the image below.
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