Step 3: Prepare

What’s going on?

Nothing impresses a decision-maker more than a sales rep who has done his or her homework.  It’s not only a time saver for the buyer, who doesn’t have to educate the sales rep about the company’s needs, it also suggests a vendor willing to invest in the effort to be a partner. 

If you’ve used Insights to prioritize your leads, you already have a head start on knowing what’s going on in the account. In addition to Insights, there are a number of other places to look in InsideView to get useful background information on both companies and individuals.

Behind the Tabs

People Tab

If you’re not yet sure you have the right decision-maker or champion, this is the place to look. Find leaders by job title, level, or functional area. Plus, you'll see right away who you’re connected to.

Click View More to see a complete profile of the individual—including education, prior jobs, news mentions, and social media posts.

Insights Tab

There’s no better way to know what’s on in the mind of buyers than social media. Check posts from the company and posts from others about the company. Click to follow the company on Twitter or Facebook. Check out company blogs. You can even see click trends on the company’s web site with Site Analytics.

Family Tree

Go to the Company Info tab and select the Family Tree sub-tab to discover subsidiaries, acquisitions, international divisions, and a host of other corporate relationships.

Competitors

Go to the Company Info tab and select the Competitors sub-tab to find other companies in the same industry. Checking out competitors can help you understand where your target company fits in the industry. Is your prospect the 900 lb. gorilla in its space or is it an up-and-coming challenger? Are any of their competitors reference customers? Showing previous success in your prospect’s industry can be persuasive.

Also, don’t forget the Competitors sub-tab as a prospecting tool.  If your target is a good fit for what you sell, its competitors might also be good prospects.

More Useful Sub-Tabs

Go to the Company Info tab and select the Overview, Financials or Industry sub-tabs to view more company details . Who doesn’t want more? 

See the company's overview:

Get a quick snapshot of a company's Industry Profile with common challenges, trends, call prep questions and view of the size and structure of the industry:

Check out a company's latest financials data: