Free template · Outbound & prospecting
The Account Research Brief
A 15-minute research method and one-page brief per target account, so every message starts from real context.
What's inside
- A 15-minute research method, minute by minute
- A one-page account brief template
- Buying-committee notes
- How to use AI for research safely
Who it's for
SDRs and founders working high-value target accounts.
Why it matters
Research only matters if it changes what you say. Many sellers either skip it and send generic messages, or spend an hour per account collecting facts they never use. A fixed 15-minute method, focused on goals, recent changes and who owns the problem, keeps research useful and repeatable across a target list.
A one-page brief also makes context shareable. When a founder hands accounts to a first SDR, or a call is booked weeks after the first email, the brief holds the signals, the buying committee and the agreed angle in one place. Marking assumptions clearly prevents an unconfirmed guess from ending up in a message.
How to use it
- 1Set a 15-minute timer and follow the research table in order: website, news and funding, careers page, LinkedIn, then your CRM.
- 2Fill in the brief: what they do, who they sell to, and recent changes, recording the source and date next to every signal you note.
- 3List the people involved with their title, likely role in the decision and a short note, so you know who to contact and in what order.
- 4Write the likely problem you solve and mark it as an assumption until a prospect confirms it, then draft your angle and first line from it.
- 5If you use AI to summarize sources, ask for the supporting quote behind each point and check every fact before it goes into the brief.
Read alongside it
Follow Enablemnt AI on LinkedInShort, practical posts on GTM, outbound and RevOps for early-stage B2B founders.FollowThe Account Research Brief: FAQ
- How do you research a prospect before a cold email?
- Look for three things: what the company is trying to achieve, what has changed recently, and who owns the problem you solve. Check their website, recent news, job posts, LinkedIn and your CRM. Stop once you have one relevant, confirmed fact that changes your first line, and record its source.
- What should an account research brief include?
- A short description of what the company does and who it sells to, recent changes with source and date, likely priorities, the people involved and their roles, the problem you think you solve for them, your outreach angle, and the account's fit score or tier. Keep it to one page.
- How long should account research take?
- For most target accounts, around 15 minutes is enough if you follow a fixed order of sources. Higher-value accounts may justify more time, especially for mapping the buying committee. If research is not changing your message or your contact choice, you are spending too long on it.
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