/prospecting-research

name: prospecting-research
description: Conduct deep account and contact research to personalize outreach and identify compelling angles for engagement
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: ClawFu
  version: 1.0.0
  mcp-server: "@clawfu/mcp-skills"

Prospecting Research

> Systematically research target accounts and contacts to craft personalized, relevant outreach that cuts through the noise.

When to Use This Skill

• Preparing for high-value outbound
• Personalizing enterprise outreach
• Building account intelligence
• Training SDRs on research
• Creating target account profiles

Methodology Foundation

Based on **Jeb Blount's Fanatical Prospecting** and **TOPO Account-Based Research**, combining:

• Company intelligence gathering
• Contact profiling
• Trigger identification
• Angle development

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide | |-------------|------------| | Structures research framework | Time per account | | Identifies key data points | Outreach approach | | Suggests personalization angles | Which angle to use | | Creates research templates | Tool selection | | Synthesizes findings | Message crafting |

Instructions

Step 1: Company Research

**Firmographic Data:** | Data Point | Source | Why It Matters | |------------|--------|----------------| | Company size | LinkedIn, website | ICP fit | | Revenue | ZoomInfo, news | Budget potential | | Industry | LinkedIn | Relevance | | Locations | Website | Territory | | Tech stack | BuiltWith, job posts | Integration fit |

**Business Context:** | Data Point | Source | Why It Matters | |------------|--------|----------------| | Recent funding | Crunchbase, news | Budget, growth mode | | Executive changes | LinkedIn, news | New priorities | | Product launches | Press releases | Initiatives | | Earnings/reports | SEC, investor calls | Priorities, challenges | | Partnerships | News | Ecosystem |

Step 2: Contact Research

**Professional Profile:** | Data Point | Source | Why It Matters | |------------|--------|----------------| | Current role | LinkedIn | Relevance | | Tenure | LinkedIn | Influence level | | Career path | LinkedIn | Context | | Content shared | LinkedIn, Twitter | Interests | | Mutual connections | LinkedIn | Warm intro |

**Personal Connection Points:**

• Shared alma mater
• Previous company overlap
• Mutual connections
• Content they've created
• Events they've attended

Step 3: Identify Triggers

**Timing Triggers:** | Trigger | Implication | |---------|-------------| | New in role | Building stack, making changes | | New company | Bringing solutions from previous | | Funding | Budget available | | Hiring | Scaling, needs support | | Bad earnings | Cost cutting or growth push |

Step 4: Develop Angles

**Personalization Hierarchy:** 1. **Trigger-based** - Strongest (funding, hire, news) 2. **Content-based** - Strong (their posts, interviews) 3. **Company-based** - Good (industry, challenges) 4. **Mutual connection** - Good (warm intro potential) 5. **Generic** - Weak (avoid)

Examples

Example 1: Full Account Research

**Output:**

## Account Research: DataFlow Systems

### Company Snapshot

| Attribute | Value | Source |
|-----------|-------|--------|
| Company | DataFlow Systems | |
| Industry | B2B SaaS (Analytics) | LinkedIn |
| Size | 340 employees | LinkedIn |
| Revenue | ~$50M ARR (est.) | ZoomInfo |
| Founded | 2018 | Crunchbase |
| HQ | Austin, TX | Website |
| Funding | $45M Series B (Oct 2024) | Crunchbase |

---

### Technology Stack

| Category | Tool | Source |
|----------|------|--------|
| CRM | Salesforce | BuiltWith, Jobs |
| Marketing | HubSpot | BuiltWith |
| Analytics | Mixpanel | Careers page |
| Data | Snowflake | Job posting |
| [Your Category] | None detected | Research |

**Implication:** Salesforce user = good fit for integration. No tool in our category = greenfield opportunity.

---

### Recent Triggers

| Date | Trigger | Relevance |
|------|---------|-----------|
| Oct 2024 | Series B ($45M) | Budget for tools |
| Nov 2024 | VP Sales hired | New leader = new tools |
| Dec 2024 | 12 SDR positions posted | Scaling outbound |
| Jan 2025 | G2 reviews mention "[pain]" | Known problem |

---

### Business Context

**From LinkedIn:**
- Growing 60% YoY (CEO post)
- Expanding to enterprise segment (VP Sales announcement)
- Recent product launch: AI analytics features

**From News:**
- Named to "Top 50 Startups" list
- Partnership with [Complementary Company]
- CEO spoke at [Industry Conference]

**From Job Posts:**
- Hiring: SDRs (12), AEs (5), RevOps (1)
- Reveals: Scaling sales org significantly
- Tech stack mentioned: Salesforce, Gong, Outreach (competitor!)

---

### Challenges (Inferred)

Based on triggers and context:
1. **Scaling sales team** - Need tools to support
2. **Moving upmarket** - Enterprise processes needed
3. **Rev Ops hire** - Building infrastructure
4. **Competitor in stack** - May be open to alternatives

---

### Target Contacts

| Name | Title | Priority | Angle |
|------|-------|----------|-------|
| Sarah Kim | VP Sales | Primary | New to role (90 days) |
| Mike Chen | RevOps Manager | Secondary | Posted RevOps opening |
| David Park | CEO | Executive | Series B scaling |

---

### Recommended Approach

**Primary Target: Sarah Kim, VP Sales**
- New to role = making changes
- Scaling team = needs tools
- Moving upmarket = needs process

**Angle:** "Congrats on the VP role and Series B! I noticed you're hiring 12 SDRs. Most VP Sales at your stage tell me [challenge] is their biggest issue. Curious if that's true for you?"

**Secondary Path:**
- RevOps Manager Mike Chen (operational angle)
- Mutual connection: [Name] (former colleague)

Example 2: Contact Deep Dive

**Output:**

## Contact Research: Sarah Kim, VP Sales

### Profile Summary

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Name | Sarah Kim |
| Title | VP of Sales |
| Company | DataFlow Systems |
| Location | Austin, TX |
| Tenure | 3