Checklist To Brief Your Exec Before A Sales Call

by Nick Cegelski

March 26, 2024

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Ever walk into a sales call with your exec unprepared?

This checklist equips you with a list of important context to effectively brief your executive on any prospect, ensuring a smooth, impactful meeting for all parties.

Overview

Company
Account Rep
Competition
Incumbent Solution

Who have we met with?

Name (link to LI), Title, tenure, connections to other customers or your leadership, Influence or role in the decision.

Who are key folks to engage with?

Same as above but list folks you have not met with and need to get to.

Any Advocates or Previous users:

List out any previous users or advocates at the company.

Sales Tech Stack:

List out their tech stack & include renewal dates if you have them.

Rev Breakdown:

How much does the company generate in annual revenue? Who, how, and what do they sell? How do they make money?
What companies have they acquired and why?
IPO date and any public knowledge from 10K or recent earnings calls.

Timeline of Sales Process to Date

Where are you in the sales cycle?
List out key meetings and critical topics / findings.
Why is this meeting taking place?

Business Challenges that X Solve

List out the biggest pains / challenges that your solution will help them solve at every level - user, stakeholder, DM.
Example: front-line reps & managers, VPs, IT, Execs, Customer Success, AM, etc.
Extra credit if you list a similar company you could reference in your customer base?

Strategic Growth Initiatives

List out the top initiatives for the company that align with their GTM motion? Quantify the executive initiative with their business pain at every level.
Any key criteria around this initiative you might know of? Current state vs future state wants/needs.

Hesitations

Why would the company not move forward with your solution or partnership? What happens if they don't?
What is their biggest fear around this decision?

Role of the Executive (or x-functional partner)

What role do you want this exec to play? What do you not want them to do?
What is the goal of the meeting?
What do you want the buyer / prospect to walk away with?
What do you want your executive to walk away with?

***

Copy the exec internal prep doc for yourself

Nick Cegelski

I’m the Founder of 30 Minutes to President’s Club, a media company behind #1 podcast in sales and the international bestselling book, Cold Calling Sucks (And That’s Why It Works). I was a multiple-time #1 enterprise AE selling seven-figure deals, and when I'm not running 30MPC, I advise sales teams on GTM.

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