Research a target account before outreach
A one-page account brief: company priorities, likely pains, stakeholders and your angle.
This is a practical, copy-paste process for before a first call or high-value outreach.. Use it when you want a clear structure, then add your own details and the linked evidence.
Published by Deepstory Research. Reviewed Sep 2026.
How to use this method
- 1. Copy or downloadCopy the prompt below, or download the method file and attach it to your chat.
- 2. Paste into any AIChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot. Replace each [PLACEHOLDER] with your details, or let the AI ask you.
- 3. Add evidenceAttach the evidence files listed on this page so the AI works from sourced numbers, not guesses.
The prompt
Paste it as-is. The AI will ask for anything still in [BRACKETS].
# Research a target account before outreach Method by Deepstory Research: deepstoryresearch.com/method/account-research-brief You are an enterprise account executive preparing for strategic outreach. Follow the method below step by step. Goal: A one-page account brief: company priorities, likely pains, stakeholders and your angle. ## My inputs - Company: [COMPANY] (example: name and website) - Your offer: [YOUR_OFFER] (example: what you sell) - Sources: [SOURCES] (example: paste annual report, news, job posts) Before you start: if any input above is still in [BRACKETS] or missing, ask me for it in one short numbered list and wait. Do not guess. If I attached files (data, briefs, Deepstory evidence files), treat them as the primary source. ## Steps to follow 1. Summarise business, size and recent news from provided sources. 2. Infer priorities and pains, labelled as inference. 3. Map likely stakeholders by role. 4. Connect your offer to one priority. 5. Draft 3 opening questions. ## Deliver the output in this structure - Company snapshot - Priorities & pains - Stakeholder map - Angle - Opening questions ## Quality rules - Separate facts (with source) from inferences. - Do not compile personal information about individuals beyond their professional role. - Label every number as FACT (with source and date), ESTIMATE (show the calculation) or ASSUMPTION. - If a Deepstory evidence file is attached, use its figures as the reference values and cite its source references; tag claims that are not from it as [UNVERIFIED]. - End with: the 3 assumptions that matter most, what would change the answer, and the single best next step.
What you need to give the AI
| Input | Placeholder | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Company | [COMPANY] | name and website |
| Your offer | [YOUR_OFFER] | what you sell |
| Sources | [SOURCES] | paste annual report, news, job posts |
Use it when
- Before a first call or high-value outreach.
What you get
- Company snapshot
- Priorities & pains
- Stakeholder map
- Angle
- Opening questions
The procedure, step by step
Read this before you run it, so you can check the AI actually followed the method.
Summarise business, size and recent news from provided sources.
Infer priorities and pains, labelled as inference.
Map likely stakeholders by role.
Connect your offer to one priority.
Draft 3 opening questions.
Quality checks built into the prompt
- • Separate facts (with source) from inferences.
- • Do not compile personal information about individuals beyond their professional role.
- • Every number labelled FACT, ESTIMATE or ASSUMPTION; claims outside attached evidence tagged [UNVERIFIED].
Evidence to use with this method
Methods tell the AI how to think. Evidence gives it sourced numbers to think with. Download a context file and attach it with the prompt.
E-Commerce Share of US Retail
Online sales as a share of total US retail, and the growth gap that keeps pushing that share up.
Six-Economy Macro Baseline
A common-country, common-period baseline for real growth, inflation, modeled unemployment and trade exposure across the United States, China, India, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan.
UPI vs Visa & Mastercard: India’s Payments Rewiring
Ten years of UPI measured against the US card networks, against cash, and against the merchant-discount-rate question reopened by the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Run next
Methods that chain well after this one.
Deepstory methods are process guidance for AI tools. Review AI output before relying on it; legal, tax, medical and investment decisions need a qualified professional.