Sales Training - Show You Did Your Homework
Walking into a sales call without preparation isn't just lazy --- it's disrespectful to the prospect's time, and John Barrows doesn't mince words about it. In this sharp, practice-focused video, Barrows lays out what "doing your homework" actually means in a B2B sales context beyond the surface-level LinkedIn profile scan that most reps mistake for research. He covers how to research a prospect's company, industry trends, recent news, and competitive pressures in a way that lets you connect your solution directly to their reality. More importantly, he shows how to use that research in the conversation without sounding like a stalker or wasting time reciting facts the prospect already knows. The goal isn't to impress with how much you know --- it's to demonstrate genuine understanding that builds instant credibility. Barrows also addresses the common objection of "I don't have time for deep research on every call" by sharing a tiered preparation model that scales based on deal size and stage, ensuring you invest prep time where it has the highest ROI.
Watch the video version of this article
About This Video
Walking into a sales call without preparation isn't just lazy --- it's disrespectful to the prospect's time, and John Barrows doesn't mince words about it. In this sharp, practice-focused video, Barrows lays out what "doing your homework" actually means in a B2B sales context beyond the surface-level LinkedIn profile scan that most reps mistake for research. He covers how to research a prospect's company, industry trends, recent news, and competitive pressures in a way that lets you connect your solution directly to their reality. More importantly, he shows how to use that research in the conversation without sounding like a stalker or wasting time reciting facts the prospect already knows. The goal isn't to impress with how much you know --- it's to demonstrate genuine understanding that builds instant credibility. Barrows also addresses the common objection of "I don't have time for deep research on every call" by sharing a tiered preparation model that scales based on deal size and stage, ensuring you invest prep time where it has the highest ROI.
What You'll Learn
- ♦What "doing your homework" actually means beyond a LinkedIn profile scan
- ♦How to research company financials, industry trends, and competitive dynamics efficiently
- ♦Techniques for weaving research into the conversation without sounding like a stalker
- ♦A tiered preparation model that scales your research effort based on deal size and stage
- ♦How demonstrating genuine understanding in the first 90 seconds builds irreversible credibility
- ♦The specific signals prospects pick up on that tell them whether you prepared or not