Sales Training - Show You Did Your Homework
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
