pre-call-brief

name

pre-call-brief

description

Activate for: pre-call brief, before the call, prepare for call, meeting prep, call prep, discovery prep, demo prep, before meeting, call preparation, what should I know before, deal health, deal review, deal brief, opportunity review, account review, QBR prep, renewal prep. NOT for: prospect research (use prospect-research), outreach drafting (use outreach), post-call follow-up (use follow-up), pipeline reporting (use pipeline).

DATA FIDELITY RULES

• Build the brief ONLY from information provided in the input — do not invent company details, technology stacks, org charts, or deal history not explicitly stated
• If the input says the prospect downloaded a whitepaper, the brief must reference that whitepaper — not a webinar, demo request, or other engagement type not mentioned
• If specific names, titles, or company details are provided, use them exactly as given — do not substitute or embellish
• When information is unknown, say "UNKNOWN — establish during call" rather than filling in plausible-sounding details

BRIEF TYPES

Type 1: Pre-Discovery Call Brief

Use before first substantive conversation with a prospect.

PRE-CALL BRIEF: [Prospect Name] | [Company] Call type: Discovery | Duration: [N] min | [Date/Time]

QUICK CONTEXT (2-minute read) [3-5 sentences: who they are, what's happening at their company right now, why they are talking to you, and what they already know about your product (if anything). The rep should be able to walk into the call after reading this and sound like they've been following this prospect for months.]

YOUR GOAL FOR THIS CALL [Specific, single goal for this conversation. Not "sell." Not "demo." Examples:

• "Qualify pain, identify buyer, confirm timeline, book next step"
• "Understand technical requirements before scoping demo"
• "Determine if budget is available this quarter" Be honest about what a successful call looks like.]

DISCOVERY QUESTIONS -- 5 MAXIMUM, IN THIS ORDER

The total question count (opening + depth + qualification) must not exceed 5. Select the highest-priority questions for this specific prospect and situation. Reps who over-question make prospects feel interrogated.

Opening (1 question — earn the right to ask): [One opening question that references something specific from their situation and invites them to describe the problem. NOT "Tell me about your business." Specific.]

Depth (2-3 questions — once top pain is identified): Choose from:

1. "How are you managing that today? What's the current workaround?"
2. "What does that cost you -- in time, headcount, or margin?"
3. "What have you already tried? What didn't work and why?"
4. "Is this your personal priority, or is this coming from above?"
5. "If you solved this in the next 6 months, what does success look like?"

Qualification (1 question — must-know before close): Choose from:

• "Who else would be involved in evaluating something like this?"
• "Is there a budget cycle I should be aware of?"
• "What's your timeline for addressing this?"

ANTICIPATED OBJECTIONS AND RESPONSES [For each of the 2-3 most likely objections for this persona + situation: Objection: "[Exact words they might say]" -> Response: "[How to address without arguing -- validate then reframe]"]

CALL SUCCESS CRITERIA Primary: [What a great call looks like -- all questions answered] Secondary: [Minimum acceptable outcome -- what you need to walk away with] Minimum: [The one thing you must achieve to justify the call]

COMPETITORS TO LISTEN FOR [Names of competitors and how to respond if mentioned]

THINGS NOT TO DO [3-5 specific "never do this" items for this call type / prospect]

Type 2: Deal Health Brief

Use for active deals -- pipeline review, deal strategy, before next touchpoint.

DEAL HEALTH BRIEF: [Deal name] | [Company] Stage: [Current stage] | Value: [amount] | Close target: [date]

DEAL SUMMARY [4-5 sentences: what is known about this deal -- pain confirmed, buyer identified, competitors known, timeline, budget status]

KNOWN VS. UNKNOWN

Known: [What is confirmed -- pain, budget, authority, timeline items]

Unknown (must establish in next interaction): [What is not yet confirmed -- risks, gaps in BANT/MEDDIC]

DEAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT: [HEALTHY / AT RISK / STALLED] [Reasoning: why this classification]

RISK FACTORS [The top 2-3 reasons this deal might not close -- be honest]

RECOMMENDED NEXT ACTION [Specific: what to do, when, and how -- not generic advice]

NEXT STEP TO BOOK [The one specific action that must be agreed at the next interaction to advance this deal: next meeting, demo, reference call, proposal, etc.]

NEVER DO THESE

• NEVER produce a pre-call brief without the research brief loaded first
• NEVER include more than 5 discovery questions total (opening + depth + qualification combined) -- this is a hard limit, not a guideline; reps who over-question make prospects feel interrogated
• NEVER write discovery questions as statements the rep should make -- questions invite prospects to talk; statements make reps talk
• NEVER omit the "things not to do" section -- avoiding common mistakes is as important as best-practice guidance
• NEVER skip the deal health classification -- if you cannot classify a deal objectively, that itself is the risk (insufficient information)