prospecting

name	prospecting
description	Research and find prospects for sales outreach. Searches across web sources, company sites, directories, and news. Saves contacts to Notion and drafts personalized cold emails.
version	1.1.0
author	Mike

Prospecting Skill

Search for prospects across multiple web sources, filter by criteria, save to Notion, and draft personalized cold emails. Industry agnostic, configurable via environment variables and user preferences.

Configuration

Before using this skill, set these in your .env or memory:

NOTION_API_KEY=your_notion_api_key
NOTION_PROSPECTS_DB_ID=your_database_id
INDUSTRY=your_industry            # e.g. Manufacturing, SaaS, Healthcare
TARGET_ROLES=VP,Director,Head of  # roles you search for
EXCLUDE_TYPES=logistics,transport  # company types to skip
REVENUE_MIN=100M                   # minimum revenue threshold

Trigger

User says something like:

• "prospect [role] in [city]"
• "find me [title]s in [location]"
• "search for [function] executives in [metro area]"

Workflow

1. Parse the request

Extract from user message:

• Role/title — VP, Director, Manager, Head of, C-level in the target function
• City/location — any city, metro area, or region (NEVER hardcode)
• Industry focus — if specified, otherwise use configured defaults

2. Search for prospects

Use these sources in order:

A. Google X-ray search (primary)

site:linkedin.com/in "[role]" "[function]" "[city]"
site:linkedin.com/in "[title]" "[city]" "[industry]"

Use web_search tool. Extract names, titles, companies from search snippets.

B. Company-focused search

"[city]" "[function]" "[role]" site:companywebsite.com
"[company]" leadership team [function]

Search for companies in the target city/industry, then find their leadership.

C. Industry directories and databases

• Crunchbase — search companies by location, industry, revenue
• Apollo.io — company and contact search
• Industry association member lists
• Trade publications and member directories

D. Industry news sites (high-signal for exec appointments and company intel)

• Search industry-specific news sites for the target vertical
• Exec appointments, expansions, M&A are all high-signal for prospecting

E. News and press releases (general web)

"[city]" "[function]" "appointed" OR "hired" OR "promoted" 2025..2026

Recent executive appointments are high-signal prospects.

F. LinkedIn (ONLY when user explicitly asks or other sources exhausted)

• Requires browser automation setup
• Send live URL to user for authentication
• Then search, extract, connect

3. Filter prospects

INCLUDE:

• Roles matching configured target roles (VP, SVP, Director, Senior Director, Head of, Chief)
• Companies matching target industry and size
• Revenue above configured threshold (verify via web search if uncertain)
• Location matching target city/metro area

EXCLUDE:

• Company types configured in EXCLUDE_TYPES
• Schools, universities, colleges
• Hospitals, healthcare systems
• Government agencies, nonprofits
• Consulting firms, staffing agencies, recruiters
• Private equity, investment firms
• Companies below revenue threshold (unless uncertain)

4. Save to Notion

Database ID from NOTION_PROSPECTS_DB_ID env var. Notion API key from NOTION_API_KEY env var. Use API version 2022-06-28 for all operations.

Properties to fill:

• Company (title): Company name
• Contact Name (rich_text): Full name
• Contact Title (rich_text): Their title/role
• Status (select): "New Lead"
• Source (select): "Web Research" (or "LinkedIn" if sourced from there)
• Industry (select): Match from configured options
• Revenue (select): Revenue bracket (research if possible)
• Research Notes (rich_text): Key intel, company background, why they fit
• Website (url): Company website if found

5. Draft personalized emails

Update each Notion page with a "Draft Email" (rich_text property). Set status to "Email Drafted" after.

Email rules:

• NO em dashes (use commas, periods, or parentheses)
• Short subject line (under 10 words)
• Hook in first sentence (reference something specific about them or their company)
• Clear CTA (15-minute call or quick conversation)
• Sign off with your configured name
• Keep under 100 words
• Every email must feel human-written, no templates

6. Report back to user

Summarize what was found:

• Number of prospects found
• Company, name, title for each
• What was saved to Notion
• Any gaps (e.g., "could not verify revenue for X")

Key rules

• NEVER hardcode a city. City comes from user request.
• NEVER use LinkedIn unless user explicitly says "use linkedin"
• NEVER guess contact info (emails, phone numbers)
• NEVER send emails. Draft only. User reviews in Notion.
• ALWAYS verify company type before adding
• When uncertain about revenue, note it in research notes rather than guessing
• Save to Notion FIRST, then draft emails, then update status