Account context
The brief filters account information to the facts that are material to the conversation and stakeholder.
Pre-call research for IT services AEs, Account Managers and BDMs
Pre-call account research for client conversations.
For one upcoming client or prospect conversation, I review public business evidence, the current operating situation and the stakeholder context. The output is a short brief identifying the areas that merit investigation in the conversation.
The brief includes evidence-backed context, a small number of hypotheses to test, specific questions, and measures that may be worth exploring if the client confirms an issue. Delivery is within 2 working days.
2 working days after agreed inputs£99 first comparison briefNo subscription one account, one conversation
01
The preparation problem
Purpose of the research
Public sources can provide substantial account information. The research selects the evidence that is relevant to the current conversation and links it to the decisions likely to matter to the stakeholder.
The service is intended for discovery, account expansion and selected prospect conversations where additional preparation is justified.
Discovery focus
Questions are derived from the account evidence and the decisions being examined, rather than from a generic checklist.
Evidence boundaries
A visible condition or business change is treated as evidence. It does not establish pain, a requirement or a project without client validation.
02
Where it fits
Where the service fits
ProperBizFix is a pre-call account research service for project-based IT firms. It is used after there is a specific reason for a client conversation and before the underlying need has been established.
Reason to talkClient signal or a concrete reason for you to engage now.
→ProperBizFix2-day account research and hypotheses.
→Client conversationTest the hypotheses and quantify what matters.
→Qualification updatedRecord what the client actually confirmed: pain, impact, stakeholders, process and next step.
→Presales / scopeBring technical people in around a clearer problem boundary.
A stated requirement may already exist, but it is not required. The common condition is that a real conversation is planned and the client need is still partly undefined.
Inbound conversation
An enquiry, question, review request or early project idea already exists. The brief examines the wider business context before the stated topic is treated as the full problem boundary.
Proactive conversation
The account has already been selected and there is a specific reason to engage. The brief identifies the areas that may be relevant before the first substantive conversation. Cold-list prospecting is outside the scope.
03
When to use it
Suitable conversation types
Inbound enquiry
The client has contacted you about CRM, reporting, integration or another issue, but the need is still vague.
Existing-client catch-up
An existing client wants to talk, but there is no defined project yet.
Account review
You have a QBR or account conversation and want current hypotheses rather than generic questions.
New stakeholder
A new commercial, operations or technology leader can create a reason to revisit the account, but a recent leadership change is not required for the brief to be useful.
Proactive conversation
You have chosen to approach the client because expansion, restructuring, a new leader, acquisition, hiring or another visible change gives you a concrete reason to talk now.
Known prospect / strategic account
The account has already been selected and there is a specific reason to engage, while the underlying problem is still undefined. Cold prospect-list building is outside scope.
04
Illustrative brief structure
Illustrative example: a new prospect discussing CRM reporting
A recent public event is not required. The current operating model, stated request and stakeholder responsibilities may provide enough evidence to identify decisions worth testing.
Research finds
- the business sells both project work and recurring managed services;
- commercial teams serve direct clients and channel-led opportunities;
- delivery ownership changes depending on the service line;
- management reporting is expected to cover the same commercial organisation across those motions;
- the stakeholder is responsible for commercial performance across them.
What may be worth testing
- whether one pipeline and reporting model represents materially different revenue motions;
- whether forecast stages mean the same thing across services and channels;
- whether commercial commitments move consistently into delivery;
- whether management can compare performance and contribution across the motions.
A question worth testing
“You have several routes from opportunity to delivery. Are they managed through the same commercial stages and measures today, or do you already separate them where the decisions differ?”
Reject the hypothesis if the current reporting already distinguishes the motions in a way the stakeholder trusts and no material decision gap exists.The brief does not convert a hypothesis into a requirement. The client conversation determines whether the issue is real and material.
A sourced public-data sample using a real company will replace this illustration. It will show how hypotheses can be developed from the current operating situation, including cases without a recent business change.
05
The brief
Brief structure
The first page summarises the account context, stakeholder decisions and hypotheses that are most relevant to the conversation. Supporting pages show the evidence and reasoning.
Material account context
The small amount of account context that actually changes what is worth discussing.
Stakeholder context
What this role needs to decide, see, coordinate or control in the situation as it exists now.
Areas to investigate
A small number of evidence-backed hypotheses for client validation.
Questions
Specific questions tied to the account evidence and stakeholder context.
Measures to explore
Measures or operational effects to explore if the client confirms the issue.
Rejection condition
Each retained hypothesis includes a condition that would make it irrelevant or already resolved.
Sources
The evidence behind the brief is attached so you can see what is fact and what is interpretation.
Excluded signals
Signals that are weak or irrelevant are excluded from the retained hypotheses.
The output is intentionally selective: typically only the areas that materially change what should be tested in the conversation are retained.
06
First brief
First brief: comparison with existing preparation
The first brief can be used as a comparison with your normal preparation. I work independently from the provider and client domains, the reason for the conversation and the stakeholder information supplied.
Existing preparation
Use your relationship knowledge, CRM notes, technical context and normal meeting prep.
Independent brief
I work from the two domains, the reason for the conversation, the stakeholder or role if known, and any client issue already mentioned.
Comparison point
The relevant test is whether the brief changes the questions, areas of investigation or stakeholder focus compared with your normal preparation.
07
Independent second view
Role of the external brief
Internal teams retain relationship knowledge, CRM history and technical context. ProperBizFix adds a separate outside-in review of the account for one live conversation.
Internal context
Use the context you already have: relationship history, technical knowledge, previous conversations and your normal qualification process.
External context
You receive the material account context, stakeholder lens, a small number of areas worth testing, specific questions, what may be worth quantifying and what would rule each area out.
08
Why me
Relevant experience
Client-side IT procurement and requirements
My experience includes commissioning IT work and translating wider operating issues into requirements presented to suppliers.
Cross-functional operating experience
My background spans sales, marketing, customer service, finance and service delivery, including work on cross-functional processes and responsibilities.
The research therefore starts with the business situation and the stakeholder decisions before considering a possible system implication.
09
Your sales process stays yours
Use with existing qualification frameworks
The brief prepares account context and hypotheses before the conversation. MEDDICC, MEDDPICC, SPICED or an internal framework is completed from client evidence during qualification.
Pre-call
Use the brief to identify the areas to investigate, the stakeholder decisions involved and the measures that may be relevant.
Client conversation
The client establishes Pain, impact, Economic Buyer, Champion, Decision Process and the rest of the buying reality.
Post-call qualification
Update qualification and CRM with client-confirmed information. Keep desk-research assumptions separate.
MEDDICC / MEDDPICC account research → SPICED discovery preparation → For Sales Leaders →
10
Price and boundary
Pricing and timing
FIRST COMPARISON BRIEF
£99
Same research scope. Use one live conversation and compare the brief with your normal preparation.
FURTHER BRIEFS
£145
Same scope and turnaround for each additional upcoming conversation.
DELIVERY
Within 2 working daysBest used when the substantive client conversation is at least two working days away.
Single briefs do not require a subscription. Team plans are available for recurring use.
Domain first
Fit check and inputs
A defined requirement is not necessary. I first check whether current public evidence is sufficient for a useful brief. No payment is taken at the fit-check stage.
If the conversation is suitable, I confirm the scope, fee and any additional context required. Delivery is within 2 working days after payment and receipt of the agreed inputs.
If the available evidence is insufficient, the conversation is too broad, or another type of discovery is more appropriate, I will say so before payment.
Do not send CRM logins, credentials, raw customer data or system exports through this form. I do not approach the client as part of the fit check or research service. See Privacy.