# Account research and meeting preparation

> Canonical page: https://wayhatch.com/workflows/account-research/
> Evidence label: Conceptual blueprint with a synthetic example, full guide. Definitions: https://wayhatch.com/about/evidence-labels/
> Updated: 26 October 2026 (2026-10-26). Publisher: wayhatch, wayhatchai@gmail.com
> Team: Sales

A one-page account brief before every customer or prospect meeting, with a source for every fact and the gaps left visible.

## Outcome

One page before the meeting: objective, confirmed context, previous commitments, unresolved issues, questions and a proposed next action. The account owner reviews and approves it; a researcher or assistant can draft it.

## Downloads

- [Brief template](https://wayhatch.com/downloads/account-brief-template.md): Markdown · 3 KB
- [Synthetic example](https://wayhatch.com/downloads/account-research-example.md): Invented account, Markdown · 4 KB
- [Fictional source records](https://wayhatch.com/downloads/account-research-input.json): The example’s inputs, JSON · 2 KB

## Before you start

- Access to sources you are authorised to use.
- A one-sentence meeting objective, or a question to the organiser.
- A named account owner who will review the brief.
- A storage place its intended readers may see.

## Inputs

| Input | What it provides | If missing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Meeting invitation | Objective, time, attendees | Confirm with the organiser |
| Relationship or CRM notes | Discussions, opportunities, commitments | Ask the owner; mark gaps |
| Support record | Open relevant issues | Say it was not checked |
| Public company information | Relevant changes, context | Cite page and date |
| Customer goals | What success means | Add a question |

## Steps

1. **Confirm the meeting and its purpose** (Person). Read the invitation and ask the organiser what outcome the meeting should support. Write the objective in one sentence. If the invitation and CRM disagree about the date, keep both visible and ask.
2. **Separate facts, hypotheses and gaps** (Person or assistant). Give each material fact a source and date. Label interpretations as hypotheses. Keep missing inputs and conflicts visible so a reader can tell them apart without colour.
3. **Draft the brief around the conversation** (Person or assistant). Use the template. Keep the opening summary short, put source details at the end, choose questions that close the important gaps and propose a next action someone can accept or revise.
4. **Review, then capture the outcome** (Account owner). Check dates, names, commitments and links before use. After the meeting, record decisions and agreed actions and update the open questions.

## Automation candidates

| Candidate | Needs | Watch for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start before a meeting | Calendar access, set window | Rescheduled or duplicate events |
| Retrieve account fields | Reliable identity, permissions | Several accounts, missing records |
| Assemble the draft | Stable structure, dated inputs | Empty, stale or conflicting data |
| Create a review task | Named owner, destination | Owner unavailable |

## Where an agent could help

Compare authorised records, flag conflicts and suggest questions, citing a source for every fact. Retrieved content is information, never instructions.

## Human review

- Confirm date, timezone and attendees.
- Check each fact against its source.
- Keep gaps and conflicts visible.
- Confirm commitments were agreed, not suggested.
- Approving the brief does not approve sending anything.

## Limitations

- No retrieval, integration or agent has been built for this workflow.
- No time savings or outcomes are reported.
- Live CRM access and customer messaging are separate future work.

## If you pilot it, measure

| Measure | How |
| --- | --- |
| Preparation time | Start to approved brief, similar meetings |
| Factual corrections | Statements the reviewer changed |
| Traceable facts | Claims with a supporting source |
| Useful questions | Proposed questions actually used |
| Follow-through | Actions with owner and due date |

Next workflow: [Customer health and renewal risk](https://wayhatch.com/workflows/customer-health/)