Recently I’ve had a few CEOs ask me a question that comes up often when discussing sales performance:

“How much research should a sales rep do before their first call with a prospect?”

It sounds like a straightforward question.

But in many ways, it’s a trick question.

Too often we try to solve sales performance issues with a formula:
“Spend at least an hour researching the prospect.”
“Know everything about their company before the call.”
“Come in with the answers.”

I tend to think about this differently.

The truth is, EQ paired with solid business acumen can carry most first conversations.

A first meeting shouldn’t be about showing up with a prescription. It should be about learning.

If a sales team is struggling, the answer isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule about research time. What matters far more is whether the salesperson has:

• Emotional intelligence
• Intellectual curiosity
• Strong business acumen
• A deep understanding of the product or service they represent
• Clarity on how that product or service is delivered
• A compelling sales story — why it matters to the customer

Too many salespeople become paralyzed by the belief they must have every answer before the conversation even begins.

When I see that, the first question I ask is simple:

Why can’t this person carry a thoughtful business conversation with limited information?

What’s missing?

Confidence?
Business context?
Curiosity?

Another important factor is how the meeting was positioned in the first place.

If a rep schedules a meeting saying, “We have the solution to your problem and only need 30 minutes to show you,” they’ve already painted themselves into a corner. Now the conversation becomes a rushed product pitch.

But if the expectation is set differently — “I’d like to learn more about your organization, what you’re trying to accomplish, and the challenges you’re navigating” — the entire dynamic changes.

Now the conversation becomes what it should be:

A dialogue.

One focused on understanding the problem deeply enough to eventually deliver a solution that brings predictability, consistency, and peace of mind.

The best salespeople I’ve ever worked with weren’t the ones who memorized the most information beforehand.

They were the ones who knew how to think, how to listen, and how to learn in real time.