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Prospecting Research Skill for Claude

Conduct deep account and contact research to personalize outreach and identify compelling angles for engagement

2k tokens
context cost
the whole folder, loaded on every use
1
files
instructions only
0
copies elsewhere
how many repositories repackaged it
145
stars on the repo
on the repository, not the skill itself

Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository
npx skills add https://github.com/guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills --skill prospecting-research

The instruction itself

18 sections, as written by the author

Prospecting Research

> Systematically research target accounts and contacts to craft personalized, relevant outreach that cuts through the noise.

When to Use This Skill

  • Preparing for high-value outbound
  • Personalizing enterprise outreach
  • Building account intelligence
  • Training SDRs on research
  • Creating target account profiles

Methodology Foundation

Based on Jeb Blount's Fanatical Prospecting and TOPO Account-Based Research, combining:

  • Company intelligence gathering
  • Contact profiling
  • Trigger identification
  • Angle development

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide |

|-------------|------------|

| Structures research framework | Time per account |

| Identifies key data points | Outreach approach |

| Suggests personalization angles | Which angle to use |

| Creates research templates | Tool selection |

| Synthesizes findings | Message crafting |

Instructions

Step 1: Company Research

Firmographic Data:

| Data Point | Source | Why It Matters |

|------------|--------|----------------|

| Company size | LinkedIn, website | ICP fit |

| Revenue | ZoomInfo, news | Budget potential |

| Industry | LinkedIn | Relevance |

| Locations | Website | Territory |

| Tech stack | BuiltWith, job posts | Integration fit |

Business Context:

| Data Point | Source | Why It Matters |

|------------|--------|----------------|

| Recent funding | Crunchbase, news | Budget, growth mode |

| Executive changes | LinkedIn, news | New priorities |

| Product launches | Press releases | Initiatives |

| Earnings/reports | SEC, investor calls | Priorities, challenges |

| Partnerships | News | Ecosystem |

Step 2: Contact Research

Professional Profile:

| Data Point | Source | Why It Matters |

|------------|--------|----------------|

| Current role | LinkedIn | Relevance |

| Tenure | LinkedIn | Influence level |

| Career path | LinkedIn | Context |

| Content shared | LinkedIn, Twitter | Interests |

| Mutual connections | LinkedIn | Warm intro |

Personal Connection Points:

  • Shared alma mater
  • Previous company overlap
  • Mutual connections
  • Content they've created
  • Events they've attended

Step 3: Identify Triggers

Timing Triggers:

| Trigger | Implication |

|---------|-------------|

| New in role | Building stack, making changes |

| New company | Bringing solutions from previous |

| Funding | Budget available |

| Hiring | Scaling, needs support |

| Bad earnings | Cost cutting or growth push |

Step 4: Develop Angles

Personalization Hierarchy:

  • Trigger-based - Strongest (funding, hire, news)
  • Content-based - Strong (their posts, interviews)
  • Company-based - Good (industry, challenges)
  • Mutual connection - Good (warm intro potential)
  • Generic - Weak (avoid)

Examples

Example 1: Full Account Research

Output:

## Account Research: DataFlow Systems

### Company Snapshot

| Attribute | Value | Source |
|-----------|-------|--------|
| Company | DataFlow Systems | |
| Industry | B2B SaaS (Analytics) | LinkedIn |
| Size | 340 employees | LinkedIn |
| Revenue | ~$50M ARR (est.) | ZoomInfo |
| Founded | 2018 | Crunchbase |
| HQ | Austin, TX | Website |
| Funding | $45M Series B (Oct 2024) | Crunchbase |

---

### Technology Stack

| Category | Tool | Source |
|----------|------|--------|
| CRM | Salesforce | BuiltWith, Jobs |
| Marketing | HubSpot | BuiltWith |
| Analytics | Mixpanel | Careers page |
| Data | Snowflake | Job posting |
| [Your Category] | None detected | Research |

**Implication:** Salesforce user = good fit for integration. No tool in our category = greenfield opportunity.

---

### Recent Triggers

| Date | Trigger | Relevance |
|------|---------|-----------|
| Oct 2024 | Series B ($45M) | Budget for tools |
| Nov 2024 | VP Sales hired | New leader = new tools |
| Dec 2024 | 12 SDR positions posted | Scaling outbound |
| Jan 2025 | G2 reviews mention "[pain]" | Known problem |

---

### Business Context

**From LinkedIn:**
- Growing 60% YoY (CEO post)
- Expanding to enterprise segment (VP Sales announcement)
- Recent product launch: AI analytics features

**From News:**
- Named to "Top 50 Startups" list
- Partnership with [Complementary Company]
- CEO spoke at [Industry Conference]

**From Job Posts:**
- Hiring: SDRs (12), AEs (5), RevOps (1)
- Reveals: Scaling sales org significantly
- Tech stack mentioned: Salesforce, Gong, Outreach (competitor!)

---

### Challenges (Inferred)

Based on triggers and context:
1. **Scaling sales team** - Need tools to support
2. **Moving upmarket** - Enterprise processes needed
3. **Rev Ops hire** - Building infrastructure
4. **Competitor in stack** - May be open to alternatives

---

### Target Contacts

| Name | Title | Priority | Angle |
|------|-------|----------|-------|
| Sarah Kim | VP Sales | Primary | New to role (90 days) |
| Mike Chen | RevOps Manager | Secondary | Posted RevOps opening |
| David Park | CEO | Executive | Series B scaling |

---

### Recommended Approach

**Primary Target: Sarah Kim, VP Sales**
- New to role = making changes
- Scaling team = needs tools
- Moving upmarket = needs process

**Angle:** "Congrats on the VP role and Series B! I noticed you're hiring 12 SDRs. Most VP Sales at your stage tell me [challenge] is their biggest issue. Curious if that's true for you?"

**Secondary Path:**
- RevOps Manager Mike Chen (operational angle)
- Mutual connection: [Name] (former colleague)

Example 2: Contact Deep Dive

Output:

## Contact Research: Sarah Kim, VP Sales

### Profile Summary

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Name | Sarah Kim |
| Title | VP of Sales |
| Company | DataFlow Systems |
| Location | Austin, TX |
| Tenure | 3 months (started Oct 2024) |
| LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/sarahkim |

---

### Career Path

| Period | Company | Role | Relevance |
|--------|---------|------|-----------|
| 2024-Present | DataFlow | VP Sales | Target |
| 2021-2024 | ScaleUp Inc | Director Sales | Previous tools? |
| 2018-2021 | BigCorp | Sales Manager | Enterprise exp |
| 2015-2018 | StartupXYZ | AE | SMB background |

**Insight:** Rose through ranks. Enterprise + SMB experience. First VP role = motivated to succeed.

---

### Content Activity

**LinkedIn Posts (Last 90 days):**
- "Excited to join DataFlow!" (Oct)
- Shared article on "Scaling SDR teams"
- Commented on post about sales forecasting
- Posted about team offsite (Dec)

**Themes:** Sales leadership, team building, scaling

**Quote-worthy:** "The hardest part of scaling isn't hiring—it's making sure every rep can sell like your best rep."

---

### Connection Points

| Type | Detail | Approach |
|------|--------|----------|
| Mutual Connection | John Smith (2nd degree) | Ask for intro |
| Content | Scaling article | Reference in outreach |
| Alma Mater | Stanford MBA | Mention if relevant |
| Previous Company | ScaleUp used our competitor | Migration angle |

---

### Professional Interests

Based on activity:
- Sales enablement
- Team scaling
- Forecasting accuracy
- Rep productivity

---

### Personalization Angles

**Angle 1: New VP + Scaling** (Strongest)

Hi Sarah,

Congrats on the VP role at DataFlow—and jumping into a Series B scaling mode!

I noticed you shared that article on scaling SDR teams. The quote "making every rep sell like your best rep" really resonated.

That's exactly what [Similar Customer] focused on when they went from 5 to 50 reps.

Curious: what's your #1 challenge as you build out the team?


**Angle 2: Content-Based**

Hi Sarah,

Loved your take on the hardest part of scaling: "making every rep sell like your best rep."

I work with a lot of VP Sales going through exactly that transition. The common thread? [Insight from our customers].

Worth comparing notes?


**Angle 3: Mutual Connection**

Hi Sarah,

John Smith mentioned you just took over sales at DataFlow—congrats!

He thought we should connect given your focus on [area].

Would love to hear what's top of mind as you build out the team.


---

### Red Flags / Cautions

- Just started (Oct) - may not have full authority yet
- Previous company used competitor - could be loyal
- No public content about specific pain points

---

### Recommended Sequence

**Day 1:** Email (Angle 1 - New VP + Scaling)
**Day 1:** LinkedIn connection (mention scaling article)
**Day 3:** Follow-up email with customer story
**Day 5:** LinkedIn voice note
**Day 7:** Final email with value offer

**Expectation:** 20-30% response rate with this level of personalization

Skill Boundaries

What This Skill Does Well

  • Structuring research process
  • Identifying personalization angles
  • Finding trigger events
  • Synthesizing intelligence

What This Skill Cannot Do

  • Access paid databases
  • Verify data accuracy
  • Replace genuine relationship building
  • Write final message copy

References

  • Jeb Blount's Fanatical Prospecting
  • TOPO Account-Based Research
  • SalesLoft Personalization Guide
  • Outreach.io Research Best Practices
  • icp-matching - Qualify before research
  • signal-monitoring - Trigger identification
  • outbound-sequencer - Use research in sequences

Skill Metadata

  • Domain: SDR Automation
  • Complexity: Intermediate
  • Mode: cyborg
  • Time to Value: 15-30 min per account
  • Prerequisites: Research tool access

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How to use it

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Take guia-matthieu/prospecting-research from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.

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