In B2B sales, great slides won’t matter if they solve the wrong problem. Before you even open PowerPoint, you need to dig into the prospect’s world. Top-performing reps who do this switch topics 78% more often and ask 30% more questions—two behaviors closely tied to higher close rates. Use the five-step process below to uncover insights your competitors will miss and make every sales presentation feel tailor-made.

Scan the Business Landscape

The first step is gathering public intelligence. Start with the company’s website, annual reports, press releases, and investor presentations. These resources are goldmines for understanding strategic goals like “expand to EU” or pinpointing pain points such as “supply-chain delays.”

Be methodical. Create a simple document where you collect exact phrases executives use. The language a CEO or CMO chooses often reveals deep priorities and pressures. By capturing their words, you’ll be able to mirror their thinking during your pitch—instantly proving you understand their world. Companies like Salesforce and HubSpot emphasize “customer-centric growth” in public documents, and reps who reflect this language back build trust faster.

Map the Stakeholders

Once you understand the company’s direction, it’s time to figure out who matters inside the walls. LinkedIn is your best friend here. Search for key players by title, department, and even past employers.

Understand what each stakeholder cares about. A COO might obsess over uptime and operational efficiency. A CFO is laser-focused on ROI and risk mitigation. Knowing their priorities helps you tailor your narrative. Bonus tip: look for personal details too. A VP who’s passionate about sustainability or digital transformation gives you an opening for authentic rapport.

According to LinkedIn Sales Solutions, 84% of decision-makers say they are more likely to engage with sales professionals who understand their role-specific challenges. Stakeholder mapping isn't just prep work—it’s your strategic advantage.

Translate Findings into Value Statements

Research without application is just trivia. Your next move is to translate what you’ve learned into tangible value statements.

Instead of pitching features, frame benefits in terms of outcomes. For instance: "Automating invoice approvals could save your team 1,200 hours a year, based on your current processing volume." Concrete math turns nice-to-have ideas into must-do priorities.

Value statements grounded in discovery make your pitch feel less like selling and more like consulting. They drive urgency and create a shared vision of success between you and the buyer.

Ruthlessly Trim the Deck

Now that you’re loaded with insights, it’s time to streamline. Research isn’t just about adding—it's about subtracting. Strip out slides that don’t directly speak to the problems you've identified.

Take a page from Donnelly Mechanical, which boosted lead quality by tailoring presentations solely to facilities-management headaches, ignoring generic corporate slides. Their decks shrank, but their close rates grew.

Aim for a presentation lasting 20–30 minutes max. Keep only the essentials that resonate with your buyer’s goals and pains. Every extra slide risks diluting your impact.

Prepare Questions That Prove You Listened

Finally, enter the meeting armed with smart, open-ended questions. Great questions prove you’ve done your homework—and invite prospects to open up.

For example: “Your Q1 report mentioned longer lead times—how is that impacting customer retention right now?” A well-placed question like this can spark a valuable dialogue and surface objections while you still have time to address them.

Gong.io data shows that high-performing salespeople ask about 30% more questions during calls. Smart, research-driven questions don’t just show listening—they drive deals forward.

Wrap-Up: Research Isn’t Pre-Work. It Is the Work That Makes the Pitch Land.

Research isn't a box to tick. It’s the secret weapon that makes every presentation feel like a custom consultation.

✅ Start by scanning public business materials to uncover strategy and pain points.
✅ Map internal stakeholders to personalize your approach.
✅ Translate findings into value statements with real outcomes and math.
✅ Ruthlessly trim the deck to stay hyper-relevant.
✅ Prepare sharp, insightful questions that open real conversations.

Mastering this cycle ensures you don’t just present—you connect. You’ll make prospects feel heard, understood, and confident that your solution fits like a glove. Up next: turning all that rich insight into hyper-personalized slides that move deals to “closed-won.”