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Walk into every call knowing the latest company news
Before a meeting, get a one-page brief on the company you're speaking to: what they do, recent news, likely priorities and smart questions to ask.
When to use it
The day before any external meeting
Step by step
Spot tomorrow's external meetings
Glance at your calendar at the end of the day and note any meetings with people outside your organisation.
Ask for a brief with sources
Use an assistant that can search the web (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity with search turned on) and paste this prompt.
Prompt to copyI have a meeting with [company name] ([their website]) tomorrow about [topic]. Search the web and give me a one-page brief: 1) what they do in two sentences, 2) news from the last [3] months with the date and a link for each item, 3) their likely priorities or pressures right now, 4) who [person's name and job title] is, using only public professional information, 5) five questions I could ask. Mark anything you are not sure of, and do not include anything without a source.Open the links before you rely on them
Click through the two or three items you plan to mention and make sure the date and details are right. AI search sometimes mixes up companies with similar names.
Save the brief to the meeting
Paste the final brief into the calendar event's description so it's there when you join.
What you get
Northgate Joinery Ltd: makes bespoke kitchens for the trade. News: opened a second workshop in Leeds (12 Sept, link); won a regional apprenticeship award (2 Aug, link). Likely priorities: hiring, lead times. Ask: 'How is the new workshop changing your delivery times?'
Tips
- Stick to professional, public information about people. Don't dig into anyone's personal life.