AI prompt to research a business prospect before a call

New business starts with a steady list of people and businesses to talk to, and a fast, personal first touch. AI helps agents research prospects, draft first messages and organize lead lists, so more of the day goes to real conversations.

Below is a ready-to-copy prompt to research a business prospect before a call, a detailed version that asks you clarifying questions first, and 2 specialized AI tools (Perplexity and Apollo.io) with instructions for this task. It also works in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot.

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The prompt

Summarize public information about a business prospect's industry and typical insurance risks before my first call: [industry, size, location]. Cite sources and flag anything to verify.

Detailed version (asks clarifying questions first)

Act as an experienced assistant to a licensed insurance agent. Before answering, ask me up to 3 clarifying questions (who you're reaching out to, whether it's an email, call or text, and tone). Then complete this task, and finish with a short checklist of statements I should verify with my compliance team.

Task: Summarize public information about a business prospect's industry and typical insurance risks before my first call: [industry, size, location]. Cite sources and flag anything to verify.

What a good result looks like

A good research summary describes the prospect's industry and the typical insurance risks businesses like it face, cites public sources and flags anything to verify, so you walk into the first call with good questions rather than assumptions.

Common mistakes and watch-outs

AI research can be outdated or wrong, and it may mix up companies with similar names. Check sources yourself, and don't present research as facts about the prospect's business. Verify contact details before outreach. Perplexity cites sources; Apollo.io data should be checked against the company's website.

How to adapt the prompt

Add the questions you want answered (contracts that require insurance, fleet size, seasonal staff) and ask for five discovery questions based on the research.

EXAMPLE output (placeholder data, not a real client)

Prospect brief: [Industry], [Size], [Location]

Typical risks for this industry:
- Customer injuries on site
- Damage to client property
- Vehicles used for work
- Employee injuries

Questions for the call:
1. Do your contracts require specific insurance?
2. How many vehicles and drivers?
3. Any seasonal staff?

Sources: [Source 1], [Source 2]
Verify: company size and services on their website.

How to use it

Copy the prompt. Copy the short prompt above, or the detailed version if you want the AI to ask clarifying questions first.
Fill in the placeholders. Replace [industry, size, location] with your own details. Use placeholders or de-identified details; never paste client personal information.
Run it in the right tool. Paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot, or use Perplexity and Apollo.io as described below.
Review before you use it. Verify contact details before outreach; business databases can be out of date. Check every fact, name and number yourself.
Take the next step. Next, see: Research a market, carrier or topic.

Best AI tools for this task

Specialized tools first, ordered by fit for this task (never by payout), then any general AI assistant.

Perplexity site ↗

AI answer engine with cited web sources, handy for market and carrier research.

How to use it

Ask Perplexity for a sourced summary of the prospect's industry risks and recent news.

Apollo.io site ↗

AI sales platform combining B2B contact data, intelligence and outreach.

How to use it

Look up the company and decision makers in Apollo.

Any AI assistant

ChatGPT Claude Google Gemini Microsoft Copilot

Paste the prompt above (short or detailed) into any of these.

Before you use it

Verify contact details before outreach; business databases can be out of date.
Verify facts, figures and sources yourself; AI research tools can be wrong or out of date.
Never paste client personal information (names, policy numbers, health or financial details) into AI tools your agency hasn't approved.
Review every AI output for accuracy and compliance before you use it.

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