TL;DR: ShareSales helps reps prepare for a first call with CRM history and the Customer Intelligence Agent’s four preset research skills. Reports distinguish facts, inferences, and items requiring verification. Global company and contact data can supplement overseas research, subject to coverage and availability.

The first customer call is tomorrow. A rep has a company name, a calendar invitation, and several records to check. An earlier opportunity may explain why discussions stopped. A contract may contain a commitment worth knowing. A service issue may affect how the customer responds.

An AI-generated report raises another question: which statements can the rep trust? A confident paragraph about the customer’s priorities is difficult to use when its evidence is unclear.

ShareSales, the sales management product in ShareCRM, the Agentic CRM, supports preparation with CRM history and structured customer research. The Customer Intelligence Agent provides four preset research skills and distinguishes the evidence behind its judgments.

What should reps check in CRM before the first call?

A first call for one rep may follow months of work by colleagues. Existing opportunities, contracts, service records, and contact information provide a starting point for understanding that history.

Review what the customer previously explored, where discussions stopped, and what the team agreed to deliver. Check whether a service issue needs clarification with a colleague before raising a new proposal. Existing contact records can show whom the team has already spoken with.

A concise account view helps organize these details for preparation. The rep should check the available records within their CRM permissions and identify gaps to follow up. Customer research can then address questions about the company’s business and operating environment.

What can the Customer Intelligence Agent research?

The Customer Intelligence Agent includes four preset skills: Customer Due Diligence Report, Industry Analysis, Industry Chain Analysis, and Cooperation History. Reps can request an overall report or focus on a specific topic.

Customer Due Diligence Report establishes an overview of the target company. It brings together company fundamentals, business activities, relevant intelligence, and risk signals. When needed, it incorporates findings from the other research skills into the main report.

Industry Analysis examines the customer’s industry environment, including market developments, competition, policy changes, and the company’s position. Before meeting a manufacturer, a rep might use it to investigate which industry changes could affect the customer’s operating priorities.

Industry Chain Analysis examines the company’s position in its wider business ecosystem. It covers upstream and downstream relationships, channels, partners, and relevant dependencies. This gives the rep a basis for questions about how the customer serves its own customers and works with suppliers.

Cooperation History examines past cooperation using public information, tender records, and CRM information within the user’s permissions. It can surface previous projects, supplier relationships, and historical interactions that deserve closer review before the call.

For a broad request, the due diligence skill can draw on the relevant specialist analyses and integrate their findings. A focused industry question can go directly to the Industry Analysis skill.

How does the report distinguish evidence from judgment?

The Customer Intelligence Agent establishes the facts before making judgments. Key conclusions distinguish facts, inferences, and items requiring verification, with evidence sources retained for review.

A fact is supported by the available evidence. An inference interprets that evidence. An item requiring verification identifies a point that still needs checking.

For example, a published project announcement may establish that a company participated in a particular project. A possible implication for its current priorities remains an inference until further evidence supports it. The rep can examine the source and decide what to ask during the meeting.

This distinction matters when preparing a customer-facing conversation. It lets the rep see which statements have support and which questions remain open. Important conclusions still need review, particularly when information is incomplete, conflicting, or dated.

How can global company and contact data support overseas research?

Global company and contact data can supplement research into overseas businesses and associated people. Company searches can use criteria such as name, domain, location, and business keywords. People searches can use company, job title, seniority, and location.

Coverage is concentrated in the Americas and Europe. Available fields vary by company and person, and an empty result is a normal outcome. Complete information is not available for every business.

People search returns matching people and employment information. It does not directly provide email addresses or phone numbers. Contact-detail enrichment is a separate lookup, with availability depending on the returned data.

Before using a result in preparation, check that it refers to the intended company or person and note any missing information.

FAQ

How can a rep check that the research covers the right company?

Start with the company’s full, accurate name. Review the company identified in the report and the stated research scope before using the findings. If similarly named businesses create ambiguity, clarify the intended company and verify the supporting sources before taking those findings into the call.

What should a rep do when a conclusion is marked as an inference?

Review the supporting evidence and use the inference to frame a question for the customer. Check whether the source is current and relevant to the intended company. If the point affects a proposal or commitment, verify it through available records, colleagues, or the customer before relying on it.

What happens if an overseas company or contact search returns no data?

An empty result is a normal outcome and does not establish that a company or person does not exist. Coverage and available fields vary, with coverage concentrated in the Americas and Europe. Check the search details, consult other available sources, and leave unsupported information unconfirmed.

Explore customer research and first-call preparation with ShareSales.