To stop the ever-expanding cycle of random searches salespeople should follow these three steps to keep pre-call planning focused.

1. Know the best sources of information. Sales managers should provide their teams with a list of recommended sites and information sources so that salespeople know where to go to get answers to their questions. Online business information resources are the most useful and efficient means of gathering information because they are checked for accuracy and data decay. They also provide a one-stop-shop for industry information, news, company relationships and more. Because these are a single source of information, however, they might not have the in-depth data you need about every company, so combining them with other data sources can give you a more complete picture of the prospect.

2. Find out what you want to find out. Imagine you’re sitting in front of the client. What do you want to know? Write down those questions and then start looking for the answers. By asking yourself key questions you’d want to ask the client, you can find specific answers rather than just general information. Once you’ve got that information you can create a custom list of intelligent, targeted questions to ask the client in person.

3. Research faster. Once you’ve established a method for finding information, learn how to mine your sources more quickly and efficiently. For example, you might ask your sources to push information to you instead of having to go find it every time. Consider having information delivered to your PDA so you can stay up to date with news about your prospects in moments of down time such as waiting at a client’s office. In a sales environment that’s more competitive than ever you need a competitive edge to cut through the clutter. You do that by being the most knowledgeable.