Building a prospect research assistant

Before approaching a company, a business development rep needs a useful brief: what the company does, why it might be relevant, and which facts still need checking. Gathering that information is only part of the work. Someone must review it and save it where colleagues can use it.

This series follows how we built a prospect research assistant at Aligned, from separate conversations in Copilot Chat to a custom agent with a review card and CRM access. Each iteration covers one improvement, what the tests revealed, and instructions you can use with your own team.

The problem we set out to solve

We already used Claude for company research, with people directing the work. Each run depended on someone guiding the next step, checking the output, and managing the handoffs.

We wanted fewer manual handoffs and more consistent briefs in the Microsoft tools our team already used. Microsoft 365 Copilot would be the place to request research, review the findings, and ask for a CRM save.

We focused on manufacturers and distributors. The brief needed to distinguish supported facts from possible opportunities, retain source links, and make conflicting or missing information visible.

The process

Turn company research into a useful CRM brief, with a person reviewing the findings and deciding what to save.

From research to a reviewed brief

1. 01ResearchGather company facts, sources, and possible opportunities.
2. 02Review and correctCheck the evidence, resolve errors, and keep unknowns visible.
3. 03Save to CRMRequest the save, then check the company record and note.

What success means

• Useful: does the brief help a colleague understand the company?
• Checkable: can they follow the evidence and see what remains uncertain?
• Repeatable: does another company or a repeated request expose new problems?
• Worth the effort: how much time goes into review, correction, and recovery?

To try this with your team: research a company in a chat assistant your organization allows. Ask a colleague to check the claims and source links before you connect it to other systems.

Our tools and approach

The first prototype used Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, with Clay as the enrichment service and Attio as the CRM. Our approach draws on Microsoft’s planning guidance to plan the work around the business task. The checks in these articles also apply when you use other tools.