Pre-call brief · For the account executive · Read before the call
Dana P. agreed to talk once she is back from her buying trip. The fall campaign ran without a single report, and she raised that twice. Her budget is "probably $2,500 a month, maybe more if I can show my brother it works." Rob, her brother, co-owns the store and handles the books. He isn't expected on this call.
00 / In two minutes
The rest of the brief supports these points.
Your notes record monthly numbers as "non-negotiable" and brought up the fall campaign's missing reports twice. Any campaign shape you agree today has to name what she will see each month and when.
Last call notes, as you wrote them.
It's the 40th year on Elm Street, the outdoor kitchen area is being rebuilt in March and a Saturday workshop series is running, all while a GreenBarn opened six miles away in July.
Ridgeline Courier; Hartley's Facebook.
The budget depends on showing Rob it works. Ask whether he should see the proposal, and set the date before you hang up.
Owner: you. Due: on this call.
01 / Who
Only Dana is expected on the call. She tied the budget to showing Rob it works.
| Person | Role | On this call | What we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana P. | Co-owner, runs marketing | Yes | Wants to be in market before garden season opens in mid-April. Asked about reaching younger homeowners; that wasn't covered. Client-stated |
| Rob | Co-owner, handles the books | No · not expected | Dana said more budget depends on showing him it works. Client-stated |
| You | Account executive | Yes | Took the account over from the rep who ran the fall campaign. |
02 / Lead with
Two sentences you can say in your own words.
"Forty years on Elm Street, a new outdoor kitchen area in March and a Saturday workshop series. That's what I'd build spring around, and I'd put the monthly report in the plan from day one so you and Rob can see what it's doing."
03 / Five questions
Each one comes from this account.
| # | Question | Why it's here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | How was the buying trip? Anything you're excited to push this spring? | She'll have just returned from the trip; easy opener. |
| 2 | What will the outdoor kitchen area look like when it's done, and when should people first see it? | Sets the campaign start date. |
| 3 | The Saturday workshops: who's showing up, and who do you wish were? | Tests the younger-homeowner question she raised. |
| 4 | What would the monthly report need to show for Rob to call this a win? | Clarifies what the monthly report must include. |
| 5 | Has GreenBarn's opening changed anything for you since July? | Tests urgency without assuming harm. |
04 / What we know
Client-stated facts come from our own record of what Dana said. Externally researched facts come from public sources linked below.
| Fact | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The fall co-op campaign produced no client reporting. Dana raised it twice. | Client-stated | Account record · last call notes |
| Budget indicated at "probably $2,500 a month, maybe more if I can show my brother it works." | Client-stated | Account record · last call notes |
| The outdoor kitchen display rebuild lands in March. Garden season opens mid-April. | Client-stated | Account record · last call notes |
| Hartley's marks 40 years on Elm Street this year. | Externally researched | Ridgeline Courier, 2026-06-14 |
| A Saturday workshop series is running: container gardening, raised beds. | Externally researched | Hartley's public Facebook, 2026-08-02 and 2026-08-20 |
| GreenBarn opened a location six miles away. | Externally researched | Ridgeline Courier business brief, 2026-07-30 |
05 / Worth testing
Each would change the conversation if it turned out to be true. None of them is established.
| Hypothesis | Type | How to test it |
|---|---|---|
| GreenBarn's opening is adding urgency to spring. | Inference | Question 5. |
| Rob is the real approval step, and a proposal stalls without him. | Inference | Ask whether Rob should see the proposal. |
| The workshops are the way to reach the younger homeowners Dana asked about. | Inference | Question 3. |
06 / Don't assume
Don't go into the call claiming any of these.
07 / Sources
Only the sources below were used. Anything they don't cover is marked open.
| Source | What it supplied | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Account record | Last call notes, fall campaign history, open billing question | All activity on the account |
| Ridgeline Courier | 40th anniversary (2026-06-14); GreenBarn opening (2026-07-30) | Stories naming Hartley's or its competitors, past 12 months |
| Hartley's public Facebook | Workshop series (2026-08-02, 2026-08-20) | Public posts, past 90 days |
| Not found in the reviewed sources | Any sales figures, the fall campaign's results, Rob's view of advertising | — |
Agree the campaign shape and set a proposal date. Owner: you. Due: on this call. The account facts above come from the follow-through record of Dana's last call.