1. Objective
This SOP governs how you prepare briefing materials that make your executive look and feel thoroughly prepared — for meetings with new contacts, prospects, existing clients, partners, and any other external interaction. A well-prepared executive walks into a conversation confident, warmer, and more effective. An unprepared one shows it. Your briefings are the difference.
Where this SOP starts: 24–48 hours before any significant external meeting.
Where this SOP ends: When the brief has been delivered, reviewed (or at minimum opened), and the meeting has concluded.Success looks like: Your executive walks into every external meeting knowing who they're meeting, why, and what they want to accomplish. They reference details you prepared — the other person's recent activity, a shared connection, an open item from last time — and the other person feels genuinely seen and prepared for. Your executive says "I feel like I always know what I'm walking into."
2. Your Role & Boundaries
2a. What you handle independently
- Preparing meeting briefs for all external meetings 24 hours in advance
- Researching new contacts using publicly available sources (LinkedIn, company website, press)
- Compiling relevant prior meeting notes and correspondence context
- Identifying the executive's goal for the meeting and including it in the brief
2b. What requires executive approval before acting
- Including any information in a brief that came from a private source or confidential conversation
- Reaching out to a mutual contact for information about the meeting's subject
- Sharing a brief with the other party (briefs are for your executive only)
2c. What you never do
- You never include speculation or opinion in a brief — stick to verified facts
- You never skip the brief for a meeting just because "they've met before" — context still matters
- You never deliver a brief the morning of a meeting if 24 hours was available — prepare ahead
- You never present raw information — synthesize it
3. The Contact Brief — For New People
Use this format when your executive is meeting someone for the first time.
Brief structure:
Section 1: Who they are (2–3 sentences)
Professional background, current role, company, years of experience. Source: LinkedIn, company website, their bio page.
Section 2: Their company (2–3 sentences)
What the business does, approximate size, notable clients or context. Source: their website, LinkedIn company page, press.
Section 3: Recent activity (1–2 items)
Anything notable they've posted, announced, or been involved in recently. Source: LinkedIn recent posts, company news, press.
Section 4: Meeting context
- How they came to be meeting your executive
- Who made the introduction (mention early in the call — it warms the tone)
- What the stated purpose of the meeting is
Section 5: Your executive's goal
What outcome are they hoping for from this meeting? Not just "see how the call goes" — what specifically?
Section 6: One thing to know
One relevant insight from your research that your executive should be aware of. Not a list — one thing that's actually useful.
Format: One page or less. This is a brief, not a biography. Deliver 24 hours before the meeting.
4. The Recurring Contact Brief — For Known People
When your executive is meeting with an existing client, partner, or known contact, the brief is different — less background, more context.
Brief structure:
Section 1: Prior meeting summary (3–5 bullet points)
What was discussed in the last meeting? What was the outcome?
Section 2: Open items
Any commitments made in the last meeting that haven't been completed? From either side?
Section 3: Status since last meeting
What has changed in this relationship or this person's situation since you last met?
Section 4: Meeting purpose and goal
Why are you meeting now? What does your executive want to accomplish?
Section 5: What to watch for
Any sensitivity, open issue, or topic that may come up that your executive should be aware of going in.
5. The Research Standard: Synthesis Over Dump
When you research for a brief, you are not collecting information — you are synthesizing it.
Do not:
- Send your executive 10 links and say "here's what I found"
- Include every fact you found in the brief
- Write everything in bullet form without a thread connecting them
Do:
- Bottom line up front — what's the most important thing they need to know going into this meeting?
- 2–4 supporting points — the most relevant context
- Source links at the bottom — for reference only, not for them to read before the meeting
6. Brief Delivery
When to deliver: 24 hours before the meeting. Never day-of if 24 hours was available.
How to deliver: Surface it in the 24-hour pre-meeting confirmation, or as a separate message:
"Brief attached for your Thursday 10 AM with [Name]. One thing to note: they recently announced a new service line that might be relevant — I've included a note."
If your executive doesn't respond to the brief: Don't assume they read it. Mention it in the morning check-in the day of: "Your brief for the [Name] meeting is ready — attached above." Don't ask if they read it; just make sure it's accessible.
7. Vendor and Tool Research Briefs
When your executive is evaluating a vendor, tool, or service, your brief should answer:
- What does it do and does it fit the specific need?
- What does it cost?
- How does it compare to 2–3 alternatives?
- What are real users saying (not just the marketing page)?
- What is your recommendation?
Format: Comparison table at the top, one-paragraph recommendation below it.
8. Decision Briefs
When your executive faces a decision — even an informal one — you can often help by organizing the options.
Decision brief format:
Decision: [What needs to be decided?]
Options:
1. [Option A — one sentence]
2. [Option B — one sentence]
3. [Option C if applicable]
Key considerations:
- [What matters most in making this decision]
- [What trade-offs exist]
Recommendation: [What you would choose and why — or "No clear recommendation — the right call depends on [X vs Y]"]
Next step: [What action follows the decision]
9. Escalation Protocol
Escalate when:
- Research reveals a significant concern or red flag about a meeting contact that your executive should know before deciding to proceed
- You can't find adequate background on a contact and the meeting is high-stakes
- A brief involves sensitive relationship history you don't have full context on
Escalation format:
Brief flag — want to surface this before I finalize:
[Brief description of concern or gap]
My recommendation: [X] — but wanted your eyes on this before Thursday's call.
10. Tools & Access
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Contact background research | |
| Company websites / news | Business context research |
| [CRM or contact log] | Prior meeting history |
| [Shared notes or meeting log] | Prior meeting notes for recurring contacts |
11. Changelog
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| April 2026 | Initial release |