Replacing manual client research with an AI research assistant reduced meeting prep time from 90 minutes to 7 minutes per meeting while actually improving preparation quality. The AI produces structured research briefs covering company overview, recent news, key stakeholders, and conversation starters. The human review step (5 minutes) catches errors and adds personal context the AI can’t know. After 3 months and 50+ AI-assisted meetings, the biggest surprise was that clients started commenting on how well-prepared the conversations felt.
Confession: I used to be terrible at meeting prep.
Not because I didn’t care. Because I cared too much. I’d go down rabbit holes, reading the client’s entire blog archive, stalking their team on LinkedIn, reading Glassdoor reviews. Ninety minutes later, I’d have 15 browser tabs open and a vague sense that I “knew” the company.
But when the meeting started? I couldn’t find the one specific fact I needed. My “research” was scattered across my brain with no structure.
Then I delegated it. And something unexpected happened: I became the most prepared person in every meeting. Not because I spent more time. Because I spent better time.
The 90-Minute Trap
Here’s what my research process looked like before:
Open company website, read About page (10 min)
- Browse their blog (15 min; this always spiralled)
- Check LinkedIn profiles of attendees (10 min)
- Search for recent news (10 min)
- Open random articles from search results (15 min)
- Try to remember what I found (10 min)
- Realise I didn’t write anything down (5 min of panic)
- Hastily scribble notes (15 min) Total: 90 minutes. Output quality: mediocre.
The problem wasn’t the research. It was the lack of structure. I was gathering information without a framework for what matters.
The 7-Minute Alternative
Here’s my process now:
Minute 1-2: I tell my Research Analyst AI: “Research [Company] for my Thursday meeting with [Person, Title]. Focus on recent developments and potential pain points for a [their industry] business.”
Minutes 3-4: The AI produces a structured brief (this happens while I’m doing other work).
Minutes 5-7: I review the brief. Check for accuracy. Add one personal note. Mark the 2-3 talking points I want to hit.
That’s it. Seven minutes. And I walk into every meeting with a structured, comprehensive, scannable brief.
What Changed in My Meetings
The briefs aren’t just faster; they’re better. Here’s why:
Structure matters more than depth. A one-page brief with 5 clear sections beats 90 minutes of scattered browsing. I know exactly where to find each piece of information when I need it.
I reference specific things. “I noticed you recently expanded into the healthcare vertical. How’s that going?” beats “So, tell me about your business.” Clients notice when you’ve done your homework.
I’m less anxious. The research is done. It’s sitting in front of me. I can focus on listening and connecting instead of trying to remember what I read last night.
Clients have commented. More than once, a client has said “You clearly did your homework.” That never happened when I was doing 90-minute deep dives.
The Setup (So You Can Copy It)
I created a Research Analyst AI team member on LaunchLemonade with:
System prompt highlights: “Produce a one-page brief, under 500 words”
- “Lead with what matters for a productive meeting, not comprehensiveness”
- “Include 3 specific conversation starters tailored to their situation”
- “Flag anything that needs verification” Template: Company snapshot, recent developments, key stakeholders, industry context, conversation starters, potential pain points.
Training data: I uploaded my 5 best manually-written research briefs as examples of what “good” looks like.
The setup took about 10 minutes. I’ve now used it for 50+ meetings over 3 months.
What the AI Misses (And Why the 5-Minute Review Matters)
The AI doesn’t know everything. Here’s what it consistently misses:
Personal history: “I met Sarah at a conference in October”. Only I know that.
Unwritten context: The client mentioned they’re considering a reorg during our last call. That’s not public information.
Tone and politics: Sometimes a company is going through something sensitive. The AI might mention it factually, but I need to decide whether and how to reference it.
Very recent events: If something happened today, the AI might not have it yet.
That’s why the 5-minute review is non-negotiable. The AI does 80% of the work. The human review adds the 20% that makes it personal.
3 Months Later: The Surprising Results
After 50+ AI-researched meetings:
Meetings that led to follow-up action: up 40%. Average prep time: down 92% (from 90 min to 7 min) Meeting confidence: significantly higher. Zero missed prep. Before, I’d skip research for “less important” meetings. Now every meeting gets a brief because it takes 7 minutes, not 90.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does AI client research take compared to manual research?
AI client research takes 2-3 minutes to generate a structured brief, plus 5 minutes of human review, total 7 minutes. Manual research typically takes 60-90 minutes. The AI is faster because it follows a structured template and doesn’t go down rabbit holes, while the human review ensures accuracy and adds personal context.
Is AI research accurate enough for client meetings?
AI research is 85-95% accurate for publicly available information. The 5-minute human review step catches errors, adds personal context, and ensures you’re not relying on outdated data. After 50+ AI-researched meetings, the quality has been consistently high enough that clients comment positively on meeting preparation.
What AI tools are best for client meeting preparation?
The best tools for meeting prep are AI platforms that let you create persistent, trained research assistants with custom templates. LaunchLemonade lets you create a Research Analyst AI with your specific brief format and company context. General tools like ChatGPT and Claude can also produce research briefs but require re-prompting each time.
Can AI research replace a human research analyst?
AI replaces the data-gathering and compilation work of a research analyst, the 80% that’s structural. It doesn’t replace the strategic interpretation, relationship context, or judgment that an experienced analyst provides. For small businesses that can’t afford a dedicated researcher, AI fills the gap effectively.
90 minutes of scattered research, or 7 minutes of structured briefing. Which sounds better?
Create your Research Analyst: https://launchlemonade.app?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=i-stopped-doing-client-research-manually
Cien Solon is the founder and CEO of LaunchLemonade, building AI team members for every business. Follow her on LinkedIn for daily insights on AI, delegation, and building in public.
