# Client Research Dossier

> Produces a deep, structured markdown research dossier on a company, client, or brand to brief a strategy engagement, covering positioning, founders, market, channels, SEO/GEO, competitors, a prioritized quick-win audit, and open onboarding questions. Use when onboarding a new client, scoping a strategy or growth engagement, or assembling a baseline briefing before proposals or kickoff.

- Skill: `sujanbhuiyan/client-research-dossier` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sujanbhuiyan/client-research-dossier`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sujanbhuiyan/client-research-dossier/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Marketing & Growth
- License: MIT
- Author: sujanbhuiyan (https://skillmd.com/u/sujanbhuiyan)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sujanbhuiyan/client-research-dossier

---


# Client Research Dossier

## What this does

Assembles a comprehensive, decision-ready research dossier on a single
company, client, or brand. The output is one structured markdown document that
profiles the business end to end — positioning, people, products, market,
owned channels, search posture, competitors, and the highest-leverage things to
fix first — so a strategist can walk into kickoff already fluent in the account.

## When to use it

- Onboarding a new client or account and you need a baseline brief.
- Scoping a strategy, SEO/GEO, or growth engagement before writing a proposal.
- Preparing for a kickoff or discovery call and need the full picture fast.
- Refreshing an existing dossier after a material change (new product, rebrand,
  funding, leadership change).

If the deliverable you actually want is a deep competitor map, use the
`competitive-intel-matrix` skill instead. If it's a forward plan, use
`growth-strategy-playbook`. This skill is the upstream baseline both rely on.

## How to use it

1. Confirm the subject and scope: the legal entity, all trading names, the
   primary domain, and any sub-brands or sister entities. Note the engagement
   type so the dossier emphasizes the right sections.
2. Research breadth-first across the live site, social profiles, directory
   listings, press, founder profiles (LinkedIn/Crunchbase), reviews, and any
   public filings. Capture exact figures, dates, handles, and URLs — specificity
   is the product.
3. Assemble the dossier section by section following the canonical outline in
   [`references/dossier-outline.md`](references/dossier-outline.md). Every
   section there lists exactly what it must contain; do not skip sections, mark
   genuinely unknown items as "Open question" and route them to the final
   section rather than guessing.
4. Build the 90-day Quick-Win Audit by scoring each finding with the impact ×
   effort rubric in [`references/quick-win-rubric.md`](references/quick-win-rubric.md)
   and labeling each P0, P1, or P2.
5. Keep the competitive section brief — name the rings and the top threats, then
   point to a full `competitive-intel-matrix` deliverable for depth.
6. Close with a one-line strategic positioning hypothesis, a risk register, and
   a numbered list of open onboarding questions the client must answer before a
   plan can be locked.

## Inputs

- Company / brand name(s) and primary domain.
- Engagement type (e.g. SEO/GEO, full growth, brand, web rebuild).
- Any known facts, internal access, or source material the user provides.
- Optional: target depth (quick baseline vs. exhaustive dossier).

## Output

A single markdown file, typically saved as
`research/00_<Company>_Research_Dossier.md` in the client's folder. It opens
with an executive summary and follows the full section order in the outline
reference, ending with the risk register and open questions.

## Notes & constraints

- Cite sources inline (URL or handle) for every non-obvious claim. Distinguish
  confirmed facts from inference; never invent figures, dates, or names.
- Prefer primary sources (the live site, the founder's own posts, filings) over
  aggregators when they conflict, and note the conflict.
- Flag brand-name collisions and naming inconsistencies explicitly — they are
  often the single highest-impact finding.
- Use forward-slash paths. Keep the dossier readable: tables for inventories
  (channels, competitors, quick wins), prose for analysis.