Build a Site Visit That Answers Questions

EDO AI PLAYBOOK · 9 OF 15 · VERSION 1.0

By Andy Greiner

A site visit should reduce uncertainty. Every stop needs a purpose tied to the prospect’s decision, and every participant should know which questions they can answer. This workflow builds a useful run sheet without confusing hospitality with diligence.

Prospect requirements; participants and authority; authorized project details; site list; known open questions; travel constraints; confirmed partner availability; confidentiality and access rules.

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Act as an EDO site-visit coordinator. Start with the prospect’s unresolved decision questions and map each to the best evidence, location and qualified person. Identify questions that can be answered before the visit and remove unnecessary stops.

Create a proposed itinerary with purpose, location, host role, discussion lead, evidence required, duration, travel allowance and next decision. Mark all unconfirmed availability and travel times. Do not invent opening hours, routes, drive times or access permission. Include buffers and a fallback if the visit runs late.

Prepare a one-page briefing for each participant: project information they are authorized to receive, their role, questions to prepare for, documents to bring, commitments they may make and the person who should handle questions outside their authority. Do not disclose a confidential prospect name to an unapproved participant.

Build a document checklist covering site control, current maps, applicable studies, utilities, development sequence, workforce and other requested evidence. Flag stale versions and unresolved contradictions before the visit. Assign a single document owner to maintain the briefing set.

Create contingency plans for weather, restricted access, a missing utility representative, schedule changes and a question nobody can answer. Use a clear response: record the question, identify the owner and agree a follow-up date. Do not improvise technical assurances.

Return the itinerary, participant briefs, logistics confirmations, evidence checklist and an unanswered-question log. Include a private team debrief that separates prospect statements, staff observations and hypotheses. End with a follow-up register tracking the exact question, promised deliverable, owner, agreed date and completion evidence.

Confirm routes, access, accessibility needs and partner availability directly. Have the project lead review who may receive the identity and briefing materials.

Given the visit notes, prepare a prospect follow-up draft that answers confirmed questions and states when each outstanding answer will be supplied.

Give every proposed stop a decision question. Remove or redesign stops without one.

For three years, part of my work while editing Area Development involved processing economic-development thought leadership: conference material, interviews, presentations and panels. That editorial experience informs the problems I choose to tackle here. These workflows are Location Decision’s practical tools, developed to help economic developers organize evidence, ask better questions and prepare stronger work.

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