Tess,
You are on point. Recently I had an epiphany. As you say, "Researching the potential client's business, website, and industry *before* that first call or meeting can help you approach the situation and the conversation from an angle that will tip the scales in your favor in terms of landing the contract - ..." - I was about to enter into a contract with a company that would have been a bad-debt customer. 30 minutes of research kept me from (potentially) hiring a $300 attorney. So to make a long story short, do the research and become one with the BBB too!