← Common Sense
Common Sense role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
AI software that helps city and local governments manage public records requests, meetings and other daily operations.
Who you'd be calling
City Clerks, City Managers, IT Directors and Records Managers at cities, counties and local agencies
Your opener
“Hi [Name], this is [You] from Common Sense. We make AI tools that help city clerks' offices handle things like records requests and meeting records faster. Is that something your office deals with a lot?”
Problems you solve for them
- Public records requests take staff lots of time to find, review and redact
- Preparing agendas, minutes and meeting records is manual and repetitive
- Small government teams are stretched thin with limited staff and budget
Discovery questions to ask
- How does your office handle public records requests today?
- How much time goes into preparing agendas and meeting minutes?
- How many people work on this, and how stretched are they?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm busy, we have a council meeting coming up.”
→ I understand, meeting prep is a lot. Is there a quieter day this month I could try you for 10 minutes?
“Not interested.”
→ No worries. Is the records and meetings work running smoothly, or is it more that budget is tight?
“We already have a system, or we'd need to go through procurement.”
→ That's helpful to know. How does your office usually decide on new tools, and who else is involved?
“Send me an email.”
→ Happy to. Who else in your office handles records or meetings that I should include?
Competitors worth knowing
Granicus, NextRequest, CivicPlus
Interview tips for this company
- Learn the vocabulary: public records request (FOIA / open records), agenda, minutes, redaction, and who a City Clerk is.
- Government buyers are cautious about budgets and procurement. Show respect for their time and mission, and don't oversell.
Written from public information about Common Sense to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.