As pointed out earlier, pre-approach is the second step in the selling process. The main objectives of pre-approach are as follows:
1. Pre-approach provides additional information about the prospects over and above the information collected at the prospecting stage. As a consequence, the salesman is able to distinguish between the “most likely prospects’ and ‘others’. This enables the salesman to deal with the real and potential buyers only.
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2. Pre-approach helps the salesman to plan out the most effective strategy for approaching the prospects in advance. Thus, the salesman is in a position to chalk out a plan of action before approaching the prospects.
3. Pre-approach also helps the salesman to obtain the necessary information about the product or service he intends to sell and accordingly chalk out an appropriate sales presentation and demonstration. Such a presentation and demonstration creates favourable impression on the prospects.
4. It helps the salesman to practise the sales talk much before the real presentation. This helps the salesman in avoiding serious mistakes and lapses during the sales talk. Because the salesman is aware of the like, dislike, tastes, preferences and temperaments of the prospects prior to the sales presentation, he is also expected to commit less number of mistakes.
5. Pre-approach saves valuable time of the salesman by avoiding unnecessary sales talk with suspects. In other words, all his attention can be concentrated on the prospective buyers only.
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6. Since all possible information is acquired in advance through pre-approach, the salesman is in a position to meet the prospects with a fair degree of confidence and a lot of enthusiasm. Thus, the chance of converting a prospect into a customer increases considerably.
7. In case of interviews also, pre-approach helps the salesman to come out successful with the prospect.