Of the total six stages of selling process, the final consecutive stages except the first deal with actual sales interview. Therefore, pre-approach is the first stage on the sales interview Pre-approach means getting more detailed facts about a specific individual or organization to have effective appeals to his or its mind. Very often question arises as to when the prospecting ends and where the pre-approach begins. As selling is a continuous process, it rather difficult to pin down the points of start and finish.
However, it is can be said the prospecting ends where the salesman thinks that he has enough background knowledge of a prospect to tap him as a likely buyer, Pre-approach is a record round effort to get details regarding the prospect such as his ability, need, authority, accessibility to buy. It is close watch by salesman of prospect’: likes and dislikes habits, material status, family background and the like that are sure to influence his buying behaviour. A detailed profile of a prospect enables the salesman in planning on sound lines his sales-talk with assured success. Put in other words, through pre-approach, the salesman tries to make successful presentation of his goods and services before the prospect. Sales people are valuable to the great temptation to call on a prospect or a customer without planning what to say and how to say it. Depending on the spur of the movement, thinking is easy. However all sales people benefit from planning their calls is advance.