A list of questions is prepared before selling a product by a salesman. What is it called?
It is called a Pre-approach or Checklist / Sales Approach Questions. Before meeting a customer, a salesman prepares a list of questions to understand the customer's needs and tailor the sales pitch accordingly.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark: Correctly naming it as a pre-approach checklist / list of approach questions / sales approach questions (any equivalent term accepted). Award mark if student mentions it is prepared before meeting the customer AND that it helps gather customer information or plan the sales presentation.
Hint
Think about which step of the 7-step sales process involves preparing before the actual customer meeting — the answer is the name of that step.
Quick Oral Answer
The list of questions prepared by a salesman before meeting a customer is called a pre-approach checklist. It helps the salesperson understand the customer's needs, plan the pitch, and conduct a focused, effective sales meeting.
Analysis & Explanation
Pre-approach is the intelligence-gathering phase of personal selling that separates professional salespeople from order-takers. It sits between prospecting (finding potential customers) and approach (the first meeting), and its quality directly determines how effective the actual sales conversation will be. A well-prepared checklist of questions allows the salesperson to enter the meeting with a hypothesis about what the customer needs, enabling a consultative rather than a pushy selling style. Common exam traps include confusing pre-approach with approach — remember that pre-approach is all backstage preparation, while approach is the live performance. Students sometimes also mistake the checklist for a script of what to say; it is actually a list of what the salesperson needs to find out about the customer, not what to tell them. In real-world selling, pre-approach has become even more critical in the digital age: salespeople now check a prospect's social media activity, company website, and recent news before any contact. For CBSE exams, always mention that the checklist helps tailor the pitch, demonstrates professionalism, and reduces the risk of asking the customer for information the salesperson should already know, which can damage credibility.
Common Mistakes
- 1Confusing pre-approach with the approach step — students often describe what happens during the actual meeting rather than the preparation stage before it.
- 2Writing 'questionnaire' or 'survey' instead of 'checklist' or 'pre-approach questions', which loses the mark because the CBSE answer key expects the term tied to the sales process stage.
- 3Omitting the purpose of the list — that it helps the salesperson understand customer needs and customise the pitch — which is required for full credit in 1-mark direct questions.
Previously Asked
What is a 'canned sales talk' or standardised question list used by a salesman called?
Name the tool used by a salesman to pre-plan questions before approaching a prospect.
Why should a salesperson prepare a list of questions before meeting a customer?
Interesting Facts
Research by sales training firm Richardson found that salespeople who prepare structured pre-call plans are 33% more likely to close a deal compared to those who approach meetings without preparation.
The concept of pre-approach is rooted in military strategy — generals study terrain and enemy positions before sending troops into battle. Sales borrowed this principle to treat every customer meeting as a strategic mission requiring prior intelligence.
In B2B (business-to-business) sales, the pre-approach phase can last weeks or months and involves researching the prospect company's annual reports, news articles, LinkedIn profiles of decision-makers, and competitor analysis before a single meeting takes place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between pre-approach and approach in the sales process?
Pre-approach is the preparation stage that happens before the salesperson meets the customer. During pre-approach, the salesperson researches the prospect, prepares a checklist of questions, and plans the sales pitch. Approach is the actual first meeting with the customer — the greeting and initial conversation. Pre-approach happens in the office; approach happens face-to-face.
Why is preparing a checklist of questions important in personal selling?
A checklist ensures the salesperson does not forget to gather critical information about the customer's needs, budget, preferences, and purchase authority. It makes the conversation focused and professional, avoids wasting time, and allows the salesperson to customise the sales pitch so it is more relevant and persuasive to that specific customer.
What types of questions should a salesman include in a pre-approach checklist?
A pre-approach checklist typically includes questions about the customer's current needs, existing products they use, budget range, decision-making authority, preferred features, timeline for purchase, and any known objections or concerns. These are classified into open-ended questions (to gather information) and closed questions (to confirm specific facts).