Referral Approach Mention the name of a mutual friend who referred you to the prospect.
Compliment Approach Offer a compliment to the buyer about the buyer or the company.
Survey Approach Ask the prospect for permission to survey the company’s needs in your product category.
This approach gains minimal attention and probably generates the least interest. Therefore, an introductory approach should be used with other approaches to generate more interest. A possible approach might be: “Hello, I am Jon Jacobs from Hormel; we have introduced a new chili in our test markets that has outsold all other chili’s by 35 percent. I have brought some for you to sample.” This statement gathers attention, promotes interest, and provides a transition to the sales presentation.
Product Approach
Some products can be easily carried into the buyer’s office to handle, try, feel, taste, or smell. Thus, the product approach should maximize the use of a prospect’s senses. This can be an excellent way to show the buyer the benefits being offered and gain prospect involvement. Sometimes, a salesperson cannot bring the actual product to the buyer because of its size. The salesperson must use other means to simulate the actual product. Literature, sample output, or any usual tool such as computer-generated graphics, slides, or videotapes can be used.
Benefit Approach
Many successful approaches begin with a strong statement about a benefit that the product brings to the customer. Benefits might include 30 percent less expensive, better value, more efficient, or more market coverage. The benefit approach is especially valuable if it is addressed to the buyer’s dominant buying motive. The downside to this approach centers on describing benefits that may not be important to the buyer. This approach is better left until after specific needs are determined.
Question Approach