Outbound Strategies (1,010 words)

The Power of the Pre-call

Before your catalog hits a potential buyer's doorstep, a pre-call could earn you a sale. A pre-call arrives before a catalog, to highlight a product similar to one the customer has purchased before, to suggest a new one, or to make a special offer or a discount.

Liz Kislik of Liz Kislik Associates in Valley Stream, NY, says a carefully targeted calling plan, which includes a pre-call, can have up to a 40 percent success rate.