LIC Activity

Development Officers Training Kit
IMS Learning Resources Pvt Ltd. NCL Building, 6th Floor,Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (E), Mumbai 400051 India, Tel: +91 22 65285393 website: www..proschoolonline.com
21 Activities to make you a most admired Development Officer and Help you Pick Winners
Activity 1 : Seeking Nomination Through Phone

Nothing Happens until some one Makes a Call Nominations are an excellence source of candidates, A Typyical Telephone call to get people nominated goes as follows Hello, Mr/Mrs_______________, this is ______________. I am a development officer with LIC. How are you today ? Mr/Mrs_______________the purpose of my call today is that my office is located at____________ and we are currently looking for good Insurance Advisors to promote our policies. Over time we have discovered that our best advisors come from recommendations by successful people in the area, like you, who come in contact with lots of people every day.
_______________, I would like to meet you for 30-45 minutes to share some of the traits of the kind of people we are looking for. This will help you identify individuals you'd like to like to help and recommend for a career with LIC. With this in mind, I look forward to meeting with you, are mornings or evenings better?
Self Assessment
I understand that nominations are an excellent source of agent candidates and plan to spend time every day identifying potential Nominations I will practice using an approach talk (the one shown above or something similar) to contact nominations Is there any thing about getting nominations through Phone that I want to get clarified
Yes
No
Yes
No
Activity 2 : Developing a Recruiting Philosophy Recruiting is essentially the process of identifying candidates for selection interviews. As such, it is similar to prospecting in the sales cycle. Successful recruiters stress the importance of formulating a recruiting philosophy to serve as a guide for their actions. You might consider it a recruiting mission statement based on your attitudes and beliefs about business and the opportunities it offers Perhaps the following suggestions will help stimulate your philosophical thinking about
Recruiting is my Primary Job. I will engage in some recruiting activity every day Recruiting is an ongoing process. It doesn't stop, even if I have already met my hiring goals for the year The individuals I recruit must share my company values and my vision I will not stress quality of candidates over quantity. With experience, I will become a better judge of quality candidates. Most qualified candidates are not actively looking for jobs The thread of discontent concept is the feeling which motivates an individual to change careers. It may be due to:

Lack of income potential Lack of Challenges Advancement Blocked Too Much Travel Change in company management Insufficient recognition Lack of independence Relocation Required
I will recruit from variety of sources, both active, such as through Nominations, and passively such as through news paper ads.
Once you have identified the elements of your recruiting philosophy, write them down and share them with your Manager
Self Assessment
I Understand that recruiting is my No 1 Job and I must take some recruiting action Yes every day I will take time to put together a recruiting philosophy to help me keep focussed Is there any thing about Developing a Recruiting Philosophy that I want to get clarified Yes
No No
Activity 3 : Recruiting Action Planner

Guided by your recruiting Philosophy, prepare an action Plan if you haven't done so already. to reach your goals. This is atually a two-part process, with the first part focusing on six general steps, or action items Here are the steps, including some sample entries to help you:
1. Develop a profile of the person you will recruit. Identify the type of person you are looking for in terms of experience, back ground, education, ability and achievements etc.,
2. What specific market(s) will you recruit from? Based on the above, where do you think you can find that kind of individuals ? (Stock brokers, mutual fund agents, VRS, direct sales executives, house wife etc)
3. How many recruits from each market ?
How many recruits do you think you can recruit from the above markets?
4. Identify sources of prospects in each market
What sources are you going to use to generate prospects in each of the markets ?
5. List specific methods of of Recruiting to be used
Nominator Presentations, Seminars, Direct Mail Campaign, Advertisements etc
6. Calculate specific activities needed to accomplish the above
Based on the number of recruits, needed, use your most recent Recruitment funnel Analysis to calculate, the activity required to generate the number of recruits needed.
Self Assessment
I Understand that without a plan it will be exteremely diificult to reach my recruiting goals I will follow the format above to plan my activity and review the plan with my manager Is there any thing about the Recruiting action Planner-Part 1 I want clarified by my manager
Yes Yes
No No
Activity 4 : Recruiting Action Planner Part 2

Once you have decided on your general approach, it's time to be more specific. Identify who will perform certain functions. When will these be completed ? In essence, you are listing the details for executing your recruiting plan Following is a sample action planner for Development Officer who listed Financial Institutions as a specifc market from which he will recruit Target Group: Financial Institutions
Action Plan to be taken Make up call list of all of my personal contacts who have any connection to prospective COI's/Nominators Call all of above contacts to arrange interviews Interview all personal contacts List of all Bank Managers, Assistant Bank Managers, Loan Officers Pre Approach Letters to above 25 per week Telephone for nominated interviews 2 per day Nominator interviews with above contacts break fast or lunch atleast 1 per day Network in banking community, telecom etc
Self Assessment
By Who
When
Result
I Understand that strategic plans must be broken down into specific action items and Yes results monitored I will prepare a detailed list of actions, including deadlines, to help me reach the goals identified in Action Planner Part 1 Is there any thing about the Action Planner Part 2 I want clarified by my manager Yes
No No
Activity 5 : A Profile of your Ideal Candidate

The First Step in the recruiting action planner was to develop a profile of the person you will recruit. You don't want to set up stringent rules that will limit your options. Instead have a flexible framework that can be modified to suit circumstances Some minimum qualifications you want to include Have lived in the city for atleast 5 years Graduation Domestic income of Rs 1.5 Lakhs and above Demonstrates Leadership Qualities Is active in the community Possesses Sales or Management experience Shows a pattern of stability and success in previous work situations Have a record of reliability and integrety Has a natural entree into a market you want to operate in or the capacity to be trained to work in that market Demonstrates compatibility with your agency culture
Self Assessment
I Understand the need to develop a profile of my ideal candidate, but the picture should not be an exact image I will prepare a list of minimum qualifications for candidates and review it with my manager Is there any thing about the A Profile of my ideal candidate I want clarified by my manager
Yes Yes
No No
Activity 6 : Meeting the Nominators

Just as agents rely on referred leads as a primary source of prospects, recruiters also need a continuous flow of names. One way is by meeting the nominators- respected individuals in the community who know plenty of people and want to help them succeed in business How to talk to nominators: _____________________, I appreciate you talking time to meet me today The reason, I am here is because in the next few months, I will be adding new people to my sales force and I thought you might be able to help me I have found that the majority of successful agents have come from talking to individuals like yourselves who are interested in the growth of the area. There is also a feeling of pride in watching people they know succeed. _____________, any one you recommend will go through a thorough selection process. Generally, I interview more than 25 people in order to hire 1. That person will receive state of the art training consisting of on the Job training, classroom instruction, and oneone coaching. That;s why it is important that I hire individuals who meet a partcular profile The candidates I look have certain qualities. They are trust worthy, a success pattern consistent with the opportunities they have had, communication skills and a college degree. The income these people can expect is dependent on their level of sales. However, I can tell you that I will not hire any one unless I am confident in their ability to earn a good income
Self Assessment
I Understand the importance of obtaining referrals and keep looking for nominators I will practice my nominator talk so that I can deliver a persuasive talk to nominator Is there any thing about the Talking to nominators I want clarified by my manager
Yes Yes
No No
Activity 7 : Handling Nominator Objections

The sample nominator talk contains a brief description of the selection interview process, the nature of the agents work, financial opportunities and a profile of candidates you would like to hire. If time permits go into more detail and show copies of recruiting material such as Career Opportunities with LIC. Be sure to discuss the interview process. Some people mistakenly assume that Life Insurance recruiters will hire any one who is breathing. Still you may hear some objections. Use the FEEL, FELT, FOUND Technique to over come them. Here it is in action addressing the I don't know anyone looking for a Job objection: Mr/Ms Nominator: I can understand why you feel that way. Many Individuals who recommend names to me felt the same way. However, after I was able to help them think about the type of Individual I' am Looking for, the found it easy to come up with names. For Instance, do you know a good sales person who is tired of Traveling Another common objection is Why don't you use an employment agency, Practice FEEL, FELT, FOUND technique to over come it We have found that majority of our successful agents come from talking to individuals like yourselves Always be sure to express your appreciation and promise to report back with results of your contacts with individuals they recommend
Self Assessment
I Understand that all nominators will be willing to assist me. Providing information Yes about the selection process and career opportunity will improve my chance for obtaining names I will role play handling objections until I can do so confidently and effectively Is there any thing about the Handling Nominator Objections I want clarified by my manager Yes
No
No
Activity 8 : Ten Characteristics of a Quality Recruit

Characteristics 1 2 3 Professional Appearance Communication Skills Maturity What to look for Well groomed, neat trim hairstyle, clothes that are in fashion but not flashy Express ideas well. Listens understands and responds to questions easily. Uses good grammar Weights questions before jumping in with answers. Shows positive attitude toward past business experiences and relationships. Is not embarassed and does not apologize for personal traits or experience Has either worked at one job or lived in the same area for a fairly long time Is Out going, Likes people, Is easy to talk to, Is some one you want to help succeed Asvanced in Previous Job. Belongs to club or civic organizations. Participated in sports or extracurricular activities in school. Had many good grades in School Attended college or technical school. Has participated in Training Programs Express no reluctance about working nights and long hours Already has atleast one clear natural market. Knows the community fairly well Wants to succeed financially and personally. Doesn't accept the possibility of failure and is willing to do what's necessary to reach goals
4 5
Evidence of Stability Personality
History of Success
7 8 9 10
Willingness to learn Willingness to work Market to work in Ambition
Self Assessment
I Understand the importance of setting minumum qualifications for agentcandidates I will consider refining my IDEAL agent profile to include some or all of these ten characteristics Is there any thing about the Ten Characteristics of a Quality Recruit\ I want clarified by my manager
Yes Yes
No No
Activity 9 : Aprroaching Prospective Agents

Your recruiting efforts should produce a continuous flow of names of prospective agents. The next step is to contact them How to approach a prospective agent Hello _________________(First name), this is __________________, I am Development Officer with LIC The reason I am calling is that a good friend of yours ____________was recently telling me that you are someone who is very good at what he/she does. (pause) _____________(first name), I don't know if you are interested right now in a career change, but I am looking for people who have already achieved some success in their work. From that foundation and using a comprehensive state of art training program we equip them for a lucarative career in Financial Services. (Pause) The first step is for us to get together for 20 or 30 minutes to discuss the career opportunity and your background (Pause) Are you available to visit my office next Tuesday evening ?
Self Assessment
I Understand the importance of making approach calls every day to set up screening interviews I will practice the approach talk until I can deliver it confidently Is there any thing about the Approaching Prospective agents through Telephone I want clarified by my manager
Yes Yes
No No
Activity 10 : The Screening Interview

Thescreening interview is generally the starting point of building a relationship with the candidate. Your Objectives are to :
Determine if candidate has at least a minimal level of quaifications for you to continue the interview process (Note : At this point of your career, screen out only candidates who are clearly not appropriate) Discus the career opportunity at LIC and gauge his/her interest Administer a Screening Test
The interview should take approximately 30-45 minutes, excluding any time for test. 20 minutes for you to ask questions and listen to responses, 15 minutes highlighting key points about the Industry, the company, training and compensation, 10 minutes to provide an overview of the selection process and to answer any questions. Start by briefly describing the structure of the meeting in terms of purpose, process and payoff for example: Thank you_________________, for coming today, In the time we spend together, I want to learn a little bit about you and also discuss the career opportunity at LIC. To Start , I will ask you questions about your background and interests and then I will tell you about the Insurance Industry in general and my company in particular. How does that Sound ? Your questions will probably focus on the candidate's recent work history as you strive to learn about his/her experiences dealing with others, planning and organizing work, likes and dislikes, handling obstacles etc. Typically questions might be:

Tell me about your present job What do like most about it ? Least about it ? Describe your typical day? How do you plan your time ? Prioritize your work ? Tell me about a situation where you had to over come obstacles to achiieve your goal What makes you stand out among peers? How often do you go out for lunch with different people? How did you prepare for this interview?
Note : Don't waste time asking questions that you already know the answer to by looking at his/her resume, for example How long have you worked for ? Take notes as the candidate is responding and refer to them later as you evaluate the candidate. Also consider his/her appearance and communication skills.
During the next phase of interview, as you present the career opportunity, be mindful of the breadth and depth of the questions the candidate asks. Although you won't screen out someone for not asking questions, this is a key of his/her interest level and communication skills. Ask your self this magic question : Is this some one I want to work with and develop? Assuming Yes, tell them the next steps in the process
Self Assessment
I Understand the screening interview is the first step in building a relationship with Yes candidates and will screen out only those who are clearly not appropriate I will continually work to sharpen my skills Yes at conducting the screening interviews Is there any thing about the The Screening Interview I want clarified by my manager
No
No
Activity 11 : Interviewing Tips

Interviews are a valid and useful part of the selection process. Responses to your questions help measure the candidate's emotional stability, planning and work habits, communication and social skills and other characteristics. To get the maximum benefit from your interview, keep this in mind:
Follow a structured approach. Have a specific set of questions you will ask. It will help ensure you are treating all candidates fairlyand reduce the likelyhood of the interview becoming a job related conversation between two people. On the other hand, keep in mind that it is not an interrogation. Ask plenty of open ended questions. They get the candidate talking. For example, What do you like most about ... or How would you describe..? Author Rudyard Kipling was once asked How do you ask open ended questions? His reply I have sixe faithful serving men They taught me all I know Their names are What, Why and When And How, Where and Who Once you have the candidate engaged in discussion keep him/her talking by acknowledging thay you are listening. For Instance you might: ocassionally nod your head while making quiet noises like uh huh or mm move forward in your chair at certain points to show you don't want to miss anything he/she says ask follow on questions that flow from candidate's response to your last question. Jot down a short note while he/she is talking. Be careful however not to make note of anything the candidate could perceive as having been a negative comment. That will quickly stop the flow of information. Make a mental note and write it down later when the candidate is saying something positive use silience. That will send the message that you expect them to continue talking or remember to smile politely Start with easy questions, then move on to more sensitive areas, especially during the selection interview where you are doing more indepth probing. For example, you might ask Describe your typical day well before a question like Why would people want to do business with you? Observe their body language and the feelings behind the facts they provide Donot let the halo effect distort reality. For example , you may be impressed with the way he/she handled a particular situation Don't assume every thing he/she will be done as well
Ask questions to confirm or refute your first impressions. This is especially true in selection interview, where you are following up on your initial impressions from the screening interview
Self Assessment
I Understand the importance of interviews to the selection process and strive to improve my interviewing skills I will incorporate these tips during future interviews Is there any thing about the Interview Tips I want clarified by my manager
Yes Yes
No No
Activity 12 : Recruiting Small Business Owners

The result of recent study showed that, small business owners, especially sole proprietors, are excellent candidates to be insurance agents The statistics revelaled that 33% of newly opened business and those with a change of ownership do not survive beyond first year. The business failure may have been due to competition, particularly from a large national company, changes in government regulation affecting his/her industry, or an inability to attract and retain qualified employees, to name just a few. Small business owners should possess several of the qualities identified in your ideal agen profile

Willingness to work : Sole proprietors are accustomed to work long hours, typically 12 hours a day Confident to their ablities: Without enormous amounts of self confidence, few people would attempt to be in business for themselves Entrepreneurial Sprit : Sole proprietors thrive on challenge. They are adventurous and place high value on being independent
The agent's job provides an opportunity for these individuals to realize their dream of owning their own business. The Fact that little or no capital investment is required also appeal to them. Since you probably won't know that a sole proprietor is going out if business until the promises have been vacated, you may want to approach small business owners as potential nominators and stay in touch with them. You never know when the Thread of Discontent may lead them to seek a new business opportunit. Some recruiters schedule half day a week to drop in on small business owners to ask for help in identifying who match their agent profile.
Self Assessment I Understand the importance of recruiting from various sources Yes No No
I will regularly schedule time to drop in on small business Yes owners to discuss career opportunities for themselves by way of getting refrred leads Is there any thing about the Recruiting small business owners I want clarified by my manager
Activity 13 : Tried and True Recruitng principle
Recruiting and Selection is still a process Recruiting is not just adding new bodies to an organization: It is acquiring and keeping a new quality agents. To be sure you are doing that, you must follow a structured five step process in recruiting 1. Find individuals who fit your profile of who will be successful and will fit into your organization 2. Reject those who don't meet your standards 3. Select individuals based on through examination of their qualifications, abilities and work values 4. Give candidates a complete, honest, and realistic descriptio of the career 5. Acquaint candidates with the career through job simulation activities before they are contracted Self Recruiting Goals and Timetables If you don't know where you are going you never get there. To set an objective, put down in specific terms the number of new agents to be contracted and brought through success As important as it is to set objectives, it is equally important to to set up time table. To do this, first determine how many names you need to appoint one agent, and then set up a timetable taking this number into account. Because the mechanics are definite you know what you must do to reach your objectives Follow solid recruiting guidelines Prospects for recruits constantly and never recruit under pressure to fill position Obtain all facts about a recruit before making a decision Do not take short cuts in your established recruiting process Develop a sound, structured and uniform procedure for evaluating facts about recruits Cntinually evaluate your recruiting methods and procedures Make a good first impression Once you have the name of a prospective agent the next step is to initiate some type of contact with that person. Regardless of how this contact is made, it must be in a professional, first class manner. First impressions are lasting impressions. Make sure that your first contact with a prospective agent creates a positive impression, and remember that the object of your first contactis to get the person for a screening interview
Keep and use good records You cannot be an effective recruiter without carefully maintained and conscientiously analyzed records. The record keeping system you establish must follow these guidelines: It must be easy to understand, in logical sequence and not time consuming It must be automatic, so that important tasks and follow-ups happen It must be complete and include tests, interviews reference checks and job sampling It must be habit-forming It should include forms that track prospective agents, center of influence and a recruiting calender
Self Assessment
I Understand that if I follow these recruiting principles, I will improve my chances of achieving my goals
Yes
No No
The quality of people I hire will determine Yes my success and the success of my company Is there any thing about the Tried and True Recruiting Principles I want clarified by my manager
Activity 14 : Pre Approach letter/email to Nominators

Knowing the importance of nominatins to your success as a recruiters, set a goal for number of nominatins you want to develop by end of your first year Here is an approach that can help you develop hundreds of nominatiors:

Mail the pre-approach letter shown below to 1200 individuals over the next 12 months Target individuals whom you feel would be good nominators, bank executives, lawyers, accountants, Priests, Sole proprietors etc. If you don't have enough names, consider purchasing list. Look in the Yellow Pages / Just Dial Mail letters near the end of the week (Thursday is best) and follow up phone call on tuesday During Phone call, simply ask for an appointment
Sample Mail Dear ___________, You can help someone you know get into a rewarding business. This is an opportunity for a mature individual with a successful and stable background. This person should possess leadership ability and should have a character that is above question. If there is no substantial future in his/her present situation, the job we offer should be especially appealing. We are looking for an individual who is willing to work for personal success LIC's training program is designed to equip a new representative with insurance knowledge and the necessary technical and sales skills to render superior service. We feel that you will do thus person a favor by recommending him or her to us. I will call on you Tuesday for an appointment to discuss this opportunity in more detail Sincerely Development Officer For the interview, be sure to review and leave with the the nominator an attractive and informative recruting kit whichdescribes the company and the career.
Following the interview, stay in tocuh through periodical meeting something of interest or a phone call
Self Assessment
I Understand the importance of developing a nest of nominators Yes I will begin a regular program of mailing Yes introduction letters to potential nominators Is there any thing about the Approaching Prospective agents through Telephone I want clarified by my manager
No No
Activity 15: Evaluate your Recruiting skills

It should be apparent by now that knowledge and skill are required to be an effective recruiter. Perhaps this is a good time to evaluate your skill level in certain recruiting categories and ask your manager to do the same. Compare the results. Discuss improvement opportnities and put together a plan of actio. Each skill should be rated on following scale 5: An Outstanding Strength, effectively & consistently executes this behaviour, no traing required 4: A strength, almost always does this, requires little or no training 3: An average skill, often does this behaviour but does not do it consisitently and/or effectively, requires action to improve 2: Not a strength, rarely does this behaviour, requires action to improve 1: Least Skilled, is unable or unwilling to do this, requires dramatic action to improve Skills Has clear profile of the desired recruit which meets agency standard Has a detailed recruiting plan which will provide both the necessary quality and quantity of candidates 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Ratings 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Consistently works the recruiting plan to achieve a fairly constat 5 flow of candidates and avoids crisis recruiting Uses a variety of sources (Active and passive) to maintain the recruiting flow Attempts to upgrade recruiting pools by using higher quality methods such as agent referrals and nominators Effectively packages the career plan to gain the recruits interest and motivates him/her during the interview Screens out individuals who do not meet minimum standards 5 5 5 5
Delivers the Nominator Talk clearly, accurately and persuasively 5 Over all Score :
Activity 16 : Developing a Selection Philosophy

Selection is the process of screening out people who are not right for the agents job. That's done by gathering information about the candidate's prior experience, knowledge, and skill and evaluating it against a profile of what it takes to be success You already developed a recruiting philosophy, now take the time to formulate a set of principles you will adhere to in your selection activities You may want to include some or all of the following thoughts in your philosophy The candidate I select doesnot have to be a perfect match with my Ideal Agent profile I will include some form of job sampling in my selection process I will select, not settle, which means that I must always have a large pool of qualified candidates from which to choose I will ask magic questions What makes a good sales person? or What characteristics do you think some one needs to be successful in sales? I will follow the self -unself-self apprach Sell them the advantages of a life insrance career unsell them by stressing the difficulties of the agent's job finally, sell them on their abilities and my confidence that can do the job During the selection interviews, I will listen attentively For feelings behind the facts and without making a judgement about specific comments until all relevant facts/feelings are known I will conduct reference checks in person This activity is demonstrated to the developmet officer and he is observed while conducting a screening interview
Self Assessment
I Understand the importance of careful selection to the individual and to LIC I will take time to put together a selection philosophy to help me keep focussed Is there any thing about the Developing a selection philosophy I want clarified by my manager
Yes Yes
No No
Activity 17 : Reference Checking a Person

Part of the selection process includes checking references given by the candidate. That can generally be handled quickly and easily by phone, but more successful recruiters prefer to check references in person. Here's why. The name supplied by the candidates are often most important people in the community you know. What a source of potential nominations How to do reference check (Mr/Mrs Reference), I appreciate your taking the time to meet with me today to discuss the career opportunity we are exploring with (Candidate) I know you may be thinking that my request for us to meet personally to conduct a reference check sounds unusual. Yes, it is. But I have found face to face meeteing gives me a more realistic picture of candidate. Obviously, I fee the information you provide is valuable to both (candidadate) and LIC in making a career decision. Please be assured that anything you share with me today will be held in confidence Before we make a decision to hire someone, we go through a selection process which includes at least three in depth interviews and detailed reference checks as we are doing today. If we do offer (candidate) a contract, we are prepared to invest a significant amount of time, training and money towards his/her development over the next 3 years. The career that (candidate) is considering is _________________
Self Assessment
I Understand reference checking is a requirement and reference checking in person is more effective I will practice the script for reference checking and use it at the next opportnity Is there any thing about the Reference Checking in Person I want clarified by my manager
Yes Yes
No No
Activity 18: Reference checking Using the worksheet

The reference checking interview can be an important part of your selection process Use it to Verify Information obtained during interview with the candidate expand your knowledge of the candidate's post job related activities How to record information Candidate Name: ________________________ Reference Name : _______________________ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. How long have you known __________________ How would you rate him/her on perseverance ? How would you rate him/her on ability to build relationship with people? How would you rate his/her communication skills? How would you rate his/her capability to influence people? How would you trate his/her ability to plan and organize? Would you be able to comment on his/her honesty/integrity? Is there any instance you remember, where his/her ethics were questioned? 8. If he/she were to approach you for a job in future, would you want to hire him/her? 9. What are his/her identified weakness? Characteristics Ranking Willingness to work hard Self Confidence Enthusiasm Goal directed behaviour Self - discipline Integrity Communication skills 1 2 3 4 5
Activity 19 : Types of Interview Questions

Fact finding questions are the heart of the sales process and they help agents identify problems and pave the way to solutions. So it is with the selection Interview questions. They help recruiters gather information about candidates and their quaifications and lead the way to the correct decision Hire or Not to Hire Five common type of questions are used in employment interviews

Behavioral Motivation Hypothetical Self-evaluative Leading
Behavioral Questions Focus on specific past behaviors, actual events, and verifiable out comes. These questions guide the candidate to respond in an objective manner and reduce the opportunity for vague answers: examples include

Describe a work activity you performed that required team work Tell me more about a time when you were confronted with a rude customer, how did you handle it ?
Motivational Questions inquire about candidate needs, preferences and desires in the past present and future. You learn about applicants likes and disklikes. The underlying assumption is that if candiddates are interested and motivated by some aspect of the job they will do it. For example What aspects of the job do you like? What do you disklike? How do you feel about handling details?
Hypothetical questions ask candidates to respond to hypothetical situations. These questions may be useful whe interviewing candidates who have no job experience or to assess a person's ability to think quickly. The downside of asking a hypothetical question is getting a hypothetical answer not one based on facts or actual experience. Examples include

What would you do if a rude customer said ------? How would you handle a situation where you are discussing a prospects's insurance needs when.......?
Self Evaluative questions ask candidates to assess themselves and their qualification. They probe a candidate strengths and weakness. They also allow for well prepared presentation statements that sound good but are difficult for the reviewer to verify Keep in mind that it is your job to evaluate the candidate and not the candidate's. Examples include

Why Should I hire you? What are your strenghts?
Leading Questions lead the candidate into a particular response, usually one the interviewer wants to hear. The interviewer provides cues on what the desired answer is. They are used more often than interviewers realize. With enough cues, a poorly qualified candidate may be led into a good interview and a good evaluation. Examples include

You don't mind working in the evenings ? Do You? You can handle rejecton, right?
Self Assessment
I Understand the importance of being prepared for the interview and wil write down questions I plan to ask I Know that behavioral & hypothetical questions are the most effective and will use them more often Is there any thing about the Type of Interview Questions I want clarified by my manager
Yes Yes
No No
Activity 20 : Competency Based interviews

Some development officers were interviewd recently to learn the secret to their success. Their responses had one thing in common competency based interviewing was the key to effective agent selection and retention These development officers identified

The qualities they look for in a candidate descriptive behaviours of those qualities Questions to ask to assess the candidate's strengths in those areas
Six Qualities or competencies were identified 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Entrepreneurial Skills/Achievement/Ambition Relationship Buiding / Networking / Sociability Selling and Influencing / Customer Service Perseverance Planning & Organizing Communication
Each set of skills is addressed separately including Descriptive Behaviors and assessment questions to ask Entrepreneurial Skills, Achievement, Ambition Descriptive Behaviours

Pro-active attitude Self Starter & Self Motivated Wants to be his/her own boss
Questions: 1. If you were to makea significant investment of your own business, what would be the factors you would consider? 2. Whenever you do something new what is your attitude? Describe a situation where you were trying something new? 3. What makes you stand out among peers?
Relationship Building / Networking / Sociability Descriptive Behaviors Interest in meeting people and keeping in touch Warm and outgoing personality Sense of integrity
Assessment Questions: 1. Given an opportunity how often do you tend to join social group? 2. When you visit a social fuction, how do you generally interact with people? 3. How many times do you go out for lunch or dinner with different people? How often do you like to host a party at your home or outside ? 4. Describe a situation when you developed an effective win-win relationship with a client. How did you go about building the relationship? Selling & Influencing, Customer Service Descriptive Behaviours

Asks intelligent , meaning ful questions Listens actively, responds and summarizes understanding Active prospecting to attract and acquire customers Getting back to the customer whenever required Responsive
Assessment Questions 1. Why do you think you can be a good insurance agent? Why would people want to do business with you or trust you? 2. Can you give an example of a time when you have sold an idea, concept, or product by identifying a particular need? 3. What in your experience has been the best example of customer service What madethe experience special? Perseverance Descriptive Behaviours Handling rejection and bouncing back Consisitently working towards the goal Positive mental atitude
Assessment Questions 1. Talk about a situation where you had to over come obstacles to achieve your goal 2. Tell me about a goal that took a long time to achieve or that you are still working towards Planning and Organizing Descriptive Behaviors

Planning the activities of the day, keeping in mind priorities Performing well under deadlines & pressure
Assessment Questions 1. Describe your typical day 2. How do you prioritize the activities in a day ? How do you distinguish between important and urgent? 3. Describe a situation when you had to balance competing priorities and did so successfully 4. How did you prepare for this interviewd Communication This competence can be reviewed throughout the interview
Self Assessment
I Understand there is direct relationship between skillful interview and effective agent selection and retention
Yes
No No
An ideal way to sharpen my interviewing Yes skills is by conducting selection interviews as often as possible, at least once a day Is there any thing about the Competency Based Interviewing I want clarified by my manager
Activity 21 : How to Pick winners

Now that you know types of interview questions to ask and qualities you seek in prospective agents, you might need some help in making the hiring decision A successful executive search consultant suggests you analyze a candidate based on these criteria Self Awareness : Winners are aware of their strengths, weakness and limits. But they are interested in developing their strong points and compensating for areas where they are not as strong Avoid people who are not particularly self aware. They tend to overstate their strengths and invest too much energy correcting their weakness. They are often unaware of their limits Ambiguities: Winners recognize that life is full of ambiguities. They do not try to be perfect or control others Avoid : People who talk about the right way to do things. They describe others in terms of what they did to them or what they got them to do. The use words that include that they like to control tasks and people Why things happened : Winners focus on why things happened. They also talk about what they learned from the experience and what would do differently Avoid : People who focus on what happened and don't try to figure out what, if anything they have learned Generalization : Winners have learned specific things and are willing to talk about them, they don't constantly generalize Avoid : People whi can do nothing but generalize. It's hard to tell what they learned or why they learned it Texture of Learning : Winners are candid. They talk about ther mistakes and weakness openly. They may be quite judegmental of themselves, situations or even people, but they quickly move on to discuss what they did differently and how they responded Avoid : People who tend towards extremes. They may for instance blame rge person they admired least for all their problems Complexity : Winners describe their experiences in great deal and deeply analyze what happened and why They see much in everything
Avoid : People who ask a few , simple question, if any at all. Analytical honesty: Any one can analyze failure. But only winners are willing to admit their role in it. They are also willing to admit when their successes were due to pure luck Avoid : People who ask your help in rationalizing a series of poor decisions that they have made
Self Assessment
I Understand the importance of careful selection and will analyze each candidate throughly
Yes
No No
I will refer to the guidelines above to assist Yes me in making hiring decision Is there any thing about the How to Pick Winners I want clarified by my manager
You have picked the winner, now help them perform
Agents Daily Work Schedule Sheet Date : Day's Objective:

Prepare List of 10 prospects to call Fix 3 appointments for face to face meetings Take money commitment from at least one customer
Daily Reporting Sheet
Name of the Prospect I will call today to set an appointment Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Phone No Source Appointment Date
My Interviews are with Name : Name : Name : Phone Phone Phone Source Source Source Time Time Time
New Referred Names obtained today (atleast 5 names to be obtained every day) Name : Name : Name : Name : Name : Phone : Phone : Phone : Phone : Phone : Referred by Referred by Referred by Referred by Referred by
Agents Weekly Goal Setting Sheet Week : From ____________ To _________________
Parameter No of Phone calls to be done No of Face to Face Meetings to be done No of Fact Finding Sessions No of Closures No of Apps to Pick
Target Set for the Week
Self Assessement
Self Assessment
I understand that References are an excellent source of prospective customers and plan to spend time every day I will practice using approach talk to contact prospective customers I will practice using an Sales Talk to find actual needs of prospective customers
Yes Yes Yes
No No No

LIC Activity

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

LIC Activity

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Development Officers Training Kit

Activity 1 : Seeking Nomination Through Phone

Activity 3 : Recruiting Action Planner

3. How many recruits from each market ?

4. Identify sources of prospects in each market

5. List specific methods of of Recruiting to be used

Nominator Presentations, Seminars, Direct Mail Campaign, Advertisements etc

6. Calculate specific activities needed to accomplish the above

Activity 4 : Recruiting Action Planner Part 2

Activity 5 : A Profile of your Ideal Candidate

Activity 6 : Meeting the Nominators

Activity 7 : Handling Nominator Objections

Activity 8 : Ten Characteristics of a Quality Recruit

Evidence of Stability Personality

Willingness to learn Willingness to work Market to work in Ambition

Activity 9 : Aprroaching Prospective Agents

Activity 10 : The Screening Interview

Activity 11 : Interviewing Tips

Activity 12 : Recruiting Small Business Owners

Activity 13 : Tried and True Recruitng principle

Activity 14 : Pre Approach letter/email to Nominators

Activity 15: Evaluate your Recruiting skills

Activity 16 : Developing a Selection Philosophy

Activity 17 : Reference Checking a Person

Activity 18: Reference checking Using the worksheet

Activity 19 : Types of Interview Questions

Behavioral Motivation Hypothetical Self-evaluative Leading

Why Should I hire you? What are your strenghts?

Activity 20 : Competency Based interviews

Activity 21 : How to Pick winners

You have picked the winner, now help them perform

Agents Daily Work Schedule Sheet Date : Day's Objective:

Daily Reporting Sheet

Agents Weekly Goal Setting Sheet Week : From ____________ To _________________

Target Set for the Week

Yes Yes Yes

You might also like

Agents Weekly Goal Setting Sheet Week : From To _____