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Critical Selling

Skills

Skill Builder: Opening the Appointment

Internal Use Only SMRU 1788161 Exp. 08/31/2022

egal Notice and License Agreement

This publication as well as the forms, job aids, documents, and other content (“Material”) distributed to you by

Janek Performance Group, Inc. (“Janek”) is owned by Janek. The Material is licensed, not sold.

A. License to use the Material

This Material is licensed by Janek to New York Life pursuant to a Master Services Agreement and applicable

Orders pursuant to the Master Services Agreement

B. Intellectual Property Notice

he following words, marks, and logos, are trademarks and service marks of Janek Performance Group, Inc.:

CRITICAL SELLING® SKILLS

JANEK PERFORMANCE GROUP®

JANEK®

XFACTOR®

OPENING THE APPOINTMENT

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Opening Appointments Skill Builder Introduction

First impressions are critical. Whether it is the first-time meeting with a prospect or a follow up

appointment, you have the opportunity to take ownership and set the tone for how the rest of

the interaction will unfold. Solid openings don’t happen by chance. They involve blending the art

of being personable and natural with the science of a Legitimate Purpose Statement (LPS) to

draw the prospect in.

This Skill Builder will provide you an opportunity to apply and reinforce the Opening the

Appointment skills learned in your eLearning Modules. The goal is to help ensure that you are

most effectively using the skills you need to effectively engage with the prospect.

Today’s workshop will provide you with an opportunity to:

• Revisit, refresh, and practice what you now know about Opening.

• Determine the importance of being prepared for your appointments through pre-planning.

• Understand the importance of building rapport and connecting with the prospect when

opening.

• Develop and deliver effective openings—including a Legitimate Purpose Statement.

• Capture information during group activities and take notes as you participate in today’s

session.

• Create a personal Action Plan.

In relation to where you are in the sales cycle, this Opening the Appointment Skill Builder

represents the first phase of the sales process.

Welcome and let’s get started!

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New York Life Sales Cycle

SALES METHODOLOGY

NOTES:

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Planning – Pre-Appointment - Introduction

Planning before every sales interaction is critical because today’s prospects are more informed

and expect you to be as well. They often have an awareness of alternatives and what they are

looking for. You must be equally prepared, in order to build credibility and engage them in a

meaningful way.

Highly effective planning involves the process of thinking through what information you know

and how you are going to approach the sales interaction. It is a planning best practice to take

that information and capture it in a tool that may be referenced and potentially shared with

others.

RE-APPOINTMENT PLANNING TOOL

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Planning – Pre-Appointment – Discussion Question

What value is there to being prepared for your appointment through pre-planning?

OTES:

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Post-Appointment Tool

Reflecting after every appointment is also critical because you want to ensure that nothing

is overlooked, and you want to maintain the trust and credibility that you have begun

building with the prospect. One of the best ways to do this is to adopt a simple, but

effective practice of taking five minutes after every sales interaction to refer to a Post-

Appointment Tool to note what went well, what did not go well, learnings and next steps.

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Planning – S.A.M. Objectives Review and Activity

Objectives are like a compass that helps guide you towards a desired outcome. They also

help you determine whether you were successful after the sales interaction. The best

objectives are Specific, Appropriate, and Measurable (S.A.M.). The following provides a

definition for each.

Specific - Describe exactly what you want to accomplish.

Appropriate – Identify the right objective based on where you are in the sales process.

Measurable – Describe quantifiable evidence you’ve accomplished your objective.

Below are examples of S.A.M. objectives:

Example: Obtain the prospect’s agreement today to move forward with the solution that I

have proposed.

Example: Gain agreement today from my prospect to schedule an appointment within the

next two weeks.

Example: Close the prospect today on the solution we discussed in our last meeting.

OBJECTIVE FOR A PROSPECTING APPOINTMENT

In the space below, write out a S.A.M. objective for a prospecting appointment and be prepared

to share your objective with the larger group.

Remember:

A strong and effective objective must contain all three; Specific, Appropriate,

and Measurable.

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Opening – Review, Discussion and Questions

Opening is more than just a greeting and some chitchat—it is intentional and flexible. A

few points to remember are:

• Open with confidence in your voice.

• Firmly shake hands and make eye contact, smile so that the prospect feels the warmth in

your tone.

• Show genuine enthusiasm for the way that you represent New York Life and the opportunity

to work with and help the prospect.

• Build rapport and make a connection with the prospect.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

How do you think being intentional about your opening impacts the sales interaction?

w can you go about quickly establishing rapport with the prospect and making a

connection?

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Plan a Strong Opening

An effective opening is vital to the overall success of the first meeting.

You will want to plan your objectives and then write your Legitimate Purpose Statement.

An LPS defines for the prospect what will be accomplished during the meeting and what is

in it for them.

• Purpose: What will be accomplished during the interaction

• Legitimate: Clear benefits to the prospect

Once you have delivered the LPS you will want to confirm with the prospect that he or she

agrees with the process. A concise close-ended question works well to confirm.

This will enable you to engage the prospect and start the meeting confidently. It will also

aid in transitioning smoothly into asking questions and then discovering needs.

Being prepared for a successful meeting is critical. In addition to determining your

objective for the meeting and creating your LPS, you will want to carefully consider the

following:

• Information you want to know

• Feedback you want to get

• Questions you want to ask

OTES

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Plan a Strong Opening

A unique LPS should be used to open every appointment no matter where you are in the

Sales Cycle.

Provided below are LPS examples that could be used throughout the Sales Cycle.

• Opening

“In this hour we have together, I’d like to take some time to discuss options aimed at

addressing any needs or goals you may have concerning you and your family. Does that

sound okay with you?”

• Discovering

“For our time together today, I would like to ask you some questions around your goals

and needs for retirement so that together we can best determine what solutions work

best for your specific situation. How does that sound to you?”

• Presenting

“During this appointment with you, I’d like to present a solution focused on helping you

each the financial goals you have shared with me. Does this meet your expectations for

this appointment?”

• Closing

“For the time we have together this morning, I’d like to go over the policy and answer

any questions you may have. Does that work for you?”

NOTES

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Executing a Strong Opening - Activity

1. For this activity, you will form teams.

2. You will be assigned one of the two scenarios listed below—either Scenario A or Scenario B.

3. As a team, you will write out what you will say to execute a strong opening using the

following worksheet as your guide.

Description of the prospect/situation:

Scenario A

Elaine is a mid-career professional who's been working hard to build financial stability. In

previous conversations, you learned that she is an avid hiker. You’ve also learned about her

needs and priorities and, based on your recommendations, she completed an application for a

Term policy. Her policy has been approved, and you are meeting with her today to deliver it.

Scenario B

Roberto is married, and he and his wife are approaching retirement. You met him at a classic car

event last week and learned he is interested in looking into Long-Term Care Solutions. Today,

you have scheduled a meeting with him to learn more.

What you will say to greet warmly:

What you could say to connect and build rapport:

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Activity – Executing a Strong Opening (continued)

Your S.A.M. objective for the appointment:

LEGITIMATE PURPOSE STATEMENT AND CONFIRM QUESTION

Now, write out your Legitimate Purpose Statement for this appointment. Ask a confirming

question at the end. Be prepared to deliver your LPS and receive feedback.

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Action Plan – Opening the Appointment

Serving as a Trusted Partner is important. Take a few moments to think about what actions you

should take to increase your Opening effectiveness. Remember, it should be about mindset,

skillset, and putting best practices to work.

TOPIC

ACTIONS

Pre-Planning and

Post Reflection

S.A.M.

Objectives

Connecting and

Building Rapport

Delivering the

LPS

HANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN TODAY’S SKILL BUILDER!

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