If you’re serious about learning how to sell preneed funerals and cemetery property, this list of tips holds the keys you need to succeed. These five tips offer takeaway ideas from my attendance at the 2022 ICCFA University J. Asher Neel College of Sales & Marketing. These “Golden Nuggets” of information for those involved in sales and marketing of funeral services and cemetery property came from the excellent speakers who presented there.
I know how hard it can be, many people get discouraged about selling funeral services and cemetery property, as well as insurance. Not many people want to buy funeral products and services in advance. These preneed sales tips can help you more easily sell funeral products or services BEFORE there’s a death in a family.
Tip # 1 – How To Answer The Question, “What Does A Funeral Or Cremation Cost?”
It helps to frame the question as if the prospective customer was asking, “What does a car cost?” The answer is, “It depends what you want.” Do you want a Rolls Royce or a Corolla? A pickup truck, a station wagon or a sedan? Many people don’t know much about the funeral business and have no idea about all the many choices that could be made. It’s a conversation-starting question that can help the family better understand the process.
Tip # 2 – How Can Your Business Be More Visible To Google Searches?
Welton Hong with Ring Ring Marketing explained the best way to organically show up in searches is to complete your Google business listing. Add more pictures, descriptions of your products and services, and keep your listing up to date. It’s almost a mini-website. Then make sure your information is the same on other platforms like Yelp and your Facebook page.
Tip # 3 – Use Your Funeral Home Service Dog To Connect With People.
More funeral homes are having trained therapy dogs on site to help comfort grieving families as they make at-need arrangements. If you are going out in public to generate warm leads for preneed planning, bring the dog(s) with you! People are attracted to pet and talk to dogs, and in the process, their resistance to discussing funeral planning will be reduced.
Tip # 4 – Connect Better With Prospective Clients With Online Research.
Mitch Bennett with Indiana Memorial Group shared his tips on making prospecting easier with 10 minutes of online research. Start with a Google search and see what comes up. You can actually see a prospect’s house with Google Earth. Look them up on Facebook to see their passions, interests, losses. He also accesses Zillow, the White Pages online, and Ancestry.com. He pays $30 a month for Truth Finder, a public records search service. He doubled his rate of appointment setting by doing this research, well worth the investment of time and money.
Tip # 5 – Go To Public Events Where People Are Gathering.
Daniel Thomas with Forest Lawn in the L.A. area, and Dean of the J. Asher Neel College of Sales & Marketing, shared tips for getting out into the community to generate leads. Find places which allow booth opportunities. Smaller events include corporate health fairs, church functions like Bingo nights, car washes and special events at senior or community centers. Mid-size events include farmer’s markets, concert series, movie nights, grocery stores, and home shows. Large events include senior expos, veterans or ethnic events, air and car shows, county fairs and other expos, fairs and festivals. He’s also used kiosk displays in malls. If you’ve got service dogs, bring the dogs!
You should definitely give these approaches a try and see if they work for you.
Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and The Doyenne of Death®
If you want to sell more preneed funerals and cemetery property, check out this how-to guide and tools “How to Put the “Fun” in Funeral Planning with Before I Die Festivals!” at www.BeforeIDieFestivals.com – It’ll blow your mind!
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®, graduated from ICCFA University in July, 2022. An unconventional death educator, she is a Certified Funeral Celebrant, a published author of three books on end-of-life issues, and a licensed insurance agent. She coordinated the Before I Die New Mexico Festival for five years in a row.