What Do You Think?

Making the Presentation: During the presentation portion of the selling process, the Family Service Counselor tells the “story” in a way that speaks directly to the identified needs and wants of the family.

A highly customized presentation is the key component of this step. At this point in the process, families are walking through an atneed situation to understand what actually happens when death occurs.

The Family Service Counselor will actually discuss the type of services we provide.

Audio visual: our planning life’s final journey video needs to be presented to the family.

Sales professionals should strive to let the family do most of the talking during the presentation and address the needs of the family as fully as possible by showing that he or she truly understands and cares about the needs of the family.

The presentation is designed as a sequence of valid points with conversational bridges to segue from one point to the next. Each point is followed by a closing question or statement to gain agreement and create dialogue on the validity of the point.

Box 1: Bring Death under the door – find out what type of arrangements and burial.
Mr. & Mrs. Roberts, thank you for allowing me into your home to provide information about the Funeral Home and to bring you the memorial planning guide that I promised you. Mr. & Mrs. Roberts let me ask you a personal but very important question.

If there had been a death in your family yesterday, what would you be doing today? (Wait for Response)

Mrs. Roberts, I really should be talking to you,

Mr. Roberts was killed on the (Blank) Freeway on his way home last night.

Now that Mr. Roberts has passed away, how would you lay him to rest? (Wait for Response)

Before we lay Mr. Roberts to rest, where would you like to have his service, here at our Chapel or at your place of worship? (Wait for Response)

Mrs Roberts at the conclusion of the service, which cemetery would you like to lay your husband to rest?I

s ground burial traditional for your family? (Wait for Response)

Mr. Roberts, you can come back now.

Box 2: Facts about our profession – wife, children, protective role of husband. 
Mr. Roberts, cemetery and funeral records reveal that purchases made at the time of death are made 67% of the time by the widow and the children.

We at [Funeral Home or Cemetery Name] Here believe that every child should receive an inheritance from their parents but, there is one thing they should never inherit and that is laying their parents to rest. Would you agree? (Wait for Response)

Only 33% of the time the arrangements are made by the husband.
Mr. Roberts, your wife may not favor the expenditure at this time, but your widow would. Do you know why? (Response)

Mr. Roberts, when a wife loses her husband she loses two things, do you know what they are?
She loses her companion and also his income. Wouldn’t you agree?
(Wait for Response)

Box 3: Solution – 24 to 36 hours 3 simple steps
There are 49 decisions to be made within 24-36 hours at the time of death.

By advance planning you could reduce these decisions to three simple steps:

1. To gather vital statistics and other information for the death certificate and state and local documents.
2. To pre arrange funeral arrangements and…
3. To pre arrange cemetery memorialization

Memorial Planning Guide
(Review each page caption’s)

Remember And Be Remembered Are Natural Human Needs “A celebration of a life that’s been lived…”
Funeral of JFK
Funeral of Princess Diana
Vietnam Wall
Tomb of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Taj Mahal

“….your final footprint on this earth.”

WHY DO LOVING PEOPLE PRE-PLAN?
Mr. & Mrs. Roberts let me ask you this one question: why do you think loving families preplan?
Do you have any idea?

LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU GROUND BURIAL.

The first thing we have is a space. Then we lower the bottom of the vault. Then we lower the casket into the space and then the top of the vault. Then there is 2,500 pounds of earth placed back into space. Then on top is placed a memorial tablet, which is better known to you as a marker and that also includes opening and closing.

Now Mr. & Mrs. Roberts, for these four items: the space, the vault, the memorial (marker), and interment and recording, (opening and closing), how much do you think it would cost for one person to be laid to rest in 2020?

These are our available spaces at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. For comparison sake only, would you choose the most expensive, the least expensive, or somewhere in between?

These are our Wilburt line of vaults. The least expensive has the least protection. The most expensive has the most protection. In this case, for your family, which would you choose, the most expensive, the least expensive, or somewhere in between

Markers to choose from for ground burial: Granite or Bronze

TOTAL GROUND BURIAL COST:

Is this comfortable for your family?

If not…

HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED THE CONCEPT OF MAUSOLEUM? 

Let me explain.

It is the oldest form of burial known to man. It was once considered to be only for the rich, such as the Taj Mahal, Westminster Abbey, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Great Pyramids. A man came up with the concept called the Community Mausoleum where everyone can share in the cost.

Here is a crypt, go to the wall of the home. The ceiling is usually 8 feet high; in the mausoleum it is 18 feet high. The first level is prayer level. The second level is heart level. It is the most expensive, the most prestigious and the most accessible. The next level is sight, then touch, and the two levels above are called heaven levels. The higher you go up, the less expensive it becomes.

When the first person passes away, we slide them 18 feet to the back; feet first, head out. When the second person passes away, we slide them in head first, feet out. This is called true companion burial head to head.

In this case, which would you choose, the lower level, upper level, or somewhere in between?(Add figures)Your immediate savings would be…

(Read advantages of mausoleum entombment page in book)

One of the key advantages of mausoleums is that they are considered to be a cleaner and dryer option than a traditional underground burial.

This option will appeal to people who do not want to be cremated, or are apprehensive about being buried underground.

Another advantage is that mausoleums actually reduce the amount of land that is used for a burial and is therefore more ecologically friendly than an underground burial. A mausoleum may attract people who are greener at heart.

In this case, would you choose ground burial or mausoleum?

If not, then explain Lawn Crypt.

The lawn crypt is where we combined the beauty of our grounds with the dignity of the mausoleum at a price everyone can afford.  The first thing we do is excavate a whole area of land.  Then we place gravel or dry rock to take away any other moisture and place pre-constructed crypts into the ground.

When the first person passes away, we place them into the lower chamber. When the second person passes away, we place them into the upper chamber. This is a one-on-top-of-other burial. Then we fill it up with gravel and just enough soil for the grass.. Then you have the memorial, which is better known to you as the marker.

Put down immediate savings between lawn crypts and whatever they choose, the mausoleum or ground burial. Calculate all finances and monthly payments).

CREMATION:

There are many alternatives when chosening cremation. You may either be placed in a ground space or an above-ground niche. Cremation is only the disposition of where the cremated remains will be placed after the cremation service has occurred. This is your point of reference. Here is the price for cremation: Give glass front price, ground burial, or mausoleum at the beginning.

“Is this comfortable for the family?” (After you have calculated finances and monthly investment for what they have chosen. When all else has failed, then drop to the cremation arrangements. Calculate and ask if this is comfortable for your family).

One: Scatter on land
Pros: It’s free! You can scatter your loved one’s remains at a place they loved to visit. If you are scattering on public land, just don’t do it in front of a park ranger. It’s a “don’t ask, don’t tell” sort of situation. Please get permission if you are scattering on someone else’s private land.

Cons: You can’t put a memorial marker on public land to mark the spot where the scattering occurs. Descendants might get angry when they can’t find where Grandpa’s remains were scattered.

Two: Scatter at sea
Pros: It’s a low-cost fitting send-off for someone who loved the sea. The only expense is getting a boat to take you at least three miles offshore, a U.S. maritime requirement.

Cons: Care must be taken with ocean breezes to avoid the “dust in your face” phenomenon. A biodegradable urn container (paper, cardboard, wicker, etc.) that dissolves after sinking is the answer. Note: Cruise ship management frowns upon throwing anything overboard.

Three: Scatter by air
Pros: This is a fitting send-off for free spirits, including balloonists, pilots, hang gliders and bungee jumpers (who may meet their earthly end sooner than other less-adventurous folks). There are also fireworks manufacturers who will mix cremated remains into spectacular pyrotechnic displays.

Cons: Air scattering services and fireworks manufacturing can get pricey. You will not be able to identify a specific spot for their final resting place. (further methods of scattering ashes)

Four: Bury in a cemetery
Pros: Cremated remains can be buried in smaller plots that cost less than a full body burial site. Or, depending on the cemetery’s rules, cremains may be interred within a family member’s full sized plot. The family gets a place to visit and remember the deceased.

Cons: Even smaller cremains plots can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, depending on the cemetery.

Five: Bury at home
Pros: Assuming you’ve got a yard at home, it’s free to bury your loved one’s cremated remains. You’ll know they are near. You can mark the spot with a statue, a manufactured marker or a simple rock.

Cons: Whenever you sell the house, you’ll either have to dig up the cremains and take them with you or you must declare the presence of remains on the property. This might adversely affect your property value.

Six: Keep an urn at home
Pros: Your loved one’s remains can be enshrined in a beautiful urn set in a special spot. Everyone in the family can remember that loved one and admire the container.

Cons: Ever see that scene from the comedy film Meet The Parents where Ben Stiller is trying to open a bottle of champagne? The cork flies off and hits the ceramic urn on the mantle that holds the cremated remains of Robert DiNiro’s mother, with disastrous results. ‘Nuff said.

Seven: Place in a columbarium
Pros: A columbarium, a.k.a. columbary, is a place for storing funeral urns, so they give a specific place to visit the deceased. Columbaria are usually located in cemeteries. Some churches have a spot for collecting cremated remains, either keeping them in urn niches or mingling remains in a garden or walled area.

Cons: There is usually a cost associated with obtaining a niche for remains.

Eight: Share with family
Pros: Cremated remains can be split up among far-flung family members. They can be kept in mini-urns, memorial jewelry, even made into glass or ceramic works of art.

Cons: Some family members may not like this idea. Plus, unless you are using coffee cans, the price of multiple urns or pieces of memorial jewelry can add up, depending on the size of the clan.

Nine: Create a reef
Pros: There are services that mix cremated remains into concrete structures that build marine reefs. Your loved one’s final resting place is mapped, and you can go scuba diving to visit them.

Cons: While a memorable memorial option, it can cost as much as burial. Visiting the memorial reef site can become a major investment of time and resources.

Ten: Build a monument
Pros: Speaking of mixing cremated remains in concrete, why not make a monument? You can set it up on your property, or even make it a centerpiece at family reunions!

Cons: Some family members may not be amused. With the U.S. cremation rate now exceeding 41% and growing, more and more families will be considering these options. If you want to be cremated, figure out your preference and let your family know. Help them avoid the agony of having to decide for you. You’ll be glad you did.

In this case, would you choose ground burial or mausoleum?

If not, then explain Lawn Crypt.

The lawn crypt is where we combined the beauty of our grounds with the dignity of the mausoleum at a price everyone can afford.  The first thing we do is excavate a whole area of land.  Then we place gravel or dry rock to take away any other moisture and place pre-constructed crypts into the ground.

When the first person passes away, we place them into the lower chamber. When the second person passes away, we place them into the upper chamber. This is a one-on-top-of-other burial. Then we fill it up with gravel and just enough soil for the grass.. Then you have the memorial, which is better known to you as the marker.

Put down immediate savings between lawn crypts and whatever they choose, the mausoleum or ground burial. Calculate all finances and monthly payments).