Funeral Service Funeral Director
Training Program

RESOURCES:

Prospecting:

Presentation:

Pricing:

Paperwork:

Pay:

 

 

The Five P’s

  1. Prospecting
  2. Presentation
  3. Pricing
  4. Paperwork
  5. Pay
  • 600 Attempts per wk
  • 120 Attempts per day
  • 30 Attempts per hr
  • 35 Contacts per day
  • 4 Big 5 per day
  • 2 appointments per day
  • 4 Hours of prospecting per day9:30-11:30 | 5-7 or 6-8 or 7-9
  • 3 appointment times per day11:30am-4pm-7pm
  • Our Objective (Outcome)2 Husbands and Wives each day

Below is an email template for after a sale has been made:
Please copy/paste into your email message and edit, as needed:

Dear _______ ,

Thank you for allowing _______________ Funeral Home to help you in advance with your Funeral needs. We appreciate you and your family for having confidence in our staff. If you have any questions please feel free to call me.

Please view the video below.

Planning for Life’s Final Journey (B).avi

Dear ________ ,

We need your help. We are conducting a survey to determine how members of our community plan for one of the hardest things a family has to face…… the death of a loved one.

The brief questions that follow are designed to assist us in knowing more about what people want and need at this most difficult time. Please complete and submit the enclosed questionnaire to help us improve our service by pinpointing what is most important to you.

For taking a few minutes of your time to respond, we would like to give you a Memorial Planning Guide……….ABSOLUTELY FREE. The guide will help you avoid having to gather all the vital information at the time of a death. Please forward to your family and friends.

Thank you for supporting your community and Arnold Family Funeral Services.

Please click the link below.

http://www.legendcfs.com/funeral-planning-survey-kc/

Please confirm receipt of email.

Kind Regards,


Keith E. Charles

Family Service Counselor

Arnold Family Funeral Services

Kcharles@legendcfs.com

(562) 688-2365

Why is Prospecting so Important?

Why is prospecting an important activity for salespeople? Prospecting is an important activity for salespeople because it is the primary way to grow revenue. Also it allows salespeople to keep new customers coming in to replace customers who they lost.

Why is prospecting difficult for some salespeople? Prospecting is difficult for some salespeople because it is a process filled with rejection. These problems affect salespeople because some people can not recover after being rejected. Many salespeople also feel it is a waste of time because they might get rejected anyways.

Prospecting is an important part of the sales process, as it helps develop the pipeline of potential customers available.

Prospecting, done right, not only creates a pipeline of potential customers, it helps to position you as a trusted advisor. It also helps you focus on the right accounts.

6 Sales Prospecting Keys to Success
If you really want to be a successful prospector, here are the 6 keys:

1. Targeting
The foundation that underpins sales prospecting is the strength of your original contact and the precision of your targeting (Big 5) Family Service Counselors often call to sell the family before locating them in the sales process. Questions are extremely important to uncovering the needs of the family. Make sure that your list is clean and ready to go before you start, or you’ll find that your day is lost in fits and starts.

2. Value in Every Touch
When you sell, no one wants to hear your capability pitch, your history, or your life story right off the bat. They’re looking to find out how their lives can be enriched by working with you. When you think about providing value, don’t just think about the value you will eventually provide when they buy from you. Think about the value they’ll get just from speaking with you. Eventually you’ll sell your company, your offering, and yourself. First, sell the idea that the family’s time will be well-spent if they elect to speak with you. They will benefit from all the information that we will provide. Sell the appointment FIRST!!!

3. The Right Offer
Your ultimate offer is to present the concept of advance funeral planning.  But the interim offers—the offers you make and they accept before they meet with you—must be crafted with the utmost care. (Emotions Sells – Logic Tells)

4. No Tricks
Plenty of business success awaits you with your high-integrity approach. There is no need to use tricks, bend the truth, or cut corners to generate an initial conversation. All this does is kill trust, and trust is essential for sales success. Anything that you wouldn’t feel comfortable telling your children about when you tuck them in bed at night, leave out of your sales approach. 

5. Multiple Touches
It takes more attempts than most people think to get through to a family. It can often take seven, eight, nine, or more touches to get through to someone. That number goes up and down—depending on what method of prospecting you choose to use. What’s always true though is that it takes more attempts to qualify each family.

6.  Variety of Touches

Cold calling works well alone, but it works even better with mail (yes, we are talking snail mail here) and email. Use a variety of touches to reach out and warm up your families—and make sure each touch has value in and of itself – text messaging, facebook, seminars (necessary conversations) etc. Refer to our Prospecting Methods 

Adhere to these 6 keys and you’ll be well on your way to prospecting success.  At the very least, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of Family Service Counselors who will not prospect at all.

Know the Big 5

1) Age of Husband2) Number of Children3) Military4) Trust or Will5) Attitude

Big 5 and Explanations:   

1. Age of Husband: Well, Mr. Prospect, the reason we asked this question is because our experience has taught us that families usually over the age of 40 have either discussed the subject with their spouse, or planned a service for a loved one. Is anyone of these true in your family?

2. Number of Children: Mr. Prospect, the reason we asked about the children is because our experience has taught us that 67% of the time, when a death occurs, the final arrangements are made by the surviving spouse and/or the children.  We believe that all children should inherit something from their parents, but not the responsibility of laying their parents to rest.  Wouldn’t you agree with Mr. Prospect? Use Two E’s tool: Emotion & Economic! 

3. Veteran: Mr. Prospect, the reason we asked this question is because there have been many changes in the benefits provided for veterans. The information I will provide for you in the Memorial Planning Guide will clear up any confusion on the benefits that the U.S. Government will provide to your family. Doesn’t that make sense?

4. Will: Mr. Prospect, have you and your wife ever sat down and discussed the topic of a will or living trust? (WAIT FOR AN ANSWER) I don’t know if you are aware of the fact that 2 out of 3 Americans die without a will leaving their families with a very difficult  situation. We  would like to provide you with information on how to obtain a will or living trust. Does that make sense, Mr. Prospect?

5. Attitude (Open to receiving free information): Now, Mr. Prospect, what is your attitude on receiving free information?

***VERY IMPORTANT***

Mr. Prospect, could you explain to me what you have heard me communicate to you, and what we would like to do for your family?

Three F’s Formula 1)Feel, Find, Found Or ASQ Affirmation, Statement, Question

I understand exactly how you feel when you say you are not interested.    We find many families who say they are not interested.  We also have found when families receive free information they know what to do and where to turn.

Question: You don’t think it’s a foolish idea to at least receive free information, do you?

WISDOM:

We…. are not Interested

I……… don’t want to talk about it.

S…….. sorry I am going to be cremated.

D………don’t care what happens to me.

O……… oh someday I get around to it.

M……… my (whoever) will take care of it.

“Information”

Family Occupation Recreation Motivation

NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME: http://www.homesteadersmarketing.com/userdocs/inventoryItems/M1651_NeverBeenBetterTime.pdf                     

N. What do they have NOW in reference to Funeral and Cemetery arrangements only.

E. How was the EXPERIENCE of someone making atneed arrangement or had a preneed.

A. If they had a chance what would the ALTER about their experience.

D. Who would be the DECISION maker in reference to their arrangements?

S. We have the SOLUTION for everyone. (This is in regards to their financial investment)

It’s imperative to keep the pipeline filled with prospects.

As a result, the prospecting process must come to occupy a primary place in a salesperson’s list of priorities if success is to be achieved.

Here are 10 prospecting techniques that will bring you a steady stream of qualified potential families:

  1. Make a commitment to be a prospect-driven salesperson: With too many Family Service Counselors, prospecting is taken seriously only during those periods when sales are down. They continue to be interested in the results of prospecting but neglect the process of obtaining prospects. The goal is to be known as a “prospect-driven” salesperson, one that focuses total attention and resources on uncovering prospective families.
  2. Focus on finding the right prospects: Families (WIIFM) must come before prospecting. Some Family Service Counselors spend a lot of time chasing would-be families who have no interest in what they’re selling. The key is spending time determining exactly who fits the profile (Big 5) of what you want to present and then building a prospect profile (Free Memorial Planning Guide) Analyze your families, develop appropriate profiles and search for families that fit those profiles. The profiles will help you focus your prospecting activities on profitable, potential Families.
  3. Cultivate continuously: A major weakness is making prospecting an event, rather than a process. Prospecting is not an impulsive quick fix. It involves more than making a call and, if there’s a negative response, crossing the name off the list. The purpose of continuous cultivation is to build a relationship with a family, something some salespeople find difficult when the initial contact is negative.
  4. Look at former customers: Many former families may be ready to receive free information about our services. Try to mix in former families that have been served in the pass when you’re planning your prospecting calls. Former families may also be an invaluable source of leads.
  5. Expect attrition: Families move closer to their children, and through no fault of their own, salespeople lose contact with these families because followup is not immediately . The best way to follow up with them is to strive to have the family followup within 30 days.
  6. Recognize resistance to change: Some families have a natural resistance to change (Death of a Love One). When families raise objections, listen carefully and ask for clarification. By asking the families to go into more detail about the objection, you’ll be in a better position to overcome it.
  7. Own your territory: Salespeople who don’t call on families served by their locals funeral in their territories are leaving the door open for competitors to do so. Once competitors get an opening with our families in your territory, they may start converting your long-term customers in that territory as well.
  8. Take a close look at the competition: Are your local funeral homes failing in areas that may be your strengths? Have there been any changes in your competitors’ staff or product line that may give you an opportunity? Funeral Homes in transition provide a great opportunity for Family Services Counselors who act quickly and creatively.
  9. Resist hitting a comfort level: Some Family Service Counselors become content with their lifestyle. They hit their own glass ceiling, by only calling on favorite customers, looking for just an acceptable amount of new families and not really pushing themselves. The entrepreneurial salesperson is never satisfied, always thinking and trying to grow, and improve the business.
  10. Try to learn what the prospect does and his or her objectives: Who are your families and competitors (local funeral homes)?  F.O.R.M.

Interested in learning more? Give a Preneed Marketing Rep a call today!

800-365-8208