2015 College of Cemetery,

Cremation

& Funeral Studies

March 25, 2015

Embassy Suites Hotel

Lynnwood, Wash.

22nd ANNUAL COLLEGE

will be held  Wednesday, March 25, 2015

at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lynnwood.

DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY

TO HEAR ONE OF DEATH CARE'S PREMIER SPEAKERS

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Dr. Alan D. Wolfelt will give a day-long seminar on Death, Grief & Mourning: Essential Caregiving Principles & Practices. It will be held at the Swinomish Casino & Lodge, 23885 Casino Drive, Anacortes, Wash. 98221 (855)794-6563. Beginning at 8:30 with registration and continental breakfast, the seminar will start at 9:00 and run until 3:30, with a break for lunch.
 

Registration is just $69/person, $79/person after January 30. Groups of 3 or more, $65/person. Includes continental breakfast, breaks, lunch buffet and program materials.

Dr. Wolfelt is a noted author, educator and grief counselor. (You can read more information and register by downloading the brochure here). He is a much sought-after speaker.

Thanks to the following benefactors and sponsors who are greatly subsidizing the usual cost to attend to make it affordable for all:

BENEFACTORS

• Hospice of the Northwest
• Batesville Casket Company
• Forethought Life Insurance Company
• Matthews Funeral Home Products
• SightLife
• Northwest Planning Partners, Inc.
• Washington State Funeral Directors Association

SPONSORS

• Brownsville Casket
• Burley Funeral Chapel
• Evans Funeral Chapel
• Gillies Funeral Home
• Hawthorne Funeral Home
• Kern Funeral Home
• Lemley Chapel
• Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home
• Sound Market Solutions
• Visser Funeral Home
• Wallin Funeral Home
• Weller Funeral Home
• Westford Funeral Home

Download the brochure and registration form here.

Remember, you must register by January 30 to receive the low rate of $69. It will go to $79 thereafter. Discount for three or more from same organization $65/person.

Cremation/Legal Issues

By Poul Lemasters, Esq.

In this installment of his "Dear Poul" column, ICCFA Cremation Counsel Poul Lemasters answers your questions about whether you can hold remains until you get paid, whether some authorizing agents in a class are better than others and what to do when you can't find anyone to sign anything.

As a benefit to all IFFCA members, I provide legal advice on cremation-related issues. This is a free service to all members. Let's face it, in today's world where cremation is on the rise, it seems families are becoming more dysfunctional and, oh yes, let's not forget about the people who want to sue at the drop of a hat, it's nice to have a little support when you are faced with a problem.

Over the years, I've gotten all sorts of questions about cremation. It is amazing how many people are faced with cremation-related issues on an everyday basis. You may think that after awhile, the questions would all be ones I've gotten before, but the facts are always somewhat different.

While I can't address every issue I've ever been asked about, there are some questions I've gotten from several people - and I'm sure may other people have had similar questions cross their minds.

In this second edition of my "Dear Poul" column, as always, names have been changed to protect the innocent and so that I can make the questions a little more fun.

Dear Poul: We have a question regarding cremation and getting paid. We have the signatures of both the children and also have their signatures on the Statement of Funeral Goods and Services. The problem is, they were supposed to pay for the cremation by the day of the cremation, but they still haven't paid. The urn alone was over $500! Can I hold onto the cremated remains until they pay at least some of what they owe?

Rich but Broke in Pennsylvania

Dear Rich but Broke in Pennsylvania:

The short answer is, no, you can't hold cremated remains for payment.

Compare this to a "traditional" case where you get a death call, make the removal, perhaps embalm and then the family says, "We want to go somewhere else." At the point the family says that, you must let them. If you do not release the body, it is deemed holding a body hostage for payment, and you can face legal repercussions, including regulatory fines and punishment. The case with cremated remains is no different.

Not only is holding a loved one in order to demand payment deemed an illegal act, it also adds to the growing problem of abandoned or unclaimed cremated remains - another area of liability. A cremation provider should encourage the family to pick of cremated remains, not hold the remains hostage.

So what can a provider do to collect money owed?

While the law says you cannot hold a body - or property - hostage for payment, a provider does have the right to collect money owed. This means that once you hand over the cremated remains, you can proceed via any standard collection claim. Typically this means filing a claim against the family in small claims court, getting a judgment and then waiting for payment under a judgment.

There are steps to take to help reduce the chance of the issue getting to this point. First, a provider can refuse to cremate until payment is received. The difference is that you are refusing to provide services until you are paid, not refusing to release property until you are paid. If the family says, "We can't pay," they can move the deceased to another location - again, you can't hold the body until payment is received - but at least you are not out the cost of services for cremation.

Also, if you have not been paid for the cremation, you can refuse to provide merchandise until paid. For example, if the family has selected but not paid for an urn, do not use the urn until payment is received.

This can only be done if you haven't already put the remains in that urn, though! You can't place the cremated remains in the urn, then find out you aren't getting and then decide to remove the cremated remains from the urn.

Overall, handling this issue comes down to implementing better best practices for collections at the time of arrangements. If you have a problem at that time, solve it before proceeding. Don't create another problem by trying to keep the cremated remains until payment is received.

Continue "Dear Poul" here

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As a partner in a thriving marketing firm, one of my responsibilities is that of business development. While I learn something in each conversation with people in marketing leadership positions, many times after I hang up the phone, I say to myself, "there's another one who's losing sales to their competitors!" Mainly that's because these folks have adopted some misconception about marketing as the "truth" that they can't and won't let go of no matter what. So while they say they'd like their sales to be stronger, their year-over-year sales won't change much or, in some cases, will decrease from one year to the next.

So, let's do a quick run-through of 5 most common fallacies that I hear. Hopefully none of these sound as familiar to you as they do to me.

I can grow my sales and "share of pie"

with a smaller budget than my competitors.

When I hear this, it generally implies two things to me: 1) Either your competitors are wasting a big portion of their marketing budget on initiatives or messaging that doesn't connect with the customers or, 2) your marketing partners are fantastic because they're willing to work for less than the average market price in order to do the wonderful work they do...which I have a hard time believing is the case. Oh, and then let's not forget about the inability of these companies to track how much money the competitor is actually (over)spending on marketing.

The reality is this: if your company is spending a good deal less than the competition, you're probably not making any significant gains in market share. Yes, there might be a competitor that's overspending, but my experience working with companies from the Fortune 100 to small mom-and-pops is that you don't pose a serious competitive threat unless your marketing budget is in the same ballpark with your competition...it's just one of those "marketing truths."

Marketing's role

is to generate new business

You'll get no argument from me that one of the jobs of marketing is to generate new business, directly or indirectly. But just as important, marketing's role is to make existing customers come back for more, that is making customers loyal to the brand. Many businesses are so focused on attracting new customers that they tend to ignore - or even walk away from - the existing ones. Yes, new customers are constantly needed, but truly successful companies prosper on their ability to retain the customers they've already acquired. The reason is simple: finding new customers is expensive and time-consuming. Let the following research statistics wash over you... 

• The cost of acquiring a new customer is estimated at 6 to 7 times what it costs to maintain a current one.
• The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70% while many companies consider a "get new customers" campaign successful if just over 5% of the prospects contacted end up buying.

New business is always good but don't forget who's paying the bills.

click here to continue

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Start off the year with a review of your safety programs and procedures. One way to approach it is by zeroing in on what OSHA has been paying special attention to lately in its oversight of funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories.

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Protecting Your Families and Business

By Jim Starks, CFuE, CCrE

Lack of accountability and follow-procedures-when-it-suits-me approaches don't encourage teamwork in the work place. In fact, such issues can result in poor or even incomplete service to customers, as well as additional work for employees who pick up the slack. To encourage teamwork, excellent and complete service, and an overall satisfied workforce, firms must enforce accountability.

Additionally, without accountability to enforce OSHA and FTC standards, firms are at risk for more than unhappy customers and employees - namely, fines and the bad publicity that comes with them. And, at least in regard to OSHA and FTC standards, firms even have clear guidelines. OSHA specifically exists to instill and enforce healthy work environments, and when an employee does not follow his firm's OSHA policy he could affect other employees - and the public - with a contaminated or unsafe workplace.

Quite often, when an employee stops doing his job properly other employees eventually follow. This happens because the other employees don't want to do someone else's work. For example, if an employee does not clean properly after an embalming procedure, other employees get frustrated doing the extra work. Finally, everyone leaves the embalming room a mess. It's contaminated and can result in cross-contamination throughout the funeral home!

Further, customers may be affected with incomplete service when policies aren't enforced. For example, management wants all families served in the same manner, including being offered different memorial items. Whether this offering happens at pre-arrangement or at-need conferences, offering different memorial items gives the family different options as well as helps the bottom line with incremental income. But when an employee decides not to offer all items to every family, he is making a decision for them and denying them all opportunities.

These two examples demonstrate why accountability is necessary. But to enforce accountability for all management policies and procedures, open communications must exist between management and staff. Consider that while management wants some procedures done a particular way, the staff knows in actuality it may be better accomplished with another method. By listening to staff, management members promote a culture of teamwork and accountability.

Optimal accountability also takes a willingness of all employees to hold their peers accountable: If one employee does not follow the firm's policies and procedures, his actions - or lack thereof - must be brought to his attention. Otherwise, he will most likely continue with the when-it-suits-me approach.

Remember, a business is in the business of making a profit. Many times, when employees are not accountable it costs the business money form lost revenue - or someone else has to follow behind and complete the unfinished work.

Author Jim Starks, CFuE, CCrE is president of J. Starks Consulting in Lutz, Fla., and a nationally-recognized trainer on funeral home and crematory risk management. He used his experience in both funeral home and crematory operations and risk management, combined with his involvement with funeral homes of all sizes and geographies, to become an authority at controlling risk and loss in the death care industry, providing lectures and presentations to private firms, as well as regional, state and national associations. He also conducts private audits and risk assessments to independent funeral homes and crematories in the US and Canada, often identifying ways to save or generate thousands of dollars of profit. Contact Jim at 813-765-9844 or [email protected].

This article sourced from Funeral & Cemetery News January 2015 with permission.

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Myrtle Hill Cemetery, Rome, Georgia, recently completed a mausoleum seven years in the making. The new mausoleum includes 588 crypt spaces and 596 niches, valuable inventory to a historic city cemetery founded in 1857 and long been thought to have been filled up. To complement the area's architecture and evoke a sense of permanence, Georgia materials were used. Silver-cloud granite fronts and trim veneer came out of Elberton, and Manchester Red brick came from Fairmount. The building was designed and built by Milne Construction Co., Portland, Oregon.

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There's More To It...Advance Funeral Planning

By Christopher Kuhnen

As a pre-need sales representative, what time did you make your first sales call today? How about yesterday? Remember, your sales day begins with the first call you make to a prospect. Preparation activity, paperwork, and water cooler talk don't kick off a productive sales day.

Consider a telephone calling schedule that commits you to making contact with prospects at the first possible moment of the day and carries until your first appointment or a full calendar of future appointments.

Here are some tips to make you a better, more effective telephone communicator:

1. Smile and relax. If you're uptight, nervous or having a bad day it comes through in your tone of voice. Get and keep yourself in a positive, relaxed, casual frame of mind before placing all telephone calls.

2. Call at optimum times. Don't make calls before 8:30am. Don't make calls after 8:00pm unless there is absolutely no other way. Saturday mornings are good calling times between the hours of 8:00am and 1:00pm. Sunday afternoon from 1:00pm to 5:00pm can also be a good time to catch people at home.

3. Have a good reason for calling. Only call on prospects when you are confident of the line of questioning. The aged line of telling a prospect you're going to be in their neighborhood later today, visiting someone else that wanted pre-need information, and just wanted to drop by is often overused. Nobody "just drops by" these days.

Stay away from using the outdated script about how you have immediate vital information they need to receive right away. If the information were "that vital" the owner of the funeral home would have already called long before now. In the minds of consumers, unless there was an immediate death in their family, there is no information about funerals that is all that important. They additionally know this: what is a "great deal" or "price offer today" will still be available next week or next month. Savvy consumers know and are on the lookout for anything that sound like it's insincere and disingenuous.

4. Engage the prospect in a warm-up and directed dialogue. Do a little probing by asking open ended questions that require more than a simple "yes" or "no" answer. The majority of those making phone calls typically don't do a warm-up and they fail miserably.

5. If the person you wanted to reach does not answer the telephone, speak with the person who did answer. Everyone is a prospect. Warm-up with them a little before asking to speak with the person you initially attempted to reach.

6. Keep it simple. After saying "Hello," plainly state your name and who you represent. Let them know up front there is no emergency (no one has died) and that you want to speak with them for just a few short minutes. Begin your thoughtful line of questioning. Ask them up front, if now is a good time for them to talk. If not, tell them you will call them back later. They will expect you to go away and never call again. If you told them you would call them back, be true to your word. Use short sentences. You don't need to be longwinded and give the prospect everything they ever wanted to know about pre-need during your conversation. Give them enough to justify them setting an appointment with you.

7. If the prospect says, "Thank you, I'm not interested," find out why. This is often a conditioned, knee jerk reaction. Ask them if they have ever inquired about funeral pre-planning before. Do they already have a prearrangement plan on file elsewhere? If Yes, with whom and when was the plan made? Have they experienced a recent death in the family and just can't discuss pre-planning at this time? Do they think their children will take care of everything? Are they afraid to discuss the subject of their own mortality? Express a genuine interest in learning the prospect's real reason(s) for not wanting to receive the information you can provide to them.

Author Christopher Kuhnen of Edgewood, Kentucky is a 29-year veteran of funeral service. He is perhaps best known as an industry go-getter and progressive leader. As an insider into excellence, he is a trustworthy advisor to many funeral home and industry professionals. Kuhnen spent a good portion of his career working for a family-owned and -operated funeral home and national pre-need sales and marketing organization. He additionally was the architect and founder of Funeral Profit Protectors, LLC. Currently he serves as Vice President of Pre-Need Marketing for the Unity Financial Life Insurance Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a Kentucky Licensed Funeral Director, Life Insurance Agent, Certified Pre-Planning Consultant (CPC), Insight Institute Certified Funeral Celebrant and Certified Marketing Specialist, as bestowed by the former American Marketing Academy. Chris can be reached at 859-307-7223 or [email protected]. The article is sourced from Funeral Home & Cemetery News for January 2015 with permission.

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Tips From The Top [advice from experts]

In today's marketplace, cremation rates can reach 50 percent or more, depending on your area of the country, and funeral professionals need to embrace the fact that cremation is here to stay and will continue to grow. Too many in the industry still dread the cremation customer, assuming they are only looking for the quickest, least expensive way to deal with the disposition of their loved one. Michael Devaney, cremation merchandising manager at Wilbert Funeral Services, provides tips for giving cremation families meaningful, value-added service.

1. Cremation merchandising does not start when the family calls on you.

Make sure you speak to the cremation customer in everything you do. Your facility name, staff communication, website and marketing messages should all embrace the cremation family as a valued customer. Never make them feel less important.

2. Provide a tour of your facility before making arrangements.

Introduce the family to staff and show them your facility (especially if you have a crematory). This will help them see what they will be paying for as well as imagining possibilities for service options. Better yet, consider holding "cremation open houses" for the public, providing an opportunity for education before the need arises.

3. Take the opportunity to serve.

If a family states, "We just want a cremation," create an atmosphere of communication. Ask open-ended questions. If they say they want a "direct cremation," ask them to explain what they mean; they may think this is the only option. Never assume they know all service options available to them.

4. Collect the story.

Don't just be vital statistics collectors. Avoid asking only yes or no questions. Learn as much as you can about their loved one. Even if you meet with a family that has expressed a strong desire for a cremation without viewing or services, it's important to collect their story. Take time to listen to what they feel is important about the life of their loved one.

5. Reflect back to the family what they say about their loved one.

Often it is this time with a family that helps them to understand and see the need for a specific type of a personalized cremation product, ceremony or some sort of remembrance service of a life well lived.

6. Provide answers.

Families look to you as the expert. Use this time not only to listen, but to make suggestions based on their insights about their loved one. Providing answers does not mean telling families "what they want," but rather helping them understand the many options that are available and suggestion ways in which they may fulfill their needs.

7. Use audio visual tools.

If is always helpful to use short, informational videos during the arrangement conference to help families understand available service options, as well as decisions regarding final placement of cremated remains. Having these videos on your website can also be extremely helpful for families to view before the time of need. They will have more confidence in knowing what to expect from your cemetery.

8. Package your cremation services.

Once the family knows the type of service they want, it is helpful to hand them a list of cremation service packages in a customized printed booklet that has simple, easy-to-understand bullet points. Make sure there are visual images to correspond with each service package.

9. Display products in an attractive setting.

If you don't have the right display, don't expect to sell the products.

10. Do everything you can to meet their needs.

Always look for ways to do more for your cremation families. You are not promoting cremation but rather promoting service and value. Cremation will be at your doorstep no matter what you do. Why not be proactive and add value in everything you do? Family preferences may have changed, but your business model of service should not.

Sourced from American Cemetery magazine for December 2013 with permission 

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By Brooke Austin

Management

Following proper etiquette is a no-cost way to put your best foot forward to families, so why doesn't everyone do it? Maybe because though it's free, it's not easy. It takes desire and practice.

Impressions are so important, so vulnerable and sometimes even changeable. We have all made the wrong first impression, or been negatively impressed upon first meeting someone else, only to have that opinion change over time.

No one can behave perfectly at all times, but whether we are aware of it or not, the most candid of call cameras - the observation, reaction and impression of everyone we meet - is constantly focused on us, and this is particularly true of those of us who work in cemetery and funeral service. No profession operates in a fishbowl more than ours.

This can seem daunting, but one thing we should remind ourselves of is this: Following proper etiquette is absolutely free - it costs our organizations nothing.

It is important, however, that we don't confuse "free" with "easy."

The picture others have of you is critically important because it either goes into their album of "People I like to deal with" or joins the file of "People who are a pain in the neck."

Truth is, we can all relate to this process of impression-making. How many of you have ever heard someone say, "I will never deal with so-and-so again - she is a pain in the neck!"

People - well, some people, at any rate - just fall into lazy habits as far as manners go. It's said that it takes 21 days to change a habit, so with a little effort, those people can change and improve, but it takes a concerted, intentional effort. Usually this does not magically happen.

Simple ways to show good etiquette

What are some specific ways we can demonstrate proper etiquette or good manners in our organizations? I humbly offer the following suggestions:

• Give discreet directions to the rest rooms to all visitors and guests, so that they don't have to seek out someone to ask if the need arises.
• Offer everyone a free glass of ice water. It costs nothing and is legal in all states, regardless of regulations about serving food in funeral establishments.
• Always offer to hang up people's outer clothing.
• Be attentive to creating and maintaining a businesslike atmosphere.

These four thoughts are all part of what I like to call "little things of service." Of these "little things," the two most overlooked etiquette essentials are holding the door for someone and greeting someone or escorting someone to their car.

How many of you actually go outside to greet people when you see them pull into your parking lot? How many of you actually walk them to their vehicle when they leave your office?

It's these "little things of service" that actually make a BIG impression.

Let's explore this idea further.

What people see in your face is also important. Your face expresses friendliness or the opposite; it is a reflection of your inner thoughts, and it is very difficult to successfully camouflage what you are truly feeling inside.

If you present a rigid, indifferent front, the message is clear that you do not value the individual with the "camera" trained on you.

As blunt as this will sound, it is nonetheless true: Many times the individual who has the "impression camera" is also the one with the cash, which, I think it is safe to say, all funeral and cemetery organizations need to survive and prosper.

When I was presenting this program in Atlantic City, I was impressed by the myriad of restaurants available which offered a variety of choices and culinary experiences.

I was impressed by one initially not because of the food but because of the warm, friendly smiles I received from every staff member. There was not one grouch in the group.

On the other hand, I experienced a couple of restaurants where the management must have had as its hiring goal engaging only grouches. Not surprisingly, I ate most of my meals, and spent most of my dining budget, at the place where everybody was smiling.

We all can relate to this type of glaring difference between two restaurants, both of which have food, tables, waiters, etc., but who in the end are as different as Mars and Jupiter because one is staffed by smiling people and the other is not.

I believe very much that we should all feel free to smile, even to grieving people. A smile can take on all sorts of meanings; a sympathetic smile is a genuine comfort to our families.

Study the effect on your associates when you express your warm heart to others and you will wonder why you haven't smiled more and why other people don't smile more. Smiling is contagious!

Good telephone etiquette

Basic telephone etiquette is also important to making a good impression with our clients - and the families we hope will become clients. Some tips to consider:

• Sit up straight, breathe deeply, smile and act interested.
• Reach for a pad and pen - but not when driving.
• Try to answer the phone by the third ring.
• Be courteous, friendly, professional, enthusiastic and soft spoken.
• Pay attention - your reputation and your money are at risk.
• Be conservative in transferring calls; do this only when necessary.
• When you must leave the line, make sure to explain why and return promptly.
• Be involved with the other person's conversation (engage the caller).
• Eliminate background noise.
• If possible, end the call on a positive note.

Showing CARE

Friendliness and smiles always start in the mind, and because basic etiquette usually depends on our authentic mental attitudes, what is in our thoughts will generally make us or break us. It is absolutely true that a person becomes what he or she thinks about.

When resolving a cemetery or funeral problem, you need to show clients that you CARE about them. If you honestly CARE, people will usually reward you with loyalty.

We really have no other choice, because I can guarantee that if you don't CARE for your customers, the consequences will not be pleasant.

To show that you CARE, you must be:

Credible. Credibility, or our reputation, is really all we have in the cemetery, funeral and cremation profession. Customers need to believe in our products and services, in our customer service policies and procedures and in our efforts and those of our staffs. Your title doesn't matter if you're not credible.

Accessible. Customers want to be able to access our customer service systems quickly and easily. Many times they are already upset about something - don't make it more difficult for them by passing them from employee to employee. Be accessible and customer-friendly.

Reliable. Cemetery customers want to know what to expect from our organizations. We need to do what we say we will do at the time we say we will do it. My motto is "under promise, over deliver." We must try diligently to get it right the first time, on time, and then check with the customer to ensure satisfaction.

Excellent. Customers respond to excellence. Excellence means enhancing your clients' experience year by year through actions, not just with words. Total excellence is never actually achieved, but is a worthy ideal we should be dedicated to striving for all our lives.

Conclusion

I believe that good etiquette used in delivering genuine, caring customer service that is polished and intentional is the most disarming weapon in the world.

One day, a young man who wanted to become a funeral director approached a licensed funeral director in his town about the possibility of learning from him.

The grumpy older funeral director glared and snorted at the young man, "You - a funeral director? Why, you're nothing but a fool!"

The young man, ignoring the blustering, smiled from ear to ear, and said, "Why, sir, I only want to be like you when I grow up. Tell you what, I'll work for you for nothing for a month, and then you can decide if I'm a fool or not."

Without even knowing about the CARE system of customer service etiquette, the young man got the temporary job. After a month, the young man went to work full time. The young man's credibility, accessibility, reliability and excellence won over the grumpy old undertaker.

Of course, not everyone can cash in on a friendly attitude to quickly or directly, and some people are indeed impossible, but it pays dividends in satisfaction when you intentionally put the CARE system into action.

When I was making this presentation in Atlantic City, I thought about the late Bert Parks, who for years was master of ceremonies for the Miss America contest, which was always held in the Atlantic City Auditorium.

Parks was once asked what set apart the winning contestants. "That's easy," he replied. "No matter how beautifully you dress a show window, it's no good until you turn on the lights." He was referring to being able to make a warm, irresistible, dazzling, sunny impression - the quality the winners must possess.

That's the truth about etiquette in a nutshell. Making a friendly impression causes people to light up, revealing the real essence of their characters.

With friendliness and smiles, you surround yourself and your organization, as well as the world in which you move, with that light and warmth so desirable in funeral and cemetery service work.

It is just that simple.

The author is the area sales manager for StoneMor Partners, Levitttown, Penn. In the Southeast Region. She oversees the sales production for 15 cemeteries throughout Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. She plays an integral part in establishing their culture, which includes the public impression each property makes on the community. The article is based on a seminar Austin presented to the membership of the New Jersey Cemetery Association at its annual convention in Atlantic City in April 2014. It is sourced from ICCFA Magazine for November 2014 with permission.

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Sales

by Patti Martin Bartsche

Chances are purchasing a final resting place doesn't top many people's to-do list. While the reasons - or excuses - may be many, advance sales (the preneed of the cemetery industry) are an integral part of any cemetery operation. While it isn't easy - and does take a lot of work - there are things you can do to help put your firm on a better financial footing.

Do...

Be knowledgeable.

To ensure you are representing your firm properly and serving your prospects effectively, be knowledgeable about your organization and its product offerings. "If you don't know what you're selling, how are you going to sell it?" says Gary O'Sullivan, president of Gary O'Sullivan Co., a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, development, management and leadership sales and marketing in Winter Garden, Fla. Take time to learn about what you're selling...and don't be afraid to ask questions, O'Sullivan says. "The more knowledge you have, the more confident you'll be...and that will benefit everyone," he adds.

Do...

Master your craft.

Selling, just as any other profession, has skills that should be mastered. Work diligently to learn professional and ethical selling competencies. "No one is born a salesperson," O'Sullivan points out. "It's a skill that is learned...and learned correctly."

Do...

Focus on service.

Tenured sales professionals understand the simple concept that says, "The more you serve, the more you will sell," O'Sullivan says. Look for ways to be of service, to be engaged and to build relationships. Over time, your efforts will lead to more opportunities to sell.

Do...

Prospect consistently.

For years, O'Sullivan says he has taught a simple principle: "If you don't have people to see, then nothing else really matters." If you are not consistently gaining new prospects to share your preneed story with, he says, what you know will be of little value.

Do...

Sell what it does.

People don't buy products, they buy what a product does, O'Sullivan says. "We buy a can opener, because we want an open can. People buy the products and services we sell because of what it provides them," he says. "People don't want our products, they want to take away the burden of making these decisions at one of life's most difficult times, they want to save money, they want to provide for themselves and their families peace of mind."

Do...

Establish value before explaining price.

When making your preneed presentation, it's important to establish the value in making these important decisions. A simple way to remember this concept, O'Sullivan says, is to focus on the protection and peace of mind preplanning offers before discussing products and prices.

Do...

Take charge of how the public views your property.

For Charles F. Christopher, vice president of sales for Jefferson Memorial Cemetery and Funeral Home in Pittsburgh, that means offering a variety of programs and events that will bring different groups of people onto your property. "The key is to create a niche for yourself in the market...whether that means holding a pet export or offering a Cremation 101 seminar on your property," Christopher says. "You can't just go and try to sell people...you need to know what is important to them."

Do...

Put the right people in the right jobs.

While it may not always be possible, if you have resources, invest in a sales/marketing person to help bring advance sales into your cemetery, says Thomas Daly, founder and principal of CHS Consulting Group in Westwood, Mass. "That person will be able to communicate your cemetery's message effectively," Daly says. And without having to juggle a number of other jobs throughout the day, he or she will be able to focus on the sales.

Continue reading here

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Do you have a job position to fill?

Cemetery or funeral home equipment to sell?

Are you looking for a job?

Classified ads for WCCFA members are FREE.

Send your information to the WCCFA at [email protected]