Meeting with a family at an initial preneed appointment requires prepping materials as well as creating a space where meaningful conversations can flourish. By creating thoughtful questions to ask a family as well as keeping a flexible mindset, you can help families decide with confidence.

Looking for in-person or online courses to help you boost your preneed skills? Learn more on our website or keep reading for quick tips from Homesteaders Senior Training & Development Specialist, Bri Niedermyer.

Set the right mindset before every appointment.

Preparing for a preneed appointment goes beyond providing families forms and brochures. It starts with cultivating an open, flexible mindset and adapting to various family dynamics. Before your appointment, help the family prep for the meeting, review any known details about the family, align your team on service goals and be prepared to offer clear but customizable information.

“Keeping an open and flexible mindset in any meeting holds judgements at bay,” noted Bri. “It also helps you meet the family truly where they are and not where you think they should be.”

Spending even a few minutes before a preneed appointment to customize your conversation to their known needs and keeping an open mind about ideas a family might bring, helps the family know you care about their unique situation and needs and creates a family-first approach. Read about more ways to transform your preneed appointment setting.

Build rapport and establish professional credibility. 

At the beginning of the meeting, introduce yourself and your role, acknowledge the sensitivity of funeral planning and ask thoughtful questions to get to know the family and their preplanning needs.

“Always ask open-ended questions to keep the conversation flowing naturally," Bri suggested. "Then, it's important to sit back and truly listen. Often, you'll learn more about the family's experience, needs and goals by letting them guide the conversation so it flows organically."

Your goal is to establish a genuine connection and learn about their wishes so you can help them choose funeral arrangements that match their specific needs and circumstances. Learn more about simple ways to build relationships with families.

Ask questions that uncover family priorities.

Instead of launching into funeral planning details, lead with curiosity. As Bri suggested above, ask open-ended questions like:

• How did you first hear about preplanning?
• What would you like to accomplish in our meeting today?
• What matters most to you when thinking about end-of-life arrangements?
• Have you talked with your family about your wishes?

This gives the family permission to reflect — and gives you insight into their values and how you can best help.

“When you’re curious, you continue to ask the family questions and learn more about them personally,” Bri said. “This will help when it’s time to recommend services and offerings to them — you’ll already have a good idea about their needs and can recommend choices that make sense for them.”

Learn how you can continue to connect with the evolving consumer.

Connect preplanning to their personal goals. 

Communicate with the family that preplanning is valuable, personal and purposeful. Ask them questions to learn about their values. Are they trying to protect their children from tough decisions? Do they want to leave a legacy? You can tailor your recommendations by listening to their wishes and needs and offering suggestions to help them connect their plans to their values and goals.

“By acknowledging their feelings and letting them know they aren’t alone, you can help the family know that preplanning is a personal and purposeful process,” Bri mentioned. “By being present and actively listening, they can know that you care and want to help them choose and plan confidently.”

Guide families toward a confident decision. 

The best conversations end with warmth and clarity. Bri said, “Thank the family for their time and for taking an important step in the preplanning process.” Acknowledge that getting started is the hardest part of the planning process and congratulate the family for starting to their end-of-life planning journey.

Summarize what the family shared and the decisions they made and encourage them to share their plans with loved ones. Finally, plan a time to follow up with the family to finalize paperwork and answer their remaining questions.

Helping families confidently make preplanning decisions is a top priority for preneed professionals. Learn more about how to guide meaningful and thoughtful conversations with families through Homesteaders’ library of preneed training webinars or by joining an in-person course to sharpen your skills and create a positive experience for every family you meet.