There are more ways than ever to connect with preneed families. The challenge is to find the methods that are effective for your funeral home and community – and implement them well.
Keep reading to discover several proven methods for earning and retaining a client family’s business, and as you read through these ideas, pay close attention to the ones that are a bit outside of your comfort zone. You may find that these efforts offer something new that could resonate with your community and grow your firm’s preneed business.
1. Develop A Strong AFtercare Program
Aftercare is an important service for every family, every time. There may be situations that don’t fit your typical aftercare program, but each client deserves to hear from you after the service or event. This serves several purposes, including:
- Gaining feedback so you can quickly correct issues and improve for the future.
- Finding out what they need and offering additional resources.
- Sharing information about how you can support clients in the future.
Some components to consider include aftercare kits, text-based aftercare, home visits and direct mail. For resources to help you build out your program with tools like these, contact your Homesteaders account executive.
2. Ask for Referrals
If you struggle with asking your client families to share their referrals, you’re certainly not alone. But consider this: over half (63%) of policy owners surveyed in our latest policy owner survey have recommended prearranging to one or more people or plan to recommend it to someone they know. Asking for referrals helps your firm and your community by:
- Spreading the word about the exceptional services you provide.
- Building credibility through the experiences of trusted connections.
- Affirming your client families’ satisfaction with their decision to prearrange.
One example to help you get started: Offer to speak at groups and organizations connected to your preneed clients. Many groups welcome guest speakers to share beneficial information with their members. Consider creating a “speakers bureau” brochure that explains the types of presentations your firm can offer for these groups. (Contact your account executive for a free template.)
3. Network with Other Organizations
If you aren’t already, your funeral home should be networking with other local businesses. These interactions could lead to beneficial partnerships and even some referrals. If you have a strong connection with other businesses, like florists and caterers, they could recommend your firm for their clients’ needs.
4. Host Community Presentations
Community presentations are a popular way to share information about funeral planning. They’re frequently used because they’re effective for many firms, offering advantages such as:
- Providing a safe setting for people who want to learn more and ask questions.
- Allowing you to share your expertise and the value that differentiates your firm.
- Offering a starting point for people to put their plans in place.
Successful community presentations are designed to meet the needs of your audience. We’ve created several free preneed community presentation kits that include all the materials you need to promote, present and follow up after the event.
5. STAY ACTIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY
People often do business with professionals they know and trust. And this is especially true in funeral service because you work closely with families during a highly emotional and stressful time. Your client families want to feel comfortable when they walk into your funeral home, so it’s crucial to make sure you and your staff are visible and approachable. Finding ways to stay active in your community through civic organizations, charitable groups or local churches reinforces your desire to provide exceptional service to the whole community.
6. Invest in a MARKET ANALYSIS
The best way to ensure your firm meets the needs of members of your community is to learn as much as you can about them. You will have a much higher success rate when you know what your client families are looking for in a funeral service provider. Invest some resources in a market analysis to learn what your client families want and need, and allow that knowledge to influence the products you offer and how to market to families in your community. Knowing what approach your market is likely to respond to will also help you narrow your focus to those efforts that are most likely to yield positive results.
7. Generate Awareness Using Social Media
Be sure you’re actively promoting the advantages of preneed on your funeral home’s website and engaging client families through social media platforms. When creating web and social content, take the opportunity to highlight your firm's community involvement, staff members and unique offerings. Encourage your preneed client families to share their experiences with your firm and highlight those testimonials to help others who are considering prearranging.
8. Make It Easy for Consumers to Find Your Website
Having a well-maintained website is more important now than ever. Your potential customers are using search engines to find you and your competitors, and your website is their first impression of your services. Fortunately, you can utilize several search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to make sure your website stands out.
When a person visits your funeral home website, you may have just a few seconds to make a connection. In addition to ensuring your “Contact” page link is prominently displayed in your site's navigation menu, it’s important to make the page itself as user-friendly as possible. If you have multiple contact options, provide instructions that make it clear which option is the best choice for different scenarios. Adding an online form to your page can further simplify the process by ensuring consumers provide the information you’ll need to better serve them.
9. Try Direct Mail
Direct mail can be an effective part of your firm’s marketing strategy. By using mail to reach potential clients, you can receive benefits such as:
- Connecting with a highly targeted audience.
- Providing a personalized invitation to respond to a survey or event invitation.
- Creating a tangible experience that can help your firm stand out.
You don’t have to start from scratch when developing highly effective direct mail pieces such as approach letters, surveys and event RSVPs. Contact your account executive to learn more about direct mail options.
10. Add Personal Touches
A mailed note can have a powerful and lasting impact. Consider sending personalized sentiments to client families during the holidays and to recognize other significant dates throughout the year, such as birthdays and anniversaries.
These proven methods should go a long way toward establishing a healthy, robust advance funeral planning program. To gain more insights to help you grow your business, explore our preneed training opportunities for funeral professionals.