Scott Morris joins Danielle Burmeister in this discussion about his career evolution, preneed strategy and trends in the funeral profession. Scott Morris is Vice President of Business Development with Homesteaders Life Company. In their chat, Scott covers his path into the funeral profession, key lessons he learned over the years and strategies for funeral homes to grow their businesses. They also discuss emerging trends like online funeral planning, shifts in operational approaches to preneed and advice for growth-minded funeral professionals. Learn more about Scott’s journey in this insightful and forward-looking conversation.
Chapters:
1:09 What made you enter into the funeral profession?
5:57 As someone who has been in a variety of roles in the profession, what key lessons have you learned along the way?
8:53 Thinking back to when you joined Homesteaders in 2018, what made you take the leap into working in the preneed space?
12:46 You started in strategic markets and recently transitioned over to business development. How has that transition been so far, how has your role changed and what do you see for yourself in your new role moving forward?
15:54 In your experience, how do you think preneed, and the way we approach it from an operations or marketing and sales standpoint, has changed over the years?
21:01 Online funeral planning is a big trend in the funeral space, but are there are other trends that you see emerging in the near future?
24:41 In your role, you work with funeral providers to help them build customized preneed programs that work with each of their markets. In doing this, what are some of the strategies that you’ve found to be most effective for funeral home businesses?
29:28 What advice would you give for funeral professionals looking to grow their businesses?
32:46 What is giving you energy right now?
33:49 What are you reading right now?
