How to Sell Funeral Plans
One of the major struggles for a funeral home is selling plans. In order for your business to succeed, you need a tried-and-proven method of making funeral sales, both pre- and post-need.
As a business owner, how do you sell funeral plans? In this article, we here at Funeral Home Media will give you 16 tips on how to sell funeral services to help your bottom line!
How to Sell a Funeral Plan: 16 Tips
Tip 1: Convince them of the need.
You need to be able to convince the family that they need your help. stressing the importance of pre-planning can help families understand why they should buy a plan from you.
Tip 2: Show empathy for the family’s loss.
Letting them know that you understand their pain and grief can help build trust between you and the family.
Tip 3: Be professional at all times.
Remember that this is an emotional time for the family, and they may not always be polite or reasonable. However, it is important to remain professional so that you can maintain control of the situation.
Tip 4: Understand your products and services inside out
If you don’t know what you are selling, how can you expect the family to buy it from you? Make sure that you are familiar with all of your services and products so that you can answer any questions that they may have.
Tip 5: Offer a variety of packages
Not everyone wants or needs the same thing. Offering a variety of packages will help meet the needs of more families. In addition, it's important to make sure you offer different packages to accomodate different budgets.
Tip 6: Be honest!
This is one of the most important tips we can give. Families need to be able to trust you, and if they feel like you are trying to sell them something that isn’t necessary, they will not buy from you.
You'll also harm your reputation if someone finds out you weren't 100% transparent during the sale. They may leave you negative reviews that can have a serious impact on your future prospects.
Tip 7: Be patient!
Selling funeral plans is a long and difficult process, and it can take time for families to make the right decision. Be patient with them while they try to come to terms with their loss and decide how to proceed.
Tip 8: Plan ahead
It may not be possible in every situation, but planning your sales presentation before you start selling will help you sell funeral services faster. This is especially important when selling burial plots or cremation prepaid packages that require additional paperwork from the family.
Tip 9: Follow up
After selling funeral services, keep in touch with the family so that they know what steps need to be taken next. If they have any questions about anything, make sure you get back to them as soon as possible.
Tip 10: Offer financing
Sell funeral plans by helping families understand their options and choices on how much control (if any) they want over arrangements after someone passes away instead of trying to make an immediate sale.
If possible, offer financing so potential customers can pay off their services at a pace that works best for them; it's much easier to sell funeral plans when the plan can be paid over time.
Tip 11: Use a Script
When selling funeral services, it's important to use a script so that you stay on track and don’t forget any of the important points that you want to make. This will also help keep the family focused on what you're saying.
Tip 12: Know when to back off
There will be times when you're not able to sell funeral services. If the family isn't interested, don’t push it; instead, thank them for their time and move on.
Tip 13: Know when to close
There will also be times when you are able sell funeral arrangements. This may happen when a family member says they would like to pre-arrange or prepay some of the expenses related to funerals before someone passes away unexpectedly.
Make sure that this moment does not slip by!
Tip 14: Stay positive
No one wants to deal with a salesperson who is negative and constantly pushing. Make sure that you stay positive throughout the entire process, no matter how difficult it may be.
Tip 15: Use social media
In addition to your own company website, social media can be a powerful tool when selling funeral services.
Platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow you to connect with families in your community quickly and easily. You can also use social media to share information about pre-planning and post obituaries for free!
Tip 16: Be upfront about costs
This harkens back to what we said about honesty.
You'll have a better chance to sell funeral plans by helping families understand their options and choices on how much control (if any) they want over arrangements. Be upfront about the costs of each package and different arrangements rather than trying to make an immediate sale above anything else.
Pre-need Funeral Plan Sales Script
If you're planning on selling pre-need funeral services, you'll want to have some kind of script prepared.
This will help you stay organized and on track, while also sounding professional to potential customers. Here's a sample script to give you an idea of what to say:
"Thank you for considering our funeral home as your final destination for your loved one. We understand that this is a difficult time, and we want to do everything we can to make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.
One of the ways we can do that is by helping you plan ahead. Our pre-need funeral services allow you to secure all of the arrangements in advance, so that when the time comes, all you have to do is mourn.
We offer a variety of packages to choose from, which can be tailored to meet your specific needs and budget. And, best of all, our services are always affordable.
If you're interested in learning more about our pre-need funeral services, I would be happy to discuss them with you in further detail. Thank you for your time."
Of course, it's important to personalize the script to fit your particular funeral home, but this should give you a good starting point.
By using a prepared script like this, you'll be able to confidently sell pre-need funerals to potential customers. That can make all the difference during a difficult time.
Selling Funeral Services on Consignment
When most people think of selling funeral services, they usually think of directly contacting families who have recently suffered a loss.
However, you can sell funeral services on consignment as well.
This means that rather than selling the service upfront, you'll keep it in your inventory until a family purchases it for an agreed-upon price later down the road.
The process is simple: families purchase their desired funeral arrangements ahead of time and agree to pay when they need them or after someone has passed away. Keeping this arrangement in place ensures that all parties involved are aware of what will happen upon death.
Because funerals can be very pricey depending on location, many customers choose to pre-purchase their preferred funeral plan so that they don't have to worry about paying high out-of-pocket while grieving.
If you're interested in selling funeral services on consignment, it's important to have a good understanding of the local market. You'll also need an inventory of pre-made funeral arrangements that can be sold quickly and easily.
By using both of these methods, you can sell funeral services with little to no stress or hassle.
Selling Funeral Policies
Another way to sell funeral services is by selling funeral policies. This involves marketing specific insurance plans to families who want to ensure their loved ones' funerals are taken care of financially.
There are many different types of funeral policies available, so it's important to do your research and find the right one for your business. Some things you'll want to consider include the cost of the insurance, the length of time it's valid for (which is usually one year), and what you can sell it with.
For instance, some funeral policies only cover funerals up to $30,000. So if your funeral home charges more than that average price, don't sell this type of policy since most families won't be able to use it.
Or if there are certain types of arrangements that aren't eligible under your plan or theirs, then find out before selling so that no issues arise later on down the road.
By doing things like these beforehand - research, planning ahead - you'll ensure a smooth sale every single time!
Conclusion: How to Sell a Funeral Plan
Selling funeral plans is not always easy, but if you follow these tips, you will be able to sell funeral services more successfully.
Remember, the most important thing is to build trust with the family so that they feel comfortable working with you.
Break down any barriers that may be getting in the way of selling a plan by following this advice.
We're always here to help along the way!
We offer the best funeral home marketing services available; feel free to contact us today to find out how we can help grow your funeral home business.
