Five tips to help your funeral home turn a profit in this new year, despite the changing landscape of the funeral industry.
Customer Service is Key
The funeral industry is a unique business, but one thing is true for most sales scenarios: customer service is more important than any other factor when customers are considering purchasing a product, especially if that product is something personal like preneed insurance or a funeral package. Studies show that more than half of customers complain about customer service more than any other factor when dealing with a business or company. Focusing on your customer interactions and making those your first priority will benefit your business and draw new customers to you, as well as keep your existing clients happy.
Reviews are your Reputation
Nowadays, customers shopping for a funeral home turn to an online search engine first and last. A whopping 90% of Americans say reading reviews affects their decision when choosing to pay for something or make a new investment. We know that a funeral is a big investment for most people, and they will be especially careful in their funeral home selection if they are preplanning their own funeral and have time to research and ruminate on who best fits their needs. It is crucial that you are not only aware of the online reviews about your business, but also that you are in control of them. Incentivize happy customers to review you on sites where your reviews need a little boosting, or make it easier to find your positive reviews by initiating some search engine optimization.
Experience over Expense
Funeral home customers are not always prepared for the true expense of a well-put-together funeral, but the almost unanimous feedback from satisfied customers is that funeral homes that care about their experience are worth a higher expense. This industry is most successful when we focus on making a client’s experience simple and stress-free. Customers respond to a cohesive experience more than a low price. When considering where to pare down and where to beef up, focus on those elements of your sales practices that improve customer experience.
Preplanning isn’t Popular
Although awareness about preplanning is increasing thanks to the internet, most Americans still have not seriously considered making funeral arrangements for themselves ahead of time. Though the majority of people believe it’s important to put their final wishes in writing, very few have actually taken this step. A huge part of the sales process in this industry (especially referring to preneed insurance or preplanning) is educating potential clients so they understand the importance of the decision they’re making and the potential consequences of putting it off.
Sort Out the Social Media
If you have been a part of the funeral industry for a long time, it can be hard to accept how influential social media is on your clientele. Grooming your online presence and prioritizing social sites is a sales strategy that will benefit your networking potential and your reputation.
