3 Prospecting Strategies for In-House Sales

I’ve put together a 3 part strategy for those sellers of pre-arrangements who work in-house.

A quick definition before we get started.  I define a pre-need seller working in-house as a cemetery or pre-need funeral person who is assigned duties inside the cemetery or funeral home.

Obviously you can work the files of previous at-need families or pre-arrangements but here’s a few other strategies.

Strategy number one:

Part-time Door-Knocking.  This strategy should be used when you are following up with an at need family.  When you go to their home assess the neighborhood and door knock the entire block.

You’ve got a valid reason for being in the area and you’ve got a great opportunity to bring up pre-need with neighbors because they’ll know about the recent death.

The time invested?  Ten minutes to two hours depending if you get into a family’s home or not.  If nothing else schedule a future appointment with your new lead.

Strategy number two:

Working the cemetery grounds.  Anytime you have a broken vase, grave location request, complaint, or anything else that brings you out into the cemetery grounds do some fishing.

Talk to people on the grounds.  You’d be surprised at some of the responses you’ll get.  Recently I had a guy (who looked rather young) say to me, “can I get info on how to pre-plan?”

The only reason I even got the question?  I had been roaming around on the cemetery grounds.

You’ll invest maybe 20 – 30 minutes of your time and you never know what might happen.

Strategy Number Three:

Staying in touch with family members of at-need families.  This is by far the best strategy of all and no one does it.

How hard is it to include a handwritten note to family members and tell them you’ll be staying in touch and include them in your newsletter?

Also, ask for referrals, ask for testimonials, and use their story for future sales letters, correspondence, and your newsletter.

You can profile the family in your newsletter. 

Staying in touch with your at-need families is a sure fire way to get more new business, solidify you as an expert in the eyes of your prospects, and show you really do care.

Happy Selling!

David…

P.S.  Here’s one more strategy for any pre-need seller.  Anytime you go to a Prospect’s home there’s always a risk that they won’t be there. 

A no show!

No shows are a perfect opportunity to door-knock the neighborhood.  Just one block will take you minutes and you never know.

You might pick up a lead or an immediate on the spot presentation.

Good things happen when there is activity.

Always think outside the box and ask yourself how you can turn a no-show into an opportunity?

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