A Quick Lesson On How Warm-Fuzzy-Prospecting Began

Ok, I know, it has been a few days since the last update.  I’m working hard on the coaching/membership site.  Spent more than half the day working on it yesterday.  We’re close.  I’m feverishly uploading info to the site.

For today, I thought I’d answer a question that comes up often.  The question is:  How did you discover warm-fuzzy-prospecting?  Especially since you learned this business just like everyone else?

Well, it is a good question.  There are two stories 20 years a part that really got me to thinking about how to sell pre-need.  As you know I got into this business because I lost two friends a month a part.  It was very traumatic and only one had pre-planned.  When I discovered pre-planning it really opened up the possiblity of selling something I felt everyone should do.

I use my story in my presentation.  My story of why I got into this business.  You should use your story of why you got into this business, even if you’re a 3rd generation funeral director.  The fact is you got into this business for a reason.

Lesson Number 1:  People love stories and really want to hear those stories. 

When I started in this business I sold through out the community (outside sales) and almost never visited the cemetery.  About 9 months into my new career my second sales manager beat me up until I finally went inside sales (family service).  There’s a big difference between serving the community and handling the many problems you find while working at the cemetery.

The first day on the job I did nothing but ask questions.  Every time I met a family a completely different situation would come up.  I had no experience and there wasn’t a manual to read on how to do this job.  Anyway, the first family I met with that day was an at-need.  But, it was the second experience that taught me a grand lesson in how to sell the warm-fuzzy-way.

For those of you who work at funeral homes you’ll understand this and of course for those of you who work at cemeteries.  I had two guys walk into the conference room.  After a long silence I asked how I could help them.  One told me his brother was terminal and he was here with him to help him make arrangements.

Needless to say I walked them through a series of questions toured the cemetery and he made his arrangements.  That was my first lay-down, slam-dunk, easy sale.

That event got me to thinking about how to look for people like the two brothers.  Not necessarily a near-need but people who were pre-disposed to doing business with the cemetery.  For you funeral home folks, people who would be pre-disposed to making arrangements in advance at the funeral home.  And for those few sales people I get emails from; those who would likely want to purchase a car.

Warm-fuzzy-prospecting begins with the idea that certain people will be open to making arrangements in advance.  There are a multitude of reasons why folks would be interested in pre-planning and you need to profile likely customers of yours to figure out those characteristics.

Lesson Number 2:  Profile the individuals you interact with to find commonalities.

Next time we’ll talk about how to profile your customers to determine the commonalities.

Happy Selling!

David Dassow