Number 10 of Top 10 Mistakes Pre-Need Sellers Make Prospecting & How to Avoid Them

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January 23, 2009 by David Dassow 

Number 10:  The belief that the state of the economy will lower the amount of Prospects…

  I wish I had a buck for every time a sales associate told me his/her pre-need sales were down because of the economy.  I’d be a rich guy!

  There was a recent article in the newspaper about Economists discovering we’ve been in a recession for a year now but didn’t even know it.

  I’m laughing at the above statement because Economists are one step below weather forecasters.  None of them ever get it right and if and when they do we’ve already moved on to the next crisis.

  When I began in this business Bill Clinton was in office.  The day George Bush was elected I was told we’re in a recession.  Funny, no one had told me sooner as I had one of my best years ever.  In ’05 when Bush took office again there was gloom and doom and again I had a great year.

  My best year ever was 2007 and 2008.  Obviously, 2008 was the year of the recession as I’m just now learning.  Another record breaking year.  The reason I’m going on about all this is when people use recessions as excuses that’s all it really is;  an excuse.

   People pre-plan final arrangements for all sorts of reasons in all sorts of environments good bad, indifferent, or ugly.  You name it, people will pre-plan.

   It is a massively huge mistake to assume just because there is a recession no one will pre-plan at the cemetery or funeral home.

   In fact, here are a couple of stats you may not be aware of.  One of the largest companies in the death-care industry recently had a joint investor news conference.  They published an interesting funeral statistic.  The statistic concerned 2008 pre-arranged funerals vs. at-need funerals.  The company brought more money in on pre-arranged funerals than on at-need funerals.  About $600.00 more for every pre-arrangement done. 

 The moral of the story is pre-need funerals and pre-need cemetery bring in more money than at-need funerals and cemetery.  AND, there’s no such thing as a recession in this business unless YOU THINK THERE IS.

Happy PreNeed Selling !

David