No, I’m not talking about production numbers or commissions.  I’m talking the difference between a true warrior and a so-so mediocre producer.

The difference between a premier running back in football and an average back is a half-step.  The premier running back is half-step quicker.  That’s all.

Not much really.

The difference between Premier producing pre-need sellers and average is pretty minor as well.  But, the difference is big because average producers will not do what they have to do to break-out of mediocrity.

So, how do you go from an average producer to a premier achiever selling pre-arrangements?

Three Tips

Tip one:  Do something every day that will bring you closer to a sale.  A few extra phone calls, some letters sent out, prospecting for an hour, work the cemetery grounds, follow-up with a family.  Every single work day should include something to get you closer to a sale.

Tip two:   Develop another niche group to capture.  Start with your own Natural Market, search for Champion Endorser®.  Your cemetery/funeral home has a natural market.  Are you tapping into these markets?

Tip three:  Mindset change.  This is the most difficult.  It isn’t easy changing the way you think.  If you believe you can’t do it, you won’t do it.  I’ll be posting a lot more on mindset changes.  If there were one area you should focus on the most it is this area.

Your own belief system is powerful.  It has taken years for you to develop your outlook.  A good friend of mine is putting together some info on what I would term the “Selling Factor”.

There are some Pre-Need Warriors who seem to be a “natural” at selling.  Those successful warriors are willing, able, and just plain “do” what mediocre producers will not.

Where do you fit in this category?

Can you become a warrior?

I know you can do it.  We’ll cover some of the specific pieces to the puzzle next time.

Happy selling!

David…

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The mantra of thinking positive doesn’t work very well.

A better approach is to combine emotion with logic and focus on how many prospects you need to say yes to an appointment, presentation, sale(s).

Don’t worry about the negatives, the fear, or the no(s).

We’ve spoken before about your average sale, your average commission, the amount of contacts it takes for you to make an appointment.

I don’t know your magic number of contacts that leads to appointments that leads to presentations that leads to sales. 

This is the point where we take logic and apply it to emotions.  If you know you have to talk to 15 prospects in a week to make 3 presentation to make one sale that is equals the objective (logic).

When you know what to expect you won’t be disappointed.  You’ll know what you have to do and be able to apply a “positive” attitude toward getting the job done.

You can also apply Time Management to your logical goal of meeting, presenting, and selling X number per week. 

Do a little homework tonight and figure out what you need to do to get a sale.

Next, focus on all the positive responses you get that bring you closer to that sale.

Finally, as you merge logic and emotion you’ll discover a new way to promote a positive attitude for yourself.

Remember, only YOU can improve your positive, upbeat attitude.  No one else will do it for you.  Like I always say, they can’t take your education or experience away from you.  You’ll naturally and easily see your new positive attitude improve even more with each day of new success when you merge logic and emotion.

Happy Selling!

David…

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Its interesting how the average Pre-Need Seller can put together a fantastic month once a year but cannot put together a string of excellent performances month after month.

Why is this?

I think the answer is synergy.  The dictionary defines synergy as the working of two (or more) things together to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual parts.

Another way of saying it is to use the team concept.

This is similar to a football team.  The running back or wide receiver or quarterback get all the accolades but without the front line blocking they’d be on the ground.  For the Seller of Pre-Arrangements it is important to understand that it isn’t one thing you do but the culmination of several things.

The foundation is your core.  Do you have three distinctive forms of prospecting?  Do you rely on company leads?  Are you working the grounds, mailing mail, door-knocking, researching the files to name just a few?

Synergy is combining more than one prospecting technique.  I like three distinct prospecting methods and markets because like a three legged stool if you take away a leg the stool falls over.  For the seller of pre-arrangements it is important to gather some steam (or synergy).

If your prospecting is built on three legs you’ll always succeed because your foundation of three methods of prospecting keep the stool from falling down.  The worst thing you can do is stop because it is so hard to get back in the swing of things.

Once you’ve established momentum you keep the successful going by continuing to prospect even after writing lots of business.

Once you’ve got some synergy good things will happen.  It will seem like luck but luck is nothing more than being prepared when the opportunity arises.

Happy Selling!

David…

P.S.  Synergy and the Pre-Need seller go hand-in-hand

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If you want your sales to be consistent than your prospecting must be consistent.  It’s real tempting to get a bunch of leads (quit prospecting) and spend all of your time working those leads. 

But, if you’ll continue to acquire more leads while working your current lead base you’ll develop some consistency in your sales.  I’ll admit that it can be difficult to achieve total consistency but you can put together consistent months of business. 

I’d rather be consistent than have a huge month followed by nothing.  It’s difficult to deal with the emotions of up and down months.  Consistency helps level out your emotions.

You’ve heard me go on about doing something every day that will bring you closer to a sale.

But consistently doing things every day that bring you closer to a sale also equals consistent sales.

A benefit to consistency is your emotional well being.  There’s nothing more frustrating than to have a large group of sales followed by no sales.  Consistency promotes a good attitude.

Search my previous posts on goals and dreams.  Look at your description page for a specific goal on sales, and implement the strategy necessary to achieve your goal.

But, no matter what, implement through a consistent, disciplined, daily routine, that focuses on doing the things that put you closer to a sale.  Before you know it you’ll have consistency in your monthly sales.

The activity necessary to achieving your goal equals consistency.  Top producing sellers of pre-need are disciplined and consistent.  That’s how you consistently achieve sales and that’s how you consistently lead the group.

Happy Selling!

David…

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How do you work the cemetery grounds?

The cemetery is a fantastic place to prospect for new business.  Contrary to what you might think visitors to the cemetery are typically interested in pre-planning.  Especially, grave spaces and funeral pre-arrangements.  The tricky part is the approach.  I like to get a conversation started and let the family bring up grave spaces.  If they don’t bring it up at some point you can mention; where are your locations?

It helps to know the cemetery but within a few days of roaming the grounds you’ll become very familiar.  Most of the time your prospect will have a complaint.  Complaints are a good thing.  Complaints help start the conversation.  I like to find out who my prospect is visiting and let them tell me about family members.

Some of your best leads are individuals who have family members scattered through out the cemetery.  You’d be surprised how many visitors to the cemetery do not own grave spaces.

Many times your prospect will share what happened to a relative including pre-arrangements or not.  Let your prospect talk.  Encourage them to tell you about the situation.

The goal is to have a conversation.

Remember my definition of a lead:

A lead is someone who doesn’t own pre-arrangements (cemetery or funeral) and is open to discussing it.

Also, be ready to solve problems from adding additional memorials (bench, ledger, upright, or new marker) or even tweaking arrangements.  I’ve had several couples convert a grave space into a double-depth (companion) space to give the other to a child or other close relative.  Family members like to be together so don’t forget about cremation bench opportunities on a traditional grave space.

If your prospect has everything done at the cemetery you’ve got a funeral lead.  And, by the way, if you cannot sell pre-arranged funerals remember the suggestion I’ve made in the past to do a joint venture with a funeral sales person.  That funeral sales person can refer cemetery leads to you.

The amount of visitors increases quite a bit between  December 15th – December 31st.

You can incorporate the strategy of working the cemetery grounds through out the year.  If you work on weekends you’ll find that’s the best time.

Finally, don’t be bashful about referrals.  I’ve had many people who had everything complete at the cemetery and refer friends and family.  In fact, one time I had an individual who had done everything at the cemetery.  He gave his brother an ear full.  Needless to say, his brother pre-arranged at the cemetery.  Leverage is powerful (see my posts and the catalog on Champion Endorser® )

Happy Selling!

David…

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I’ve had a few questions on at-need follow-ups.  One question had to do with getting the 4 commitments to a sale while following up with your family a few days out of the service.  How can you turn a family follow up into a sale? Can I get referrals with at need follow up? 

Every company has a different policy about family follow ups and what to do or not to do.  So, my first comment is to follow your company policy concerning at-need follow ups.  This is my opinion but don’t be telling your supervisor that Dave said this and Dave said that.  Follow you company policy but take note of my suggestions for later on.

The question you  need to ask yourself about at-need follow ups is what is the goal?  What are you trying to accomplish?  Grief groups, books on dealing with a death, after-care, death certificates, and pre-arrangements.

Why are you visiting family members?

Whatever the answer to the above question stay focused.  If you are following up for specific after care don’t deviate. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post I have mixed feelings about trying to sell family members a few days after the funeral service. 

When you meet with your at-need family to make at-need arrangements you should tell them as part of your service you’ll be meeting with them and try to make an appointment for your follow up meeting during your at-need arrangements.  But, this strategy will work maybe 12% of the time so don’t be disappointed if the majority of your families aren’t willing to book a time to meet.

I can share with you one time I met a family (the Husband) two weeks after the death and delivered the Death Certificates.  I ended up having a 20 minute conversation with him and set up a tentative meeting in two months so he could close out the details of his wife’s portion of the estate.  I used the meeting as a two-step approach to getting a sale. 

The only exception I can think of when meeting for a follow up visit is if there was interest from the family in purchasing additional grave spaces or pre-planning funeral arrangements than obviously you’ll meet with your family as soon as possible.

As far as the four commitments to a sale goes with an at need be sensitive to the fact that they just had a loss.  Make your approach conversational and assume the sale and don’t worry about the today commitment.  Assume the sale until told other wise.  Also, the majority of the time what ever the family did for Dad they’re likely to do for Mom.  The reverse is also true.  You can bring up the memory commitment by making it easier for the survivor’s next-of-kin.

A perfect time for referrals is an at-need arrangement and the follow up.  You can set up a follow up appointment during the arrangement.  Get some of the family members and maybe friends names during the arrangement.  When you follow up with the immediate family follow up with the extended family and friend. 

I’ll post more on the “T” later.  This is a technique used to attempt to get the entire cemetery package for both the deceased and spouse at the same time while making the arrangements.  This can be done with at-need funeral arrangement as well.  Don’t be bashful in the at-need arrangement and tell the individuals/family/friends you’ll be following up with them as part of your commitment and service to families.

One last thought on the 4 commitments to a sale and at-need follow up.  Assume the sale and don’t worry about the today commitment and also the property commitment will usually be the same as the at need arrangement.  If the spouse choses burial odds are the she/he will do the same.  The type of funeral service arranged will probably be the same for the immediate next-of-kin.  Make the memory commitment softer and mention pre-planning makes it easier for the children.

Realize that most of us experience making arrangements a few times in our life time with some exceptions.  You’ll be the one that sets the tone and the atmosphere and expectations.

The first at-need arrangement I ever did I really didn’t know what to say.  I told the next-of-kin, “my condolences on your loss, I’m going to help you get through this…” 

Happy Selling!

David…

P.S.  Click here for the first part; When Should You Follow-Up With An At-Need Family?

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