I found your last tip about reaching the right people for community seminars pretty eye-opening, but what about the events themselves? The few seminars we’ve held have not resulted in more prearrangements. What are we doing wrong? – Next Steps Needed
Dear Next Steps Needed: In last month’s column, I promised to add to the advice I shared about making your community education events more successful. You’ll remember that the most important thing to do during an event is to build the value of a preneed appointment. But lead management – before and after an event – is just as critical and all too often gets overlooked when compared with other lead sources.
Remember: Every lead you receive is more than just a hand raise or a click that comes through a Facebook ad – each lead represents a family who is interested and curious about preplanning and needs a clear next step. When your lead management and follow-up processes fall short, you aren’t just hurting lead efficiency. You’re letting down a family who has asked for your help.
Actively managing leads – being there every step of the way to guide families along their preneed journey – is the key to making sure no family gets forgotten or falls through the cracks. In fact, one study found that conversion rates increase by 300% when you effectively manage customer relationships.1 To help provide insights into effectively managing event leads, I’ve once again invited Precoa Regional Director Kyle Aler to share a few proven strategies he and his teams use.
"If I asked most people where the bulk of an event’s interactions happen, they’d probably say at the event itself. It’s true that there are a lot of details to keep track of, but I’d argue that there are even more touchpoints leading up to and following the event. Making the entire experience as seamless and effective as possible is the key to getting real results.
Once you’ve figured out the specifics of your event – the small stuff worth sweating over we talked about last month – it’s time to invite your community to attend.
But in the daily hustle around your funeral home, RSVPs can easily be set aside and forgotten. Even online confirmations can sit in your email untouched. What your funeral home needs is a seamless process for taking in RSVPs.
It could be a process you set up with your administrative team and your advance funeral planner. In the past, we have created a dedicated phone line and email address to track RSVPs for funeral homes. You could also use a trusted partner to manage the entire preneed pipeline, including events like these.
No matter what you choose, it is critical that these RSVPs do not get lost leading up to the event. Tracking your responses serves dual purposes: you’ll be able to better understand the needs of your community, and you’ll be able to confirm attendance with those who have said they want to learn more about preplanning.
Sometimes even the most important things slip our minds, let alone the things that crop up in our daily lives. The honey-do chore, the vet checkup, or the fact that it will be your turn to cook dinner this Thursday.
So let’s say you forget. Wouldn’t it be nice to receive a follow-up reminder? These days, our attention is pulled in a hundred different directions, and that’s just as true for families who mark “Attending” on an online invitation. Priorities can shift in the weeks leading up to an event, and developing a proactive system for follow-ups reengages families and gives them another chance.
As with any sort of marketing, everyone has a preferred channel, whether it’s texting, email, a phone call, or a combination of all three. Personally, I encourage my advance funeral planners to send a follow-up text if they call a possible attendee. More than once, I’ve heard people who attend our events say, “I'm so glad you texted because I didn't recognize that phone number.” Some of our AFPs even include a photo so people can match a face with a name.
It’s rare that someone raises their hand to learn more about preplanning and then misses an event on purpose. Sometimes it just takes kind, persistent nurturing to move them along in the process.
Not everyone who attends an event will set an appointment on the spot, so they’re the most obvious leads to follow up with. They stayed, they were engaged, and most of them will be right on the verge of moving forward. Less obvious are the folks who did not attend in the first place, but it’s a big win if you develop an intentional process to reach them.
How many times have you been streaming a show or movie and had to stop partway through? Most of us have come to expect that no matter where we are or what device we’re using, we can pick up right where we left off. The great thing about creating a follow-up system is that you can give families a similarly satisfying experience so they keep progressing on their journey.
You’ll almost never see an RSVP-to-attendance ratio of 100%. Schedules conflict, things come up, and people change plans. But when you have a consistent system for nurturing your no-shows, families can pick right back up again. I can guarantee you that every single one of them filled out an RSVP for a reason, and your follow-up is another chance to connect with them on their journey.
More importantly, it’s an opportunity for your funeral home to be the source of expertise and guidance on that journey. By educating and inspiring families, you’re building trust and creating a positive experience with your brand.
A system for nurturing your no-shows is like a safety net to catch any of the families who otherwise might fall by the wayside. It ensures you’re not missing out on anyone, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard how much our follow-up team at the Funeral Planning Center loves these leads. These are families who are eager to learn and ready to take the next step."
I hope you’re able to start implementing some of these tips at your firm, Next Steps Needed. What initially struck me about your question was your drive to improve your preneed program. Like so many funeral home owners, you’ve surely seen the night-and-day difference that a prearranged funeral provides to families.
That said, there are unfortunately no shortcuts or quick fixes. Building a program that consistently maximizes preneed prospect conversions takes time and a lot of work. Many funeral homes find it easier to outsource that work to a trusted partner, but the most important thing is that you’re dedicated to progressing.
Be sure to check in again next month. I’ll be doing a deep dive into the most important preneed metrics you can use to improve your business.
Have a preneed question? Please reach out and I’d be happy to answer at preneedprotips@precoa.com
Tyler Anderson is Senior Vice President of Business Development at Precoa, a preneed company that helps hundreds of funeral homes prearrange more families and grow their markets. Born and raised in the funeral profession, Tyler appreciated the importance of ceremony, ritual, and gathering from an early age. He is passionate about sharing a new vision for preneed that helps more families across the country experience a meaningful funeral service.