Johnson grows their market and gains the competitive edge

When Johnson Funeral Home looked at their preneed program before Precoa, one thing was clear: it wasn’t working.

“Preneed was really an afterthought, something we got to if we had a chance,” said Andy Hankins, CEO and Funeral Director. “But we never had a chance. It was just floundering.”

For a small, family-owned funeral home, the challenge wasn’t a lack of interest. It was a lack of bandwidth. Like the staff at so many firms, everyone was focused on serving families and juggling all the tasks involved in running a business.

“There aren’t enough hours in a day to do our jobs,” Andy explained. “You’re trying to cover all the bases, and it’s imperative that you bring in experts to help do the things you don’t have the skill set to handle.”

Precoa Uncovers Millions in Untapped Potential

When Johnson started vetting prospective partners, Precoa quickly rose to the very top of their list.

Not only did the preneed company have a reputation for getting results, but they also provided a complete end-to-end system—two qualities that appealed to the firm. Johnson’s preneed program would finally get all the support, technology, and expertise that it deserved.

But it was Precoa’s market share analysis that truly solidified the decision. Drawing from over twenty years of preneed data and experience in markets across the country, Precoa identified all the families Johnson could be reaching through ProActive Preneed®.

“We realized we were missing the mark by literally millions of dollars,” Andy said. “That was market share on the table for anyone to get, including our competitors.”

Equipped with a level of market insight like they’d never before seen, Johnson partnered with Precoa and grew excited about the future of their preneed program.

Results from Day One with Precoa

Precoa quickly jumped into action. A rigorous operational process kicked off to ensure Johnson could start connecting with more families and growing through preneed.

“When we got on board with Precoa, our sales went up immediately—about 400%,” Andy said. “We knew right away this was the right move for our firm.”

Precoa’s fully managed program gave Johnson Funeral Home the consistency they’d been missing. With digital marketing, direct mail, and community education events up and running, they were reaching more families than ever before.

On top of this, they had on-the-ground support from Precoa’s field and operational teams. Between training and coaching Advance Funeral Planners and handling all the logistics of running a program, Precoa streamlined preneed and gave Johnson’s program serious momentum.

“We started adding staff,” Andy said. “We were able to compensate our preneed people better, which helped with retention and stability, and we really started to grow our market share.”

When we got on board with Precoa, our sales went up immediately. Andy Hankins CEO and Funeral Director | Johnson Funeral Home

A Strategic Advantage

With Precoa’s support, Johnson Funeral Home moved from being reactive to being proactive and strategic.

“When we tried to do preneed on our own, there was no consistency,” Andy said. “If someone made a call and we missed it, that call was lost forever. But with Precoa, we never lose a customer. ”

This consistency is a result of Precoa’s focus on maximizing preneed prospect conversion. Through a blend of innovative technology and effective systems, Precoa manages, tracks, and sensitively nurtures all the high-quality leads they generate.

Precoa is a critical strategic advantage for our funeral homes. Andy Hankins CEO and Funeral Director | Johnson Funeral Home

This means that no lead slips through the cracks. Precoa’s Funeral Planning Center is designed to be an extension of the funeral home, and dedicated planners follow up with families and set appointments so Johnson can continue growing through preneed.

“As that kind of consistency happens on a daily basis, it just builds and builds,” Andy said. “Precoa is a critical strategic advantage for our funeral homes.”

Transforming the Future

You have to give this a shot. Andy Hankins CEO and Funeral Director | Johnson Funeral Home

Like so many funeral homes today, Johnson is facing rising cremation rates and shifting consumer preferences. Being proactive with preneed has become not just a growth strategy but also an opportunity to reintroduce the “why” behind funerals before a time of need.

“It’s important to embrace consumer change, knowing that families are still having services and that we will be a part of that,” Andy said. “Advance funeral planning is integral to what we do.”

The decision to partner with Precoa has been an all-around advantage for Johnson. It has given them more confidence, which has turned into better sales and better customer satisfaction.

“Now our preneed program allows us to project cash flow, revenue, and liquidity into the future,” Andy said. “That gives me comfort as we move into the third generation of our family-owned business.”

The results speak for themselves: a 400% increase in sales, more traffic through their doors, and a professional, well-run preneed program that no longer feels like an afterthought.

“We were leaving millions of dollars on the table,” Andy said. “You have to give this a shot.”