Market Research

The world of funeral service requires financial conservatism in its approach to business. This world, inhabited by multigenerational audiences of providers and customers, also requires authenticity and is in dire need of concise and clear communication. Finally, in the funeral world in which we exist, relationships come first. If you agree that these viewpoints are on target, can we embrace, with our technology environment, the consequences of socially evolving? Although I am not a legend in the profession, I have memories of funeral services from my childhood on my father’s side of the family. For the small South Carolina town, where 11 generations of my relatives rest in a church cemetery, a funeral was indeed a social event. A front porch light left on at the local funeral home was a signal to the community that a body “was in […]

Consider the many variables that come into play when making this decision for your firm. Dear Dan, I have a new funeral home and am ready to decide between two preneed insurers. Each has its own marketing company that will do the local selling for me. One gave me a good pitch that focuses on the strength of its financial assets. The other told me that all insurers are the same but that they have a better marketing plan. So, if it were you, which would you choose – strong financials or the ability to put more business on the books? Signed, Preneed Dependent in Portland Dear PDP, You have narrowed down your search to two very candid and easily differentiated third-party marketing (TPM) companies. If one is going to focus on more sales, that will help you build your […]

How do you decide what merchandise to stock for cremation? Clue: Don’t rely solely on your casket sales rep. Dear Dan, My casket company salesperson has been a trusted adviser of mine for 30 years. He helps me with everything from merchandising to pricing, even hiring. He keeps me informed on industry news more than most of the industry periodicals. However, with my profits declining for the past three decades, I’m wondering if maybe I need another perspective. My cremation rate is increasing, and my rep recently introduced me to a new line of “cremation caskets.” He says families like them for cremation services and buy them more often than rental caskets. According to my rep, families don’t want the reusable outer shell with the replacement liner. My intuition is that the rental casket is much cheaper and therefore will […]

If your salespeople think your cemetery’s prices are too high, does that mean you need to adjust them? Not necessarily. Maybe you need to take a look at what you’re selling beyond interment rights and how you’re selling it.     Dear Cemetery Impossible, My salespeople are telling me that our pricing is too high. Should I lower prices? What should I do?                 Price Sensitive in Sedona   Dear PSS, There are two issues involved in this simple question. The issue of pricing is critical. Your salespeoples’ sensitivity is another issue. Let me address each. I have written previously about the concept of “good, better, best.” In designing a cemetery’s inventory, we are creating consumer options. People can spend what they want. They will ultimately find value. It might be with you, or with another cemetery. That being said, […]

Dear Dan, Come on, man, be honest with us! You’ve said price shoppers are not a big segment of the market, yet every day or so I get a call asking, “How much is a cremation?” How is it that I am getting these calls and you keep saying, “It’s no big deal”? Signed, Be Honest Dear Be Honest, You are sitting in the front row of the Shamu splash zone and I’m in the arena telling you that only 10 percent of the attendees are getting wet. Which of us is right? Allow me to address this analytically, historically and with an eye to the present and future. In order to do your question justice, let us establish that there are three levels of price consumers: Price sensitive. Price sensitive means someone is aware of price and uses it […]