What Makes you Different
I often ask funeral directors, “What makes you different than the competition?” What would you say? Think about it. What is your response? Funeral directors I ask almost always say, “We give better service.” Then I’ll ask them to define that for me in a tangible way. What do you mean by “I give better service.” I often get a blank look in return. They feel that they give better service - and they may - but they have no quantifiable evidence.
Let’s talk about cremations, the ones called simple, direct, or immediate. The ones where there is no type of ceremony. They are not simple. They are not immediate. They are not direct. With cremation laws there are protocols, doctor’s signatures, and other requirements. Why not change the name to better represent what it is. We call it the “non-ceremonial cremation.”
Suppose you get a shopper for this type of cremation. I hesitate to use the word shopper. It’s more of an inquiry. They have a dead body and need to proceed. They aren’t just shopping around for quotes. They are inquiring who’s the best and dialing every funeral home in the area to create the perception of value in their mind.
You answer the phone and they ask what’s included. You rattle off crematory fee, removal, transportation to crematory, a simple black box with the tray for $3500. They say, “Okay, thank you” and then hang up.
They call the next guy and the same thing occurs, but this time he says $2700. Then they call a third place and he says $995.
Why would they go with your funeral home? You can’t say because we give better service, because you’re telling them the same thing on the phone as the next guy.
But what if you changed it up a little? What if you started out with: “I’m really sorry that you’re having to make these calls today. Who is this person you’re talking about today?” “My mother,” they respond.
“This has got to be a tough day for you. I want to let you know that regardless of how this conversation goes today, that I will find someone to help you. Who am I talking to?”
“My name’s John.”
Now you can use the caller’s name and start forming a relationship with him. “How many calls have you made today, John?”
“Three,” John says. “Well, there are five things that make us different from other funeral homes,” you say as you list them off. He’ll begin to notice your attention to detail and will know that his mom will be in a safe environment. “I’m going to send you information via email right now that explains what to expect, pricing, and everything you need. It’s also on our website and is simple to understand.” Then you ask a key question to making the sale. “What’s important to you when it comes to this cremation?” Don’t assume that they want the lowest price.
Trends are going toward cremation. We know this. You need to educate every person who calls to inquire about services on why you are different without saying “we give better service,” but by showing HOW you give better service.
Even on a direct, simple, immediate, non-ceremonial cremation there is room to stand out, and in all cremation offerings there are ways to add value. You can offer video tributes even without a service, thumbprint jewelry, temperature-controlled environment, option of four different cremation boxes, partner with the VFW for veterans or the botanical gardens, offsite is not a problem, take orders for food, and so on. These options are inexpensive and widely available without a huge overhead for funeral homes. There’s a reason that people are seeking out Marriotts and local gardens. It’s because we’re not letting them know over the phone that we can take care of that for them.
And this works for even the most traditional ceremonies of a $15,000 burial. They need to see the value in the ceremony and there is plenty of opportunity for us to make it special. Instead, we’re turning our backs and thinking that they don’t want the experience we’re giving. We’re not telling them anything different than the next guy. The best option for them might be the full-service funeral home that provides the $3500 service, but that funeral director is not providing information to give value to their service.
There is a disconnect about why you’re the better option. Market your differences. Your competitors aren’t marketing; I guarantee it. Marketing is the definable difference.
According to research by FirstInsight in 2021, consumers ranked the quality/value of a product (51%) higher than the price (30%). However, outside influences such as COVID-19, a recession, and inflation have changed how customers perceive value. But why do people fly Delta? It’s the most expensive, but it has exclusive lounges, clean planes, good flight attendants, and the service level is good. Amazon is another example of where people will pay more for the convenience of having something shipped to their door in a day or two.
People want decent value for something they’ve saved up for, whether it’s a vacation or a funeral. You have to sell value. Perceived value doesn’t exist. Perceived value is that you’re the same as the guy down the street.
So, start with immediate cremation, but change the name. These are not ideas that are new, but they’re good ones. And these changes affect the bottom line. We are all seeing declining revenues, and we have to supplement that. Providing definable value is what we need to do.