Every year at this time, I remind you to start developing your pre-need sales and marketing plan for the New Year. It goes without saying that without proper planning, resources, manpower, consistent implementation, and oversight, you don’t stand a very good chance of achieving your goals.

  I have heard from many readers who ask me to provide a roadmap they can follow to create such a strategic plan. Below are the steps you should follow in developing your plan. Each step in the process is critical and should not be hurried or rushed through. Set aside the time necessary to make sure you have fully completed each step before moving onto the next one.

1.      Define and encapsulate your overall company pre-need goals. Write them down and make sure they are realistic and affordable for the time and resources you have available.

2.      Outline, one by one, month by month, your specific pre-need sales objectives, looking at the time, personnel, and financial resources necessary to achieve your stated goal.

3.      Perform a pre-need department Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis. This is extremely important and not a step to be overlooked or rushed through.

4.      Summarize your 2016 pre-need sales performance. Compare that performance to that of the past 8 years. Are your sales trending in a positive or negative direction? If you utilize the services of a third-party pre-need marketer, how did they perform for you in 2016 compared to what they said they would do? If they have worked for you for several years, is their overall sales performance moving in a positive or negative direction?

5.      Seek ideas, suggestions, and input from all funeral home staff members (full and part time) to help you meet your goals and objectives. Many times they see and hear things that you might overlook.

6.      Objectively analyze all the information you’ve gathered. Expand on the very best ideas. It is this information that will help you develop step #7.

7.      Formulate succinct and realistic sales goals and marketing and action-step strategies. Make sure you have the proper time, training, personnel, and financial assets to achieve any action step you insert into your plan.

8.      Implement your strategy on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis and monitor outcomes for success or failure.

9.      Evaluate your overall results and adjust strategy accordingly as the year progresses.

  Following those steps, you can create a strong, workable sales and marketing plan. It is important to make goals that are measurable and achievable but stretch your company as well. You will also want to be flexible enough to adjust your plan if need be. If your company’s situation suddenly changes, for better or worse, your expectations for your company need to change as well.

  Once you have your sales and marketing plan figured out, make sure your employees know it, and know of any changes to it. They’ll be better able to meet company goals if they know what they’re aiming for. You might also consider offering incentives for meeting your goals. A free lunch might not exist, but you could give your employees the chance to earn one.

  Now that you know how to craft an excellent strategic sales and marketing plan, there is nothing stopping you from achieving your objectives. With this target in mind, you are set up to have your best year in pre-need be next year.