There’s one constant in pre-need sales: Once you make a sale, you need to have another sales prospect to move onto, or your sales career is dead. Without workable prospects, you have no way to make sales. Therefore, when, where, and how you obtain your prospects is vitally important.

  There are many ways to obtain quality sales lead prospects. Some easier and faster than others. If you wish to take better control of your pre-need program in 2017, then start today by cultivating your sales lead prospect pipeline.

  The first thing to fully understand and internalize about prospects is that they are everywhere and plentiful. There are numerous prospects you come across on any given day. You just aren’t cognizant of it. Anyone and everyone who hasn’t prearranged and pre-funded their final wishes is a viable prospect. The only human beings that don’t make good sales prospects are those who will truly never die. If you will never die (or honestly believe you never will) then you have no want, need or desire to learn about planning ahead. It’s a waste of your time.

  However, if you are like any normal human being, you know full good and well you will die one day, and nobody really knows when that day will arrive. Therefore learning all your choices and options, in regards to your final disposition options, makes just as much good sense today as it does any other day of your life. People put it off because nobody has directly approached and offered them the opportunity to openly talk about it. People don’t want to be sold or feel like they are “being sold” something. They just want to be able to relax, talk, and learn in a casual, no-high pressure, no sales-hype atmosphere. If you create and afford them this type of an environment, they will engage. Try this and I believe you will quickly see that you will speak with more people than you can possibly imagine. People love to buy – they just hate to be “sold”. Don’t sell! Create an environment where they can buy in comfort and confidence.

  How do you spread the word around that you are ready, willing and able to speak with anyone, anytime, anywhere about final remembrance services, choices and options? Proactively market yourself and your availability.

  Here is a short list of ways you can accomplish that: social media, blog and funeral home website platforms, newspaper press releases, newspaper display ads or flyer inserts, community door-to-door direct mail campaigns, radio or cable television advertising, networking events, community speaking engagements, attendance at sponsored community events such as senior health fairs, church socials, community gatherings, veterans programs. What about door to door canvassing? Aftercare programs? Media interviews or published articles about planning ahead? Lunch and Learn programs? The list of ways to reach people to talk with is only limited by your imagination.

  People are circulating every day in and out and through your community. Get out there and circulate with them. Pass out your business cards to everyone you come across at Chamber of Commerce or church gatherings, community or civic group gatherings, family gatherings, concerts, sporting events, music events, social events, at the supermarket buying groceries, at the gas station pumping gas, at all the fast food restaurants you visit weekly, etc. Everywhere you go, you see people. When you approach them, hand them your business card and simply say, “Hi, My name is Chris Kuhnen and this is what I do for a living. If I can ever be of service to you or someone you know, please feel free to give me a call and let’s talk about it. I’d appreciate it. Thank you!” A few simple words are all it takes to get your card into their hand. Let nature take its course from there. Again, you will be pleasantly surprised at the number of people who will engage with you when you take this easy and relaxed approach with them. It’s all designed to start a conversation. Once the conversation gets started, follow their lead and see where things end up.

  Make 2017 the year that you act boldly, confidently, and decisively about your career as a professional Funeral Pre-Need Representative. What you do for a living matters greatly! You help people plan for what will possibly be the very worst day of their lives. You help make things a little easier for them and their families when that day arrives. No amount of money can begin to adequately buy the gift you freely offer families: the gift of knowledge, understanding, compassion, dignity, and help to make anyone’s final remembrance on this Earth the best and most memorable it can be.