Don't let the holidays slow you down

Jason Murphy,
Director of
Family Services,
Sunset Memorial Park

During the holidays and into the winter months, cemeteries often see their sales take a nosedive. This happens for a number of reasons, but most often, it is because of the cold weather and the holidays leaving potential customers short on cash.

I think the most important thing to do in order to have a successful holiday season is to have a different outlook. Don’t let your sales staff convince themselves that being slow this time of year is “normal.” Remind your staff to be more proactive this time of the year. They can’t just sit back and wait for sales to walk through the door. That won't help increase your sales. Instead, I have two solutions for helping you have a successful holiday and winter cemetery sales season.

1. Hold seminars to attract new customers. Ask your sales staff to hold seminars or informational meetings to keep potential customers coming in the door throughout the colder months. These presentations not only give you more opportunity for better sales during the winter, but they also give your staff a head start going into spring.
2. Contact current customers. The holidays can be tough after losing a loved one, and many people visit the cemetery around the holiday season. This would be a great time to remind visitors to restore, refinish or even upgrade their loved one’s memorial. We constantly upgrade our cell phones, cars and appliances, so why not our loved one's marker? 

This article originally appeared in Modern Memorialization, Trigard Memorials' weekly electronic newsletter featuring information for the funeral industry. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.trigard.com/thursdays.