It's all about the relationship

Jeff Miller,
Vice President of
Business Development

When you make a large purchase, no matter if it is a car, an appliance or a memorial for a loved one, many people would rather do business with someone with whom they feel comfortable. When it comes time to sign on the dotted line and hand over our cash, many want to trust the company, as well as their representative. That is why building a relationship with our clientele and families we serve is so important.

Creating relationships with potential clients involves every aspect of a business, including marketing and customer service. Often times, we get caught up in the obvious details of our products and don’t take the time needed to create a sound relationship with our client.

A few steps that could be beneficial to creating a good relationship are:

• Ask questions. Take a few minutes at the beginning of a call to ask a few friendly questions. You can begin with questions about their family, the weather or anything more personal than the font size of the memorial they are ordering.
•  Don’t be a “salesperson.” Take away the perceived barrier of the person on the other line viewing you as just a person looking to earn a commission. Take your time explaining and educating, and become someone they trust.

Let’s face it. Both parties know why they are there. The customer on the phone is calling to purchase a memorial, and you are there to sell it to them. But, the upfront working relationship will enable you to give them more value in your services. It will make the sharing of details and expectations flow easier, and lead to a smooth sale. In my opinion, there isn’t anything much better than knowing you have earned the trust of a new client. They can become your best lead source for recommendations in the future.

I encourage you to take the time to discuss this topic with your staff. To not only bring awareness to the importance of building a better relationship with your clients, but to give your associates another step in making the sale.  

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.

Stay out of the dentist's chair

Brodie Krause,
IT Manager

As I sit here thinking about the past year and try to summarize it in a single word, all that comes to mind is "busy." In fact, I was so busy last year, I forgot to schedule my regular cleanings at the dentist. So, here I find myself at the beginning of a new year in the dentist’s chair listening to the whine of his drill. They say, “dentistry isn't expensive, neglect is,” and I certainly have found that to be true.

It wasn't that I had neglected my teeth entirely, because brushing my teeth is a normal part of my day-to-day routine. I had been so wrapped up in that routine that I’d overlooked the importance of taking that hour out of my schedule twice a year to go in and have a specialist really work them over.

As you think about and look over all that you did or didn't accomplish in 2014, do you spy any areas like this? Little projects that remain functional in the day-to-day, but that you might have forgotten or neglected to pay their due attention? It may have seemed like a small oversight, after all, they stayed up and running, but that neglect can definitely land you in the “dentist’s chair” before too long.

Don’t forget to look up from the day-to-day as you plan your growth for 2015. It is important to properly maintain your systems, paperwork, etc. as well. It will save you in the end.

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.

Life of the grounds crew during the winter

Patrick Lewis,
Grounds Manager,
Sunset Memorial Park

You might think that because it is cold outside, cemetery grounds crews don’t keep busy during the winter months. That couldn't be father from the truth. In Illinois, our winters are far from tropical. We see many snowy days and below zero temperatures. But, that doesn’t stop us from taking care of the cemetery and the families we serve.

The life of a grounds crew during the winter consists of three things:

1. Plowing, plowing and plowing. It is very important to us, as well as to the families that visit our cemetery, that everyone has a safe, clear path to walk and drive down when visiting a loved one. So, when there is snow on the ground, we must make sure the roads are cleaned off. 
2. Maintaining vehicles. We have a number of different vehicles or machines that we use during the summer. It is the perfect time to change the oil, sharpen blades and do general maintenance. This makes sure they are in tiptop shape when the snow melts. 
3. Serving families. Families don’t only lose loved ones in the warm months. Digging graves can prove to be more work during the winter when the ground is frozen, but that is why we use a propane ground thawer. It takes more time to dig a grave this way, but at the rate of an inch an hour, it’s easier than trying to dig it with a shovel. We do have to keep a close eye on existing markers. If the space has one, we have to remove the marker before we begin thawing the ground. If we don’t, we run the risk of burning the marker, which means it will need to be refinished. 

When visiting a cemetery in colder weather, remember, we are still outside braving the frigid temperatures to make the grounds as safe and beautiful as we do in the summer.

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.

Grieving is a social process

Karen Darby-Ritz,
Advance Planning Manager,
Camino del Sol Funeral Chapel
and Cremation Center

As an industry, it’s important that we understand loss and grief to the best of our ability, because it’s only then that we can best assist the families we serve. As we know, grief comes from a loss and there is a journey that we go on in dealing with this loss, including:

1. Acceptance
2. Experiencing the pain
3. Experiencing life without our loved one
4. Memorializing our loved one

We tend to think of grief as a solo effort, but what many of us don’t realize is that grief is a social process and many deal with it best in a social setting. Being surrounded by those that we love and that love us is more comforting than battling the grieving journey on our own.

As individuals who often see grief, we can help families through the process as well. Armed with knowledge gained by our years of experience and continued research on healthy healing, we can help them understand the importance of creating a permanent place of memorialization for a loved one. I encourage you to continue educating families on the value of memorialization and helping them on the path of healthy healing. Once families have a clear understanding that having a place for family and friends to gather to honor and celebrate the life of their loved one can they truly be able to heal.

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.