5 ways to improve your sales display

Whether you’re a monument company, a cemetery or a funeral home, you can benefit from a display that highlights your best products and services. In fact, research shows that displays influence customers more than price promotions. According to OgilvyAction, 24% of buying customers say they are influenced most by displays, while only 17% are persuaded by discounts.

Why do displays work so well? Three reasons. First, displays can give greater ROI than traditional advertising. Second, displays start the sales process right away, even when your sales staff is busy somewhere else. Third, consumer shopping patterns and expectations have changed. The families you serve want more, easy-to-grasp information,

No matter if you have a permanent display of bronze or a seasonal display of grave blankets, there are five things you can do to make your sales area more effective.

1. Make it appealing. The purpose of a display is to make people look. Don’t be afraid to use colors and engaging graphics. Once you have the customer’s attention, “bring them in” with something to touch.
2. Avoid jargon. Limit using industry names that customers might not recognize. Use words that show how your products and services benefit your customers.
3. Train your team. Make a good display a great display by teaching your staff how to use it. Make sure your team knows how your display can help identify customer needs, show value in your products and/or overcome objections.
4. Eliminate clutter. Don’t overwhelm people. Your displays should not be cluttered or stuffed with too many items.
5. Keep it clean. Nothing takes away from the value of what you offer like dust and grime. Make sure your team routinely dusts and cleans it.

Make a commitment this month to really look at your displays. Make at least one improvement to make it more beneficial for the people you serve.

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.

Photo booth pictures become timeless memorial

Do you remember when Donna Darby-Walthall put out a call for great stories about memorial designs? We have our winner! It's Missy West, West Memorials in Memphis. She shared a very personal story about the memorial she created for her dad and brother:

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"I have been a memorialist for 14 years and by far the most satisfying and happiest marker I have ever designed was for my brother and my dad.

"My brother, Brad, died in a motorcycle accident when we were teenagers. In 1986, his marker was chosen from a catalog. It was 'pine cones,' the most 'masculine' border suggestion the funeral home could offer. Interestingly, my brother and I kept up the yard at our dad's house. We would fight about whose turn it was to do the part of the yard where all the pine trees grew.

"When my dad died, he wanted to be buried with my brother. I knew exactly the picture I wanted to use for the marker. The picture was taken in a photo booth, in an arcade, on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach, SC. It was a fabulous vacation. The photo strip was a family treasure. It hung on several refrigerators or kitchen cabinets over the years. I submitted the very simple design to Trigard.

"I was with a client and my graphics department sent a text asking me to come back to the office - there was a surprise from Trigard.  I could not get things wrapped up fast enough.  I tore open the box and the marker was exactly the way I envisioned.  I cried and laughed.

"My husband, Paul, and I were in SC to arrange the inurnment of my dad's ashes. While in the funeral home, Paul took my brother's old marker from the granite base and replaced it with the new marker for my dad and brother. I was so thrilled to see it in place - I laughed and cried.

"I have a very strict rule for myself, as a memorialist - I never say 'I understand' to a family. It lessens the story being told. You truly do not understand how they feel, their love for a person, the sadness in their heart, the hope that they have for the future. No one could have understood the happiness I had the day I stood at my brother's and dad's grave. The piece of art I designed for these two guys from the picture that made us all giggle was right at my feet, just as I understood it should be."

Thanks,
Missy West
West Memorials, Memphis

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Missy, we are so pleased to help you and your family celebrate their lives and transform those cherished family photographs into a timeless marker. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story!


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.

What are your atmospheric conditions?

Rich Darby,
Chief Operating Officer

Have you been paying attention to the atmospheric conditions surrounding your business? And, I am not referring to the weather outside. I am talking about the conditions that effect the customer experiences inside or outside of your facility.

Are your facilities warm and inviting? Is your cemetery entrance well lit? Often times we over look these things and don't realize their importance. Families want to do business with companies that invest in the customer experience and are constantly improving their facilities. They want to do business with a first-class operation.

Some families might not care about the cosmetic side of a facility or the lighting at a cemetery, and that is alright. But many do care. So, you may ask yourself, what type of customer do I want to attract? I know that I want the families we serve to have the ultimate experience. I want them to be comfortable and feel special while visiting us.

I challenge each of you to study your building or cemetery grounds, and find something to help enhance the customer experience. I would love to hear your success stories. You can reach me at RichD@trigard.com.

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.

Collaboration is key

Jeff Miller,
Vice President of Business
Development

The holidays are here. Are you as busy as you were during the summer? Most of us aren't, which makes this the perfect time to connect and network. Extend an invitation to have lunch with a potential customer you have been talking with for a while; invite them to tour your facility and meet your staff. Show your long-time customers how much you appreciate your partnership; visit their facility or bring lunch for their employees.

Why does this matter? Why should you spend time networking with funeral homes? Did you know 98 percent of all families use a funeral home for assistance following the death of a loved one? Families see funeral homes as the first resource; therefore, collaboration is vital. While I was a practicing funeral director, I was often asked for recommendations on cemeteries, monuments and memorial providers in the area. It's a clear example of the importance of funeral homes knowing you and the services you offer.

Let's make it a goal for 2014 to put aside any past concerns about partnerships and reach out. Do you need help strategizing a networking plan? Call me at 419.290.7707 or email me at jeffm@trigard.com. 
 
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.
 
 
Product highlight: Collage memorials

Allow families to use their own photos to tell the story of their loved one's life with our Collage memorial.  They can submit one special photograph or provide us with a series of pictures and our designers will work with them to create a memorial as unique as the life it celebrates.

Call Customer Service at 800.798.4900 for pricing and details.
 
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.
 
 
Design tip of the week

If you do not completely fill out your order form, this will delay the process of getting a design. Please fill out all areas of the order form so we know exactly what you need. 
 
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.