3 ways you can add revenue just by creating value

By Ethan Darby, Director of Business Development

As a manufacturer, understanding the type of business you are selling to is extremely valuable. The fact that my family owns both funeral homes and a cemetery is one of our best competitive advantages.  We know that most cemeteries aren’t “cash cows.” We know that customers are becoming more informed, cremation rates are on the rise and margins are getting slimmer. We know we need to keep growing too. 

Sometimes we can create new revenue streams by offering new products or services, but sometimes we generate new revenue just by enhancing what we already offer. Anyone can create new added-value that your customers can get behind. Here are three ways to do that with bronze memorials:

1. Create scripting that upsells – I find the words “scripting” and “upsell” have negative connotations in our industry and I’m not sure why. If you believe that a “high-end” product has the most value, then you shouldn’t feel bad about upselling to drive your sales towards that product line. You also shouldn’t feel bad about creating scripts to help your customer understand the value that you see.  Think about what you like about a certain product line. How are you transferring those positive feelings to your customers?
2. Become confident in your product – I have spent a lot of time in our manufacturing plant. I can’t even begin to quantify the value that has been created when I am making a sales presentation. I know exactly why certain product lines are more expensive than others. For example, the full color photo Collage memorial is more expensive than the Classique memorial because the Collage takes a lot of design time. It is fully customized, while the Classique is a templated design with names, dates, and emblems easily switched out. Come see us at Trigard Memorials and ask questions. We would love to help you increase your knowledge of our products.
   
   
   
3. Set goals for yourself or your sales team – Set goals that drive the behaviors you want. We all know setting goals is a good thing. Narrowing your goals to specific product lines can be an even better thing.

It really is amazing what an upsell can do to your bottom line and to your confidence. For instance, I believe that the Collage memorial is Trigard’s best product. Every time I walk through our cemetery, I believe it more and more. After all, the collage series is like a magnet that pulls you in. It tells a story about a person and will be valuable to their family for generations to come… and I tell my customers that. That’s how I create value in what we offer. How will you?  

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.

Capturing memories with "new technology"

Donna Darby-Walthall,
Chief Financial Officer

Do you remember when we loaded a roll of film into our cameras in order to take a picture? Then when the roll was finished, we took them in to be developed. We would then walk away with actual photographs in our hands, instead of on a screen. Today, that is seen as “old technology.”

You can call me old fashioned and make fun of me, because my daughters do all the time. But, I liked it when technology wasn’t such a big deal, because I have to admit, I am not technologically savvy. I liked loading film into my camera and having photographs in my hands. I don’t understand a lot of the devices and jargon being used today. What does storing on the cloud really mean? How do you use a selfie stick? And, boy is it a big deal to get pictures off of my camera now.

Where am I going with this you ask? No matter how you take pictures or get them developed, we need to be sure we are capturing our memories. Not only are they great to look at in the future, but pictures help tell the story of our lives. In the future when our loved ones are searching for pictures to create a permanent memorial, their options will be plentiful.

Personally, I am going to challenge myself to learn how to better use my digital camera and this “new to me” technology, because in the end it is a much better way to capture memories. I encourage you to talk to families about taking pictures and do it yourself as well. There is nothing better than finding an old photo to bring back a ton of memories.



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.