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Pollara 3.0: Public Pollara 3.0: Public Perceptions & Your Action Perceptions & Your Action

PlanPlanby Robin Heppell, CFSPby Robin Heppell, CFSP

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Why a New Entrepreneur Why a New Entrepreneur to Funeral Service will be to Funeral Service will be More Profitable than a 4th More Profitable than a 4th Generation, 100 Year Old Generation, 100 Year Old

Funeral Home?Funeral Home?

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How does that make you feel?How does that make you feel?

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Why? Because…Why? Because…• Entrepreneurs listen to the the publicEntrepreneurs listen to the the public• They’re not clouded by the pastThey’re not clouded by the past• They put themselves in front of the They put themselves in front of the

money money

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Entrepreneurs of the Entrepreneurs of the PastPast

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5 Nuggets to Make You 5 Nuggets to Make You More ProfitableMore Profitable

The Service Offering that Consumers WantThe Service Offering that Consumers WantWhere’s the Party?Where’s the Party?Get Your Pricing RightGet Your Pricing RightDo Green Funerals Mean More Green Do Green Funerals Mean More Green

Backs?Backs?Winning the Call before They PhoneWinning the Call before They Phone

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How will we uncover How will we uncover these?these?

• What the public is saying?What the public is saying?• What is the deeper issue?What is the deeper issue?• How you can benefit?How you can benefit?• What you can do – Your Action PlanWhat you can do – Your Action Plan

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The Service Offering that The Service Offering that Consumers WantConsumers Want

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Give them what they Give them what they wantwant

81% feel that funerals should 81% feel that funerals should celebrate life (not dwell only on its celebrate life (not dwell only on its

loss). loss).

73% want a Celebration of Life for 73% want a Celebration of Life for themselvesthemselves

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Biggest Business Biggest Business Mistake…Mistake…

Defining our Most Profitable Service Defining our Most Profitable Service Offering with something that the public Offering with something that the public

doesn’t see much value in…doesn’t see much value in…

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FUNERAL - fu·ner·alFUNERAL - fu·ner·alFuneral Director (our definition): Funeral Director (our definition): • A traditional service for the deceased at a A traditional service for the deceased at a

chapel or church with the casket presentchapel or church with the casket present

Merriam Webster:Merriam Webster:• the observances held for a dead person the observances held for a dead person

usually before burial or cremationusually before burial or cremation

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Memorial vs. FuneralMemorial vs. Funeral

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Michael Jackson’s Michael Jackson’s ServiceService

Photo by Bauer GriffinPhoto by Bauer Griffin

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Michael Jackson’s Michael Jackson’s ServiceService

Photo by Bauer GriffinPhoto by Bauer Griffin

Google Results…Google Results…• Michael Jackson Michael Jackson

Funeral Service: Funeral Service: 39,30039,300

• Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Memorial Memorial Service: Service: 9,640,0009,640,000

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Don’t make the same Don’t make the same mistakemistake

Don’t define “Celebration of Life” so Don’t define “Celebration of Life” so that it limits you on services & that it limits you on services & merchandise that you providemerchandise that you provide

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Rebrand Your ServicesRebrand Your Services

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Your Action PlanYour Action Plan

Copy & Paste Your “Traditional Copy & Paste Your “Traditional Service” and Rename it: Service” and Rename it: Celebration Celebration of Life of Life and don’t mention the casket and don’t mention the casket

being present or notbeing present or not

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Where’s the Party?Where’s the Party?

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Reception following the Reception following the funeral?funeral?

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Location of receptionLocation of reception

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Entrepreneurs: Follow the Entrepreneurs: Follow the CashCash

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Ask this question for every Ask this question for every callcall

Have you decided where you are going Have you decided where you are going to have the reception?to have the reception?

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Your Action PlanYour Action PlanIn the short term, make In the short term, make Strategic Strategic

Alliances Alliances with with local restaurants local restaurants and and offer this as you would any other service offer this as you would any other service

offering. offering.

Long term, consider onsite reception Long term, consider onsite reception area. area.

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Getting Your Pricing Right?Getting Your Pricing Right?

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Why doesn’t the public love Why doesn’t the public love casketscaskets

like we do? like we do?

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Provincial MapleProvincial Maple

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Value of various aspects of Value of various aspects of funeral service funeral service

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Price Restructuring 101Price Restructuring 101• Take your AFV of each service offering Take your AFV of each service offering

including the average casketincluding the average casket• Reduce the price of the casket by 30-Reduce the price of the casket by 30-

50% and add it to that service fee50% and add it to that service fee• Re-price other caskets with same Re-price other caskets with same

percentpercent• Repeat on all service offeringsRepeat on all service offerings

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Your Action PlanYour Action Plan

Lower merchandise fees and increase Lower merchandise fees and increase your Profession Service fees. your Profession Service fees.

This is the Funeral Service Profession, isn’t This is the Funeral Service Profession, isn’t it?it?

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Do Green Funerals Equal Do Green Funerals Equal More Greenbacks?More Greenbacks?

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Interest in ‘green’ Interest in ‘green’ funeralsfunerals

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Cost expectations of Cost expectations of ‘green’ funerals‘green’ funerals

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Pay more for an enviro-Pay more for an enviro-friendly funerals?friendly funerals?

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‘‘Green’ funeral Green’ funeral componentscomponents

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Your Action PlanYour Action Plan

Read the Read the Green Funerals in Canada Green Funerals in Canada document. Create a green service document. Create a green service

offering – just like Celebration of Life, offering – just like Celebration of Life, you are just rebranding your main you are just rebranding your main

offering and making a few adjustmentsoffering and making a few adjustments

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Winning the Call before Winning the Call before They PhoneThey Phone

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Sources of information on Sources of information on funeral services funeral services

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Internet usage in funeral Internet usage in funeral organizationorganization

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Become the Funeral Become the Funeral ExpertExpert

By providing information about various By providing information about various aspects and options that are available. aspects and options that are available.

This is most successfully and easily This is most successfully and easily achieved by creating short videos and achieved by creating short videos and

articles for the Internet.articles for the Internet.

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Your Action PlanYour Action Plan

Create 1 FAQ Video / Article per week Create 1 FAQ Video / Article per week answering questions about your answering questions about your services and funeral options in services and funeral options in

general. general.

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Question?Question?

Do you Do you HATE HATE it when your it when your Competition Competition offers low-ball prices offers low-ball prices over the phone, and then bait and over the phone, and then bait and switches client families during the switches client families during the

arrangements?arrangements?

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““Your competitor’s Your competitor’s prices are a lot prices are a lot less than yours…”less than yours…”

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Bonus NuggetBonus Nugget

People surveyed suggested that there People surveyed suggested that there be lower fees and no hidden fees.be lower fees and no hidden fees.

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No Hidden Fee No Hidden Fee GuaranteeGuarantee

We guarantee that the price we give We guarantee that the price we give you over the phone will be the price you over the phone will be the price

that you will pay.that you will pay.

Guaranteed!Guaranteed!

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Your Bonus Action PlanYour Bonus Action Plan

Implement your No Hidden Fee Implement your No Hidden Fee Guarantee policy at your funeral home Guarantee policy at your funeral home

for price shoppers. for price shoppers.

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RECAP: 5 Nuggets to Make RECAP: 5 Nuggets to Make You More ProfitableYou More Profitable

The Service Offering that Consumers WantThe Service Offering that Consumers WantWhere’s the Party?Where’s the Party?Get Your Pricing RightGet Your Pricing RightDo Green Funerals Mean More Green Do Green Funerals Mean More Green

Backs?Backs?Winning the Call before They PhoneWinning the Call before They Phone

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2 Most Profitable 2 Most Profitable NuggetsNuggets

Short term: Creating a Short term: Creating a Celebration of Celebration of LifeLife service offering service offering

Long term: Creating a Long term: Creating a ReceptionReception option or offeringoption or offering

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Robin Heppell, CFSPRobin Heppell, CFSP

robin@funeralfuturist.comwww.FuneralFuturistTips.com

www.Facebook.com/funeralfuturistwww.Twitter.com/funeralfuturist