5 Ways to Boost Cremation Sales

By Andrew Clark & Ben Farnstrom

 Deathcare business owners and managers are being squeezed in every direction. The COVID-19 pandemic and digital technology have transformed the profession, while inflation, labor shortages and changing consumer preferences call for financial discipline to minimize costs and creative solutions to maximize profits. Cremation continues to be the most popular method of disposition across the United States, and traditional funeral homes and cemeteries increasingly are challenged to help families navigate the wide -- and sometimes confusing --new range of funeral services and alternatives. But how can funeral business owners diversify and increase cremation sales to offset the loss in traditional funeral product and service revenue?

 According to Foundation Partners Group senior leaders Andrew Clark, Chief Customer Officer, and Ben Farnstrom, VicePresident of Business Development, the answer lies in education and a willingness to embrace change. They shared the following five ways to enhance the success of cremation sales for your business:

 1.     Never stop learning

ANDREW: It starts with effective training for funeral directors and funeral arrangers.  Anat-need arrangement is about providing comfort to those grieving, learning about the life of the person who has passed away, then educating the family about what services and merchandise are available to honor, remember and memorialize their loved one. Many cremation families do not realize that when they choose to take cremated remains home, or scatter them in the ocean, they deprive future generations of the opportunity to visit a place dedicated to a life well-lived and remembered.  We focus on learning about the life of the decedents owe can create a unique memorial experience that aligns with the life they lived. For example, when we learned that a male decedent loved playing on his retiree intramural softball team, we showed the family options for incorporating that passion into his service.  One of our amazing funeral directors helped this family display his jersey, provided special seating for his teammates and suggested a memorial softball game in his honor.  We switched out standard memorial folders for personalized, memorial baseball cards with the decedent’s information. And we had special jerseys made with his name and umber.  All of this was possible because a caring, thoughtful and creative funeral director took the time to get to know the family.  He simply provided options for memorialization, and the family made the selections. 

 2.    Embrace digital tools

 ANDREW: The public has little to no idea what is possible when it comes to personalized services or cremation merchandise, so it is our responsibility to share every option.  A teach of our Foundation Partners locations we provide funeral directors with technology that digitally walks families through all our service and merchandise options.  This helps ensure that families are offered every option, every time.

BEN: The funeral homeowners I speak with are working hard to increase their knowledge of and access to the latest memorialization solutions for cremated loved ones. Funeral home showrooms are becoming a thing of the past as cremation-focused professionals turn to digital platforms to illustrate the beauty and breadth of memorialization items and cemetery scenarios. Today’s digital tools are great, but as every cemeterian knows, we cannot underestimate the value of owning or partnering with a nearby cemetery, where families can walk and see the importance of permanent placement and memorialization of their loved ones. Getting creative with cremation options will increase sales at your cemetery. Investing in cremation gardens with a variety of options has really boosted sales at our cemeteries.

 3.    Don’t be afraid to try new things

 ANDREW: Don’t be afraid to try new things. Where possible, play around with your service bundle sand packages, and try out new, innovative cremation offerings. As funeral service veterans, I think it’s natural to believe that we know what products families want. After all, we are the experts who see hundreds of families a year.  Don’t fall victim to this false sense of knowing what products consumers want.  Let them tell you by trying new products and monitoring their response. One advantage of ourFoundation Partners network of nearly 230 locations, is our ability to pilot various products in diverse locations to test the quality of the product, third party customer service and support, as well as to obtain feedback from families.  Some pilots are a hugely successful and others are not, but piloting allows us to discover and learn, without the stress of a companywide rollout.  

BEN: Our funeral home partners look to us to provide the tools they need to adapt to the increased demand for cremation and new competitors in their respective markets.  We provide a full marketing team to build platforms that help them stand out in their markets, we train them on digital arrangement platforms and provide access to a wider array of urns and ancillary items. The results are increased sales and improved customer experience and satisfaction.  

 4.    Develop strong partnerships

 BEN: Making sure you have the right partnerships in place is a key to success. The number of death care technology and product suppliers is greater than ever; companies like Eterneva, Parting Stone, eFuneral andTribuCast all deserve a closer look. The more that partners like these can contribute to your overall efforts, the more time you’ll have for the kind of strategic thinking and community engagement that can increase sales.

 5.    Prioritize transparency

 ANDREW: Transparency begins with educating the consumer –through your website, at-need arrangements, preneed presentations and seminars. 
BEN: Above all, what today’s consumers and potential business partners demand of us is full transparency. Whether it be posting your price list on your website or allowing cremation families to track their loved ones’ progress while in your care, today’s tech-savvy consumers demand more information than ever before. And when it comes to partnerships, transparency goes both ways. Make sure you fully vet all prospective partners, so you know their operations and how their processes work. It’s your integrity and reputation on the line; so your business partners should be like-minded and fully committed to maintaining the level of quality and service that have made your business successful.

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 Andrew Clark is Chief Customer Officer for Foundation Partners Group where he leads all field operations, operational strategy, sales and customer experience activities across the company’s more than 230 locations. He is a LicensedFuneral Director and Embalmer and Vice Chairman of the Florida Board of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services. Prior to joining Foundation Partners, he was director of operations for Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services in Ocala, Florida. Andrew can be reached at Andrew.clark@foundationpartners.com.

 Ben Farnstrom isVice President of Business Development for Foundation Partners Group, aposition he assumed after serving as the company’s Area Vice President for fiveyears. A Licensed FuneralDirector & Embalmer, Ben hasover 25 years industry experience. He is the former President and co-owner of Farnstrom FamilyMortuaries and co- founder of Oregon’s Care Cremation Society. Ben can be reached at Benjamin.farnstrom@foundationpartners.com

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