Interment Urns - Peace of Mind
URNS - Peace of Mind
By Arrow Bronze
Some time ago Arrow submitted an article on the benefits of Earning through Bronze Urns. It is timely, when the global financial climate is affecting our decisions on expenditure, to reconsider ways to improve our income from those that are prepared to pay.
Much has been said about the diminishing rate of memorialisation of cremated remains and how best to address the situation. Sometimes there are factors over which we have little or no control, such as the development of new competitors, the influence of other parties such as churches, funeral directors and legislators.
What we can do, however, is concentrate on the sources of income that do present themselves – people who visit your memorial consultants and do wish to memorialize. Here, we must provide excellence in quality, variety and service in the products that we offer. Excellence in product, perceived as “Value” by your clients is an easy way to raise additional revenue from those that we do make contact with. Your marketing plan must incorporate an understanding of the demographics in your region, cremation education and the promotion of value added memorialisation options that are vital to the long term success of the crematorium.
Cemeteries have a responsibility to educate families -- to provide information about cremation memorialisation. When families receive little or no information about cremation memorialisation, they automatically assume that it is not important or necessary. 80% of people who come to your office have no experience or understanding of what happens or what is on offer. You have the opportunity to inform them and guide them. How you present to your clients will have a significant impact on their decisions. Keep in mind that families who chose cremation grieve and need the chance to say good bye and remember just like traditional burial customers.
Modern Cemeteries and Crematoria offer magnificent gardens, features and memorials that are an asset to their communities. These revenue generating options can be enhanced by offering bronze urns and accessories as quality added value features and must be promoted.
Regardless of whether a memorial is in perpetuity or limited tenure, most people who choose a cremation memorial expect and want permanent memorialisation of their or their loved one’s remains.
Bronze urns and bronze inscription plaques compliment that need perfectly. As an alternative to cardboard boxes, plastic containers, thin metal containers or fragile ceramic containers, there is no substitute for the permanence and safety of bronze.
For perpetuity, your clients can be satisfied that the container will protect and identify the remains for ever and in a solid bronze capsule that is clearly marked by a bronze name plate.
For tenure your client has peace of mind that when the capsule is recovered from the memorial they will possess a tangible and elegant product that will be without question intact and can be restored, repositioned or taken home.
Whether it is a garden, granite wall, brick wall or bush land setting, there is a bronze urn that can suit the application.
There are some basic myths and principals that need to be addressed in your approach to clients.
People want value and do see value when it is offered
People will readily pay for value
What you offer is what you sell so “Tell”
Do not assume that people cannot pay
Do not assume that people don’t want something
Know your product and be confident in Telling about it
Now, given that your policy is to promote up market capsules for the interment of cremated remains please consider four effective ways to promote.
First, you need a solid commitment to marketing bronze urns for interment and then you should build on it.
Second, you must create inventory. It's real simple. You cannot sell what you do not have. Decisions often are made based on point-of-sale displays.
Third, merchandising is vital. Tasteful displays in waiting rooms or consulting rooms are essential. Display the urns you want to promote as interment options separate to those urns sold for take home options. Show niche plates, decor, emblems and cameos as these are also potential added value items that can further enhance the sale and personalisation of the memorial. The bottom line is to sell the upgraded product through proper merchandising at the point of display
Fourth, do not be afraid to suggest top of the line packages first. Families often desire memorial products that are the best that can be obtained.
If you do not tell the families in your community about their urn options, who will? It’s up to you. The key is to provide the products and services that customers will perceive as their greatest value.
So, what are the benefits or values of bronze urns for interment that you can promote?
Peace of mind, because a bronze urn will last forever, even after Arrow’s famous Diamond Shield TM finish fades, the natural patina process on the surface of bronze will ensure that the product will not deteriorate.
Cremated Remains will be “Protected” from mechanical damage, chemical attack, ants, tree roots and any other external influence.
The product fully identifies the remains contained in the capsule with a name plate attached.
The product is environmentally friendly in that it is made from recycled metals and is itself recyclable.
You can add other durable bronze adornments such as motifs, cameos and finishes to personalise the product.
At any time or at the end of tenure, a bronze urn can be refurbished and restored to its original luster and warmth.
Also, be aware that simplicity is essential. You should discuss cremation products and services in a manner that can easily be understood. Whilst you will have products on display, accompanied by appropriate literature and a “telling” program ready, a very easy thing to do is to hand the client a plastic container for one hand and the bronze capsule for the other. They will very quickly perceive the value and protection that the heavier, solid bronze product offers.
If you see cremation more than just the cheaper option to burial then you may consider marketing bronze capsules as part of a standard package. Again, what you offer is what you are most likely to sell. You can always retreat to the lesser options of plastic or cardboard.
This approach to encouraging the use of a bronze capsule may have you and your staff operating out of your comfort zone. The program must be an integral part of your marketing and sales plan that is accepted by all. Once established, do not allow personal feelings about cremation products prevent flexibility in any of your services or products. Staff needs to be fully trained on product and presentation. Keep in mind that sometimes the higher priced items are the first to be sold.
Equally important, do not give up. It takes time to have innovative and creative memorialisation options accepted by the
Public - let alone your staff. It helps to have a goal set. It is not unreasonable to expect 25% of your cremation interments to utilize a bronze urn. This is a significant number and source of revenue for your operation and the industry at large.
There is no substitute for bronze in durability and quality. In memorialisation people want products that last forever. Whether in perpetuity or in tenure, a bronze urn satisfies this desire. Arrow has a range of bronze urns to suit most interment applications. A program to sell bronze urns for interment of cremated remains is a viable and easily implemented concept that should be considered for the immediate and future benefit of your organisation.
LEARNING TO EARN WITH URNS
Much has been said about the diminishing rate of memorialisation of cremated remains on how best to address the situation. Sometimes there are factors over which we have little or no control, such as the development of new competitors, the influence of other parties such as churches, funeral directors and legislators.
What we can do, however, is provide excellence in quality, variety and service in the products that we offer to those that we do make contact with. A marketing plan that incorporates an understanding of the demographics in your region, cremation education, memorialisation options and ease of doing business is vital to the long term success of the crematorium.
What beetter way is there to turn things around than by providing excellence and being rewarded with improved business through upgraded sales and increased referral by the community?
Modern cemeteries and crematoria offer magnificient gardens, features and memorials that are an asset to the their communities. These revenue generating options, to which bronze urns and accessories can add futher value, must be promoted.
Families in your community have a right to be adequately informed of the range of services and products available. They need to learn about their choices: They need to be advised that the cremation process itself is only preparation for memorialisation. When families in your community make cremation arrangements, you should emphasize the importance of cremation memorialisation. When people are informed, the rate of cremation memorialisation increases considerably.
Choosing cremation should not and does not carry with it a decrease in the tendency to care. There are three principles relating to cremation that you should always remember. First, never assume that a preference for cremation means no memorialisation. Caring people want personal memorials. Secondly, when they know their options, caring people will pruchase memorialisation. And typically, they are not price conscious. The final principle to keep in mind is that you should not view the discussion of cremation as an end to your sales calls. These create a perfect opportunity for you to market cremation services and products.
Most people who choose cremation want permanent memorialisation of their or their loved one's remains. Bronze urns and bronze inscription plaques compliment that need perfectly.
Cemeteries have a responsibility to educate families -- to provide information abour cremation memorialisation. When families receive little or no information about cremation memorlisation, they automatically assume that it is not important or necessary. Keep in mind that families who chose cremation grive and need the chance to say good bye just like traditional burial customers.
These are two questions that you should ask your custome who inquires about cremation. First, ask whether they have ever had cremation professionally explained to them. They most likely will need to be properly educated. Then, start talking about their choice of a final resting place for the remains and the importance of memorialisation.
If you do not tell the families in your community about their cremation options, who will? Today, cremation memorialisation needs are varied as the faith, race, age, income, nationality and overall diversity of the people whom we serve. Families should be showered with cremation memorialisation options such as top of the line urns, bronze urns for interment, mausoleum niches, traditional walls, gardens and columbarium. Within that range, there should be options varying degrees of expense and exclusivity.
They key is to provide the products and services that customers will perceive as their greatest value.
Also, be aware that simplicity is essential. You should discuss cremation products and services in a manner that can easily be understood. In addition, when marketing cremation products and services it is beneficial to sell them together -- as a package. When cremation products and services are sold as a package, families generally select more in terms of service arrangements and memorial products.
There are three effective ways to promote cremation memorialisation. First, you must create a varied inventory. It's real simple. You cannot sell what you do not have. Decisions often are made based on point-of-sale displays. Merchandising is vital.
You could follow an approach system selling which focuses on assortment, pricing, explanation and grouping. The bottom line is to sell upgraded products through proper merchandising at the point of display. You need a solid commitment to marketing and then you should built on it. Display as many urns as your space tastefully allows. Show niche plates, decor, emblems and cameo photos as added value items. Have photos on hand of memorial gardens, niche units, columbarium, benches and niche walls.
Do not be afraid to suggest top of the line items. Families often desire memorial products that are beautiful, unique and meaningful. They want works of art. You may even want to offer custom made urns at a premium price.
To many of us, urns mean a work of art for families to take their loved one's cremated remains home for mantle piece, display cabinet or pedestal.
The vase majority of memorialisation of cremated remains at your cemetery or crematorium involves interment with a bronze plaque. In most cases, interment means placing the cremated remains inside a plastic box and then burying the box in a garden or placing it in a wall.
For the families who want to memorialise interred cremated remains in a truly special and protected manner, consider offering a bronze urn instead of plastic. This is a very simply but effective way to increase your memorialisation revenue with real and perceived added value to your clients and readily accepted by them.
Be sure to show urns and memorial options for every price range.
The next step is to move out of your comfort zone. Balance caution and creativity. Do not allow personal feelings about cremation to prevent flexibilty in your services, products or pricing. Keep in mind that sometimes the higher priced items are the first to be sold.
Equally important, do not give up. It takes time to have innovative and creative memorialisation options accepted by the Public. It helps to have a goal set. Just keep tuned into your market. As the community's understanding of your cremation services and products improves, your can readjust your goals. Many large and successful programs have been developed in little time.
Denis Kernaghan - Regional Sales Manager - Arrow Bronze