The Noise: What it is and how it could be killing your business
A recent study suggested that the typical funeral home in North America receives an average of 19 unsolicited sales contacts per day. Being in the technology space, I am saddened to say that in today’s market, most of these contacts involve someone trying to sell some form of technology.
We live in a new world of digital phone service with unlimited calling, email blasts, digital fax machines, and social media. Many technology companies use these techniques because they require little to no investment in advertising and no personal contact. Most don’t know anything about the funeral profession because their sales ‘experience’ has focused on everything from vacuum cleaners and photocopiers to used cars. The noise they generate can be relentless and deafening.
Often working for one company one day and another the next, these sales types craft their cold calling skills so that funeral homes either just give in, or worse, tune out to just how critical good technology is to their firm’s future.
The funeral industry may be a little too small for Bill Gates to take interest, however, it is too large to ignore that our profession needs great technology if it is going to survive the new wave of internet-based schemes and initiatives, and legislative changes that are adding more and more competition into the market.
Instead of arming our companies with comprehensive and strategic online marketing plans, many are falling prey to the noise of free website companies and the other gadgets and gizmos. Funeral professionals are being taunted that if they don’t buy today, their firm will be out of business by the morning. What funeral service really needs right now is less noise, not more.
Multiple vendors for multiple solutions only compound the problem. With today’s eroding margins, there has never been a better time to turn down the volume in more ways than one. A single source technology partner means more today than ever before. This can be your best defense against the noise and help you get back to focusing on what you do and know best – serving your families.
Don’t get me wrong, I think healthy competition is great and fuels better products. I simply think that having 300 companies trying to sell you something that they insist is a ‘better’ product than what’s offered by everyone else is distracting and confusing, and is destined to leave you feeling exhausted, disappointed and exploited.
When funeral firms spread their hard-earned money across dozens of technology providers, they make matters worse. They believe this will keep the wolves away but in reality, it just fuels their appetite. As more of these technology companies enter the marketplace, the louder the noise and the more aggressive the sales pitches.
Today is the time for quiet reflection. If you feel the noise is overwhelming, take a few minutes to regroup and really think about your funeral firm’s technology needs. Wouldn’t it be best to work with one trusted company that can provide everything? Wouldn’t it be ideal if this one company specifically builds solutions for funeral firms and understands what it takes to succeed in today’s evolving market? One contact – one technology partner – one solution that covers all the bases.
Kevin Montroy, CEO & Founder of FrontRunner Professional, is a 34-year licensed funeral director and former owner operator. He has spent the past 20 years looking out for funeral professionals by helping them avoid the pitfalls of technology and understand the importance of choosing their technology partner wisely.
Well said Kevin! As a funeral home owner/partner and on the product side of the business, I could not agree more. The difficulty is that many funeral home decision makers don’t time to to research the differences in products or companies, much less understand the complexity of it’s use. Great work…
Very well-crafted post, Kevin! I am amazed at how direct mail marketing has dwindled over the past few years, and been replaced by strident cold-calling tactics. Today, I spend more time choosing NOT to answer the phone (thank heavens for Caller ID!) than ever before – and I hear the same from many small business owners in my community. I especially appreciate your comment, “The noise they generate can be relentless and deafening.” You are so right.