Tom Stansfield – Fortis Law
Businesses and their owners all have key objectives. Most are concerned with their bottom line, making profit, and just as importantly helping our clients by providing good customer service and solutions to legal problems.
Funeral plans can be a great solution for many clients but are overlooked by many estate planners for fear of it looking like an ‘up-sell’. During my time at the SWW I sat in on a presentation by a Will Writer (the sole adviser in his practice) and he described the approach he took to selling plans and whilst listening, I hung on his every word.
Initially, he explained, he had struggled to sell plans and saw them as an additional product and not core to his product portfolio.
He changed the approach he took to selling the plans by increasing his knowledge on the plans and then held the discussion as part of instruction taking for the Will. This resulted in an increase in the number of plans he sold. From recollection, he was selling almost one plan a week using his new strategy – a difference of £25,000 in revenue when compared to the sporadic one or two a quarter.
The impact of this increase in revenue could have an incredible effect in transforming a micro-organisation (smaller side of the SME market). It could provide income to employ someone, it will certainly provide enough money to overhaul a website and provide a marketing budget and you could throw in a lovely holiday too – all without too much trouble.
The key to being able to increase your funeral plan sales lies in product knowledge. Understanding the market, your product and its benefits will undoubtedly give your confidence and confidence sells. With the gentleman in the example I gave above, he was thorough in his research. He spoke to funeral planning companies, funeral directors and used the questions he’d faced before to ensure that if he was ever asked the questions again, he would know exactly how to position his response. Sound like a lot of work when you’re already very busy? On the partner training sessions with Fortis Law, we discuss the Fortis Funeral plan and its place in the market. Following the session you’ll know what makes this product key to your client’s solution and what to look for in a funeral plan provider.
Knowing that your plan provider has guaranteed disbursements, no limit on the distance a client’s body can be transported and also pays a good fair commission is also important. If you’re not already introducing Fortis Funeral Plans, then they’re worth considering.
As well as having confidence in your product offering and in your knowledge it is important that you don’t miss any opportunities to sell. Ensure that you capitalise on every lead. Revert back to the client when you say you will. If the client needs time to think about the product, book in a call to address any questions they have, don’t pressure sell and highlight how this product addresses the problem the client has highlighted to you. Ultimately, the harsh reality is that we’re all going to die and that fixing the costs of ones funeral at today’s prices can save considerable amounts of money when you consider rising costs.
It’s worth also considering that clients may appreciate flexibility when arranging their funeral. Not all clients have liquid assets with which they can afford to pay for a funeral plan in full and having the ability to pay for their funeral over a fixed period of time can be a blessing. With a Fortis Funeral Plan, this is not a problem. Clients can split the cost of their plan over a period of time ensuring that it’s affordable but also meaning that they don’t miss out.
- Product Knowledge
- Capitalise
- Flexibility
If you would like more information about Fortis Funeral plans and would like to start earning £650 per plan sold then speak to our team. You can call the office or better still, speak to me (Tom Stansfield – Fortis Law Business Development Manager) and I can book you onto a complimentary training session, talk you through the plan or explain how to simply submit a plan.
We provide brochures for your clients, all clients get great after sales service including a funeral plan pack, certificate of entitlement and flexibility to add to the plan in the future, should they wish.
Visit our website for more information.
Let’s work together.
This article was submitted to be published by Fortis Law as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills and Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills and Probate.
