For funeral businesses of any size––at any stage––a funeral business consultant can help you ensure success. Armed with death care industry experience and expertise, they can assess the performance of your funeral home and help you implement effective growth initiatives.
But not all funeral business consultants are created equally. Before you put the future of your business in the hands of a consultant, you’ll want to vet them for the right credentials.
Here’s what you should look for.
1. Industry Expertise
Naturally, an ideal consultant will have extensive experience in the death care industry; however, you’ll want to look for a proven track record of success. During initial communications with a funeral business consultant, ask them for examples of their past projects.
Solid death care consultants will be able to provide you with case studies of their work. In these case studies, you’ll be able to take a closer look at how the consultant has partnered with funeral businesses, what initiatives they spearheaded, and what the ultimate results were for the client.
You also should look for enthusiasm in a consultant. During their time with your business, a consultant will act as a trusted partner, making it imperative that the two of you are excited by the projects for your business.
2. Prior Experience Running a Funeral Home
The best funeral home consultants have experience operating a funeral business of their own. The significance of this factor comes down to experience. While anyone with a business degree can understand the basic mechanics of how a funeral home works, only a funeral director understands the niche issues, but also it takes a certain type of person to serve families during their most challenging times. Compassion, empathy and educational services need to be highlighted.
On top of this, you’ll want to screen for successful funeral directors. If a consultant’s past experience does not meet your specific requirements, then a collaboration doesn’t bode well for your business.
3. Connections
Consultants can help you embark on a variety of business initiatives, including expanding your services, training or hiring staff members, or preparing your funeral home for a sale. To execute these tasks, a consultant will need connections with other professionals.
For example, if you hope to build your own cremation facility, a consultant will ideally be able to connect you with vendors and contractors. These professionals will help with the construction issues. Additionally, they might have connections with cremation workers who can help train your team on the use of these new tools.
4. Positive Reviews
Look to a consultant’s Google reviews, social media accounts, and website for authentic reviews from former clients. Pay attention to reviews that mention specific benefits and drawbacks of working with this consultant.
You may even want to reach out directly to former clients of the consultant. Think of this as similar to checking someone’s references at a job interview. After all, you are hiring a consultant for a contract position.
5. Varying Services
Depending on your specific needs from a consultant, you might need help with more than one project. For example, an initiative to increase the value of your business may require projects that address preneed sales, facility renovations, and the formation of new after care programs.
Because of this, the best consultants should offer a wide range of services. Brokerage, accounting, marketing, and client satisfaction should all be a part of their offerings.
6. Goal Alignment
If your business is in need of a serious overhaul, then the process will start with setting new overarching initiatives. To effectively accomplish these initiatives, you’ll need to think about how every team member’s efforts should work in tandem to move your business towards success.
A plan for goal alignment will consist of the initiatives, the specific actions each team member must take to achieve them, a plan for implementation, and an ongoing system for accountability management. Before changing anything about your funeral home, a consultant should be able to clearly articulate this process as it relates to your business.
The Top Option
For funeral directors in need of business consulting, Johnson Consulting Group is a leading death care firm with decades of experience. Their team is composed of funeral homeowners, directors, and operators, who fully understand all that goes into making a funeral business thrive.
Johnson Consulting Group keeps tabs on the greater death care market, allowing them to view their clients in the context of the industry. Their insight springs from a thorough understanding of where death care currently stands and where it stands to go.
They start with a full performance analysis, conducting a 360-degree assessment of your funeral home’s operations and financial performance. From there, they present a strategic plan, one that outlines key initiatives for success and the plan to execute them.
No matter where your funeral home is in its business cycle, Johnson Consulting Group can help you create heightened customer service, optimal workplace environments, and maximum financial performance.
GROW YOUR FUNERAL HOME