National Funeral Directors Association 13625 Bishop's Drive Brookfield, WI 53005 262-789-1880 nfda@nfda.org www.nfda.org

NFDA Supplier Dispatch - February 18, 2005

When asked if attendance at the NFDA Convention and Expo would help them better serve their families, 96.8% of attendees answered “yes”.

- 2004 NFDA Survey of Convention Attendees

Trade Show Fast Fact

• Exhibits are a three-year commitment! Sometimes it takes multiple exposures before an attendee is comfortable doing business with a new supplier. New exhibitors should look at trade shows as a three-year commitment to allow time to build relationships with attendees.

New Pricing Structure for 2005 NFDA Expo-only Attendees

Visit this link to read more about the lowered fees:

http://www.nfda.org/pressRelease.php?eID=191

Funeral Service - A Tough Market to Crack?

It may seem like a catch-22 situation when breaking into the funeral service market. It takes a while to win over funeral home owners as buyers because of their loyalty and strong belief in long-lasting relationships. However, once you do win them over, the pay-off is a customer who promises loyalty in exchange for a great product and service. How do you get to the point of beginning a long-lasting business relationship?

Patience. If you are expecting to hit it big your first time exhibiting or by placing one ad, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Cautious by nature, funeral directors stay away from the fly-by-nighters who swoop down into funeral service every so often, only to disappear, never to be heard from again (remember the year of the dot coms?). It takes perseverance and frequency to begin building that necessary level of trust with funeral directors. If you are SERIOUS about this market, your strategy has to be long-term—three to five years before you can truly gauge your level of success or failure. That means consecutive years of exhibiting and multiple ads on TOP of direct mail, sponsorships, and telemarketing.

Service. Good service is a critical component of every successful company. This is especially important with funeral directors, who are all about servicing families experiencing a loss. Funeral directors expect the very best in customer service and will not stand for anything less. A good rule of thumb is to under promise and over deliver each and every time.

Visibility. Funeral directors are very much into the face-to-face interactions with the people they do business with. Personal sales visits are still very common in funeral service and it is not uncommon for funeral directors to look at their supplier as a friend or even part of the family. The more you can do to keep your company visible, the better off you will be in ensuring a fruitful relationship with funeral directors. This means promoting your company continuously and making the most of all personal interactions, either at the state or national level.

Commitment. Sharing a commitment to serving funeral service for the long term has resonance with funeral directors. They want to know that you are committed to funeral service and share their passion and dedication to the profession. Most funeral directors believe that their life's work is more of a calling, not just a career. It can only help companies who share this level of commitment and passion for funeral service and who appreciate the role that funeral directors serve in working with the families who have lost a loved one.

Why Frequent Advertising is a Must

The market is constantly changing and new buying influences are unaware of your company, product, or service. According to a Penton Media Report, nearly 25% of buyers experience a job change every year. This includes switching employers, switching positions within the organization, receiving a promotion or transfer, retiring, or experiencing a merger or downsizing situation. Frequent advertising is critical to ensure that the right buying influences are continually receiving information on the company's products or services available. Based on the recent survey of NFDA members, when asked which funeral service publications they read regularly, 96% of them read The Director magazine on a regular basis, followed by state association publications (63.7%).

2005 NFDA Convention and Expo-Chicago Style

October 3-5 (Expo Dates)
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL

Look for future issues of NFDA Supplier Dispatch – your electronic connection to funeral service!

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Copyright (c) 2004 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)