Article published in ICCFA Magazine, August-September 2009.

1. Tailoring your recruiting message to match the needs and concerns of your
candidates will create opportunities to broaden and sustain your applicant pool.
You can’t recruit Counselors from a fast-food value menu
only meet your needs, but help you grow your
It’s Saturday evening, you and the kids have preneed business.
been in the car all day buzzing around from a They are:
soccer game, a birthday party, stopping at the  Neophytes – 0 to 6 months of counselor
grocery store, then a quick visit to Grandma and experience
Grandpa’s, when you hear from the far back  Experienced – 6 months to 2 years of
seat, “Daddy, I’m hungry. Can we go to...(insert counselor experience
the name your family’s most frequented fast-  Professionals – 2+ years of counselor
food restaurant here)...?” Luckily, there are experience
more than enough drive-through value menus to
quickly satisfy any child’s hunger. All candidates are individuals and should be
Fast-food companies have mastered the recruited as such. However, when recruiting on
quick-fix process. For example; there’s only six a work experience level, all candidates have the
bucks in your pocket and your stomach’s same basic standards by which they will judge
growlin’ – you pull up, order a small fry, double any opportunity; be it a Counselor or the
cheese burger, small soda, and a cookie…$3.96 receptionist at the front desk.
plus tax. The attendant asks, “Is there anything These basic standards are:
else”? You say, “Nope”, drive forward, grab  Do you know me?
your bag of food and change, then you’re off  Do you know my needs and my
down the road. concerns?
 How will you make my work life better?
Unfortunately, not all of our needs can be
Each candidate in one of the three applicant
met as quickly and as easily as ordering from
pools has a concern/need that you must tailor
the value menu. What happens when one child
your message to.
wants a kid’s meal, another doesn’t want lettuce
or tomatoes, and your wife wants grilled The Neophyte
chicken instead of fried? Well…a value menu Keep in mind the Neophyte has little to no
no longer holds value. experience in the Family Service Counselor
So it is with recruiting. There are types of role. In addition, most counselors are
positions where a quick placement at a set independent contractors who work on a
compensation rate can be made – typically using commission-only basis. When considering these
a temporary agency or newspaper ad in these challenges, the Neophyte’s core concern is:
situations. However, the position of a Family
Service Counselor (preneed sales person) is one “Is this a lasting and secure
where you must tailor your recruiting message career choice?”
to match the values of the candidate, before you
can place them in a counselor role. The Neophyte seeks assurance. There are
some very effective ways to ease a Neophyte’s
There are three general applicant pools to
mind in the decision to become a new
recruit your Family Service Counselors from.
counselor. Here are a few methods:
Each requires you to tailor your message in
order to find and keep a Counselor who will not
1. It’s a Numbers Game – Share with the
candidate real preneed sales potential

2. through lead numbers. Expressly, the preneed/at-need relationship
firm’s call volume/internments per year philosophy, and how the success of at-
and how those numbers relate to the need and preneed is dependent on each
number of leads generated for Preneed other. Share with them how your firm’s
sales. directors are incented to provide leads,
2. Success Breeds Success – Everyone and how your counselors participate in
wants to be successful, but we often at-need services. Importantly, give the
don’t know who to look to when candidate an opportunity to see your
modeling our success. Ask your firm in action – invite them to speak
preneed carrier to provide you with a with a director and watch one of your
list of successful Family Service services.
Counselors the candidate may contact. 2. Teach by Example – Many people
Urge the candidate call and/or meet leave their current employment because
with the counselors listed and find out their supervisor is an “arm-chair
first hand what it takes to be a quarterback”. Outline your training and
successful counselor. coaching programs and how, as a
3. Be a Cheerleader – Team manager, you work shoulder-to-
environments are the best places to shoulder with your counselors – be it
work. Root for your team! Highlight riding along with them in the home,
your funeral home’s culture and its organizing their selection book, or
community relationship. Clearly helping set up group presentations. This
explain how the funeral home staff, candidate wants to know you will not
including the family service counselors, ask them to perform a responsibility
all work together to achieve common you are not willing to do yourself.
goals. Importantly, explain how the 3. Plan, Then Execute – Have you ever
new counselor will not be abandoned in heard the phrase, “If you fail to plan,
the middle of the game. you plan to fail”? Experienced
Counselors are looking for a plan. They
The Experienced Counselor are frustrated about not knowing the
The Experienced Counselor comes to you current direction and goals of their
with a clear understanding of the industry and firm’s preneed program. Show your
prearrangements. They have had success plan. Lay out your step-by-step process
elsewhere – maybe the competitor down the for achieving your firm’s preneed
road – but are not satisfied with where their program’s objectives, and how your
career is heading. However, they have not given team figures into that process. Help the
up hope, and still want to actively be in Family candidate understand where they fit
Service Counseling. Knowing this, the into the plan, and how important their
Experienced Counselor’s core concern is: role is in accomplishing the firm’s
goals.
“How will you help me succeed?”
The Professional
The Experienced Counselor seeks support. Professional Counselors are just that…
They strive for a feeling of appreciation and professional. A counselor with two or more
trust from the organization. Here are some ways years experience should be consistently
to showcase your support: producing sales at the $700,000 plus level
annually. They are accustomed to added sales
1. We’re All in This Together – Talk perks, such as incentive trips. In addition, this
with the candidate about your firm’s level of counselor has little need to be managed,

3. but rather, is looking for ways to efficiently qualification requirements and upgrade
meet with more families. When you better eligibility.
understand the Professional, you better 3. Let Us Do That For You – Some of
understand their core concern, which is: the greatest challenges in maintaining
high sales volume are lead generation,
“What do you have to offer me?” lead contact, and lead management. All
of which are costly and time
The Professional wants more advancement, consuming. You will win over any
better recognition, and innovative management Professional when you explain how
systems. Unless a Professional recognizes these your firm’s preneed program is
opportunities within your firm, you will never designed to generate sustainable leads,
be able to win them over. To recruit a and has a database system in place to
Professional, use these tactics: ensure no family falls through the
cracks – creating opportunities to meet
1. Show Me the Money! – For the with the right family, in the right way,
Professional Counselor, cash is king. at the right time. In addition, when you
They want to know your firm’s share with the candidate that your firm
commission schedule is in line with provides appointment setting
their active mix of production and assistance, they will be begging to
income goals. Let me cautiously represent you.
advise; DO NOT move forward in
showing your firm’s commission Recruiting and employee costs are some of
schedule without first knowing the the highest expenses of any organization, and
candidates current production volume, our industry is not immune to those costs. If
mix of business, and commission rates. anything, we scrutinize candidates more than
Once you know that critical most due to the sensitive nature of our business
information, you then should create a and fear of having the wrong type of
full comparison of your total representative in the community.
compensation package against what
they currently receive. Don’t forget to In the end, not all positions or people are the
include all benefits and perks. Then, it same. It is your responsibility to first, know
is appropriate to put a dollar figure on what you want to accomplish in a position;
your firm’s preneed programs potential. second, know the type of individual you are
2. Work Hard, Play Hard – Most looking to fill that position; and third, know
Professional Counselors will spend how to respond to that type of individual’s
anywhere between 60-70 hours per concerns/needs to attract them to your funeral
week on their career. Many times, they home. Importantly, be prepared when a
are meeting with families on weekends, candidate says, “I’ll have a double cheese, hold
and primarily use their own resources the pickles, sub a shake for the soda, and
to generate leads. Needless to say, it supersize it.”
takes tremendous effort to produce
sales at this level. Professionals want a
break. Have materials prepared to
discuss and illustrate your firm’s
world-class incentive travel. Have
brochures, photos, and DVDs of past
trips, and of the next year’s incentive
trip. Importantly, explain realistic