Golden Considerations: The Remote Preneed Sales Solution You Need Right Now
These days the internet provides unprecedented options for all sorts of interactions that previously required an in-person meeting. It’s easy to open a checking account, create a will, consult with your physician, or get a loan from the comfort of your own home. So why should the preneed sales process be any different?
Josh Rae doesn’t believe it should. As Director of Special Projects for Golden Considerations, the nation’s first and largest independent preneed brokerage, Rae knows that the demand for preneed arrangements doesn’t stop for anything, even a pandemic. As a third-generation deathcare professional, he also understands that agents can’t afford to stop selling just because they can’t meet with a client in person.
Today’s only independent remote preneed solution
“Right now, seniors are desperate for answers and information about end-of-life planning,” Rae says. “Golden Considerations has created a solution for agents to provide those answers and sell preneed remotely.”
The company rolled out its new end-to-end remote preneed solution in late March. Leveraging their existing relationship with DocuSign, the leader in securing online signatures on contracts and agreements, Golden Considerations has created a suite of customized templates for various preneed carriers and even funeral homes’ goods and services. The firm is also making its DocuSign solution available to directors for at-need forms and agreements.
“We want to help you keep your business flowing,” Rae says. “This technology allows agents to get paperwork in front of a family remotely. We do all of the customization for you. And we’re offering it all for free to our preneed partners during this crisis.”
The ability to secure signatures online complements phone calls and online meeting places like Google Meet or Zoom as part of the remote preneed sales process. At least one other company offering a similar signature solution. However, Golden Considerations is the only independent, fully customizable, and no-obligation option.
Join GC for an Agent-Only Virtual Preneed Summit on April 16th at 2PM EST by Registering Here. Topics will include Remote Sale of Preneed, Turn-Key Virtual Seminars, The Future of Preneed Growth Rates, and Unemployment for 1099 agents.
Here to help, no strings attached
Rae is quick to point out that Golden Considerations requires no long-term commitment from agents wanting to try the remote option. His tech works with all their major preneed carriers (Homesteaders, NGL, Global Atlantic, Great Western, Pekin, ACL and LCBA). The Golden Considerations team can get the technology set up and ready to use within a matter of days.
“We understand that most funeral homes are hesitant to make a big change, especially in preneed providers,” Rae says. “If you’re looking for a short-term solution, we’re not going to hold your funeral home captive. There are no binding contracts, and no obligation to keep the service beyond this crisis.”
However, Rae adds, most of Golden Considerations’ clients end up sticking with the company for life. Rae attributes this to the exceptional level of service they’ve refined over nearly 30 years in business.
“My dad started our preneed agency over 25 years ago,” Rae says. “What set him apart and made him unique is that rather than promoting one carrier’s products, Dad made the decision to offer a portfolio of carriers. This enables us to match a preneed product to a funeral home’s specific needs – a legitimately consultative approach.”
In 2019, Golden Considerations’ 800 agents served more than 30,000 families. They work with funeral homes of all sizes, from one-man operations to those with 10 or more locations.
“We’re definitely not one-size-fits-all,” Rae says.
Join GC for an Agent-Only Virtual Preneed Summit on April 16th at 2PM EST by Registering Here. Topics will include Remote Sale of Preneed, Turn-Key Virtual Seminars, The future of Preneed Growth Rates, and Unemployment for 1099 agents.
It’s not just about the pandemic
The current COVID-19 restrictions have highlighted the need for remote preneed solutions. However, the need for an alternative to in-person arrangements has existed for a while.
“Forty percent of preneed happens when someone enters a nursing home and has to go through the Medicaid spend-down process,” Rae says. “What happens when Grandma is going into the nursing home, but her kids live out of state? Technology like ours enables everyone to complete a preneed contract without having to travel to the funeral home.”
However, the time is right for funeral homes to add remote preneed options to their offerings. Rae points out that analytics and statistics are reflecting a significant uptick in the amount of traffic to sites offering living wills and other end-of-life documents.
“People are being faced with their own mortality,” Rae says. “They’re looking for planning resources, and there’s no one better positioned to provide this information than a funeral director.”
Getting the word out
To help directors meet this growing demand, Golden Considerations has created an all-in-one resource for hosting a digital seminar. Clients will soon have access to this package, which includes marketing materials to promote the seminar and online registration forms. It also includes pre-recorded content, and the technology needed to host the presentation.
The seminar includes general information and resources on a wide variety of topics, from end-of-life documents, how to complete veterans paperwork, and of course, how to make preneed arrangements.
To learn more about Golden Considerations’ remote solutions or seminar package, reach out to Josh Rae at jrae@goldenconsiderations.com or join GC for an Agent-Only Virtual Preneed Summit on April 16th at 2PM EST by Registering Here. Topics will include Remote Sale of Preneed, Turn-Key Virtual Seminars, The Future of Preneed Growth Rates, and Unemployment for 1099 agents.
“Right now,” says Rae, “we’re here to help consumers and preneed agents gain peace of mind.”
