Once upon a time people read books, watched over the air television at no charge, were confined to making phone calls from only their homes, offices and the corner payphone. And, people were treated with courtesy and respect. People listened to what others had to say, digested what they heard and provided the necessary goods and services requested, within a reasonable amount of time. Instant gratification came within the context of the time allotted to the conversation and the subsequent follow-up. Whoa baby…this is a new world, but does it have to pervade all people to people situations?
I am Lawrence Mandel, my friends, associates and contacts call me Larry. I am freshly retired (after 33 years due to the corporate squashing of my very successful Chicago family funeral business). I’m a fourth generation Funeral Director, an Interfaith Wedding and Funeral Officiant, Para-Chaplain, former Broadcaster and Media Manager. My schooling was in media as well as a point of purchase photographer, which has led me to a craving for scuba diving and underwater photography. My background has done nothing more than craft a desire to work for and with people to achieve a positive outcome. In my case it has been the development of funeral and memorial services, offering the rite of burial or cremation as well as the people skills necessary to write and present wedding services for people with all types of backgrounds. What a platform for the world – to “undertake or entertain”.
This 66 year old body over the past four years has had a new heart mitral valve, aortic valve, right knee and right hip replacement as well as a fluffing and buffing of my pancreas. And now I am ready to break out with my model for success which I employ on a daily business in the development of funeral and related lifecycle services which includes Interfaith Weddings. Anyone can use this information as a work ethics refresher. Here’s my thoughts. You can relate them to yours.
I want more funeral and funeral related service (funerals, cremations, memorial services, grave markers) , as Lawrence Mandel, Funeral Director Concierge. And I want more weddings for interfaith couples, LGBT couples, baby-namings, home dedications, memorial dedications – all lifecycle events as Open Spaces Lifecycle Services, Ltd.
I have a lot of want. And maybe you think that I am a fuddy-duddy, but I truly believe that if you stop and take this approach to your clients, it will gain you a better ROI and more business.
My method for achieving this want comes with these steps:
- Listen to the prospective client. Truly listen with both ears.
- Present all the alternatives for products/services.
- Act promptly on resolving the needs.
- Deliver the promised product or service in real time and beyond expectations. No excuses on delivery of product or services. Push yourself to get it done, likewise, push your vendors to deliver.
- At the end of the day, be part of the “Clean Desk Club”.
Now, you are thinking or saying, “That is nothing new or innovative…” Wrongo my friend.
The key to serving this community or you serving your community is based on LISTENING, PRESENTING, ACTING and DELIVERING.
Today, people are only concerned about me, even when they are in front of a client. What about me and what I want. It’s the time I am spending, the services or products that I want to sell to get a bigger ROI. And if I get to it later or tomorrow, that fits my schedule much better. The client has an expectation but, my delivery of product or service is good enough.
How self-serving! How about being so self-centered in your approach, the client might just go somewhere else, if there is a next time, or worse today, rate you in the media as just another provider.
Certainly not a way to endear yourself to your client and build a business or service.
I look at it this way. Remember all the stories coming out about the Marines, a Drill Sergeant would bark out, ”Hey, drop and give me twenty, now recruit?”
That is what I think business should be today. Drop give the client your ultimate LISTENING, PRESENTING, ACTING AND DELIVERING, so you can at the end of the day be part of THE CLEAN DESK CLUB.
Now if that is the way OLD FUDDY-DUDDY’S DO IT, SO BE IT.
See you on the street, or today, on the web with my cellphone, tablet, laptop and cable tv. Life has moved on, except for being gracious and kind to the people who look to you for products or services.
To learn more contact: Lawrence M. Mandel, Lawrence Mandel Funeral Director Concierge, Open Spaces Lifecycle Services, Ltd. at (847) 778-6736. Or, visit his website online at: http://www.openspaceslifecycleservices.com or email openspacesltd@yahoo.com.