Sales Professional - Outside Sales

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The Pre-Planning Service Advisor (PPSA) is a self-starter expected to achieve their quota (pacesetter) target by selling pre-need arrangements and services. The PPSA serves families in a professional, caring and timely manner. Follow-up and generation of referrals from client families are integral to success and to establish a strong service relationship with families. The PPSA also develops relationships with the community.

Job Responsibilities

Lead Generation

Consistently networks and builds relationships to generate recommendations for gaining referrals for both at-need cemetery arrangements and pre-need arrangements using company tools, processes and standards

• Holds self accountable for prospecting a minimum of 4 hours every day (if working 8 hours) such as approaching families face-to-face during events, door knocking or group seminars
• Obtains referrals from families served by the location by following up through visits with families after the service
• Networks and builds community and civic relationships
• Explains and presents Dignity Memorial® Personal Planning Guide presentations to families served and referred families
• Maintains and tracks activity levels to ensure productivity
• Remains flexible with schedule to achieve results; often works nights and weekends
• Build Relationships with Families

Establishes and maintains strong business relationships with families by connecting with the family, relating to them, resolving their concerns and needs, and committing to follow through

• Responds to client inquiries in a timely, respectful, sensitive and professional manner
• Supports families in time of grief with acts of kindness
• Connects with families through listening, honest communication and genuine concern
• Develops an understanding of each family’s unique needs and offers solutions that provide value to them
• Stays in touch with families to ensure satisfaction
• Prepares for all appointments and performs all procedures with professionalism and attention to detail
• Provides service beyond expectations to ensure satisfaction and to form the foundation for future sales based on long-term relationships
• Builds trust-based relationships to earn the right to ask for referrals
• Earns the right to gain referrals to offer protection to protect family members, and the family’s relatives and friends, by educating them on the benefits of pre-planning

Teamwork

• Consistently builds relationships and works cooperatively with the Funeral Director and other funeral home and/or cemetery staff
• Collaborates and teams with funeral directors, location managers, and other members of funeral home and or cemetery staff, to provide seamless, high-quality service
• Represents a continuous link from services provided at need, through aftercare, to providing services to protect families in future
• Thoroughly and completely reviews previous services and contacts with families to prepare to support current needs and or sales
• Acts as one team, setting arrangement continuation visits within two to three days after the service
• Shares family concerns with rest of the SCI team
• Minimum Requirements

Education

High school education or equivalent

1-2 years of college or equivalent experience

License

Current state/province issued driver’s license with an acceptable driving record

In states/provinces where required, must hold a Funeral Directors License to perform this role

Experience

• Sales experience or one to two years industry experience or equivalent education
• Previous experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems is a plus
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Basic computer and technology skills within a sales environment
• Ability to work well in a team, as well as independently
• Ability to work beyond “standard” hours as the need arises
• Good driving record
• Good work ethic
• High-level of integrity
• Creative, outgoing and energetic
• Comfortable presenting in front of others
• Desire to help others
• Bilingual, knowledge of another language is a plus
• Work Conditions
• Work Environment
• Work indoors and outdoors during all seasons and weather conditions
• Local and/or multiple location traveling required
• Comply with dress code policy

Work Postures

• Sitting continuously for many hours per day, up to 6 hours per day
• May climb stairs to access buildings
• Physical Demands
• Physical effort requiring manual dexterity is required, includes paperwork, calculators, computers and phone usage

Work Hours

Working beyond “standard” hours as the need arises