January 1999
The Director - Features
Focus on Value, not Price
Set your prices where they need to be and compete
Large funeral home establishments that receive big volume discounts from suppliers and can share inventory between their different locations often pass their savings on to their customers. Because of the increase in funeral home acquisitions and this advantage they possess, many small firms are finding it harder to keep their prices as low as their competitors' rates. Those firms that no longer can afford to reduce their prices need to find another way to attract new clients.
Focus on Value, not Price—Set your prices where they need to be and compete, by Christopher Kuhnen, explains why small-business owners don't need to rely on low prices to attract and retain clients. The article gives five practical suggestions for small funeral homes to better compete with larger firms without reducing prices or lowering expenses.
Kuhnen is vice president of marketing for the Outlook Group Inc., Franklin, Ohio. He is a licensed funeral director and previously served in both an at-need and preneed capacity with a family owned funeral home in Kentucky.
