Bradshaw prearranges more families with complete support from Precoa

Jason Bradshaw never used to think of preneed as easy.

Sure, he recognized its tremendous potential. He understood preneed as an opportunity to be proactive through marketing and as an engine to drive growth. But after managing Bradshaw’s entire program on his own, he had firsthand experience with preneed’s challenges.

“Our program was disorganized,” Jason said. “Leads were getting left behind, and we were always looking for people in what felt like a constant state of hiring. It was really an ongoing struggle.”

Jason needed an organized system to manage leads, set appointments, and provide back-end support so his preneed team could focus on serving families.

He found this all with Precoa.  

Lacking efficiency before Precoa

Like most funeral homes, Bradshaw had trouble effectively managing preneed leads.

Their preneed team would spend time and money on marketing and community events, reach out to the most straightforward leads, and move on. Any leads that required more nurturing were filed away for the future. The problem was that this future never came.

Even when some of our best preneed counselors left, I would find drawers full of leads. Jason Bradshaw Bradshaw Funeral & Cremation Services

“Even when some of our best preneed counselors left, I would find drawers full of leads,” Jason said. “These were leads who were a little tougher to work on, and they were just not being dealt with. That’s a lot of money left out there, a lot of marketing dollars wasted, and a lot of missed opportunity.”  

On top of this lack of efficiency, Jason also believed it was simply poor customer service.

“When people sign up and express their interest and no one follows up, you end up burning bridges,” Jason said. “Unless you have a partner like Precoa managing preneed, you don’t realize how much just slips through the cracks.” 

Preneed becomes a growth engine

An even more important factor was having a partner committed to significantly growing Bradshaw’s preneed program.

“When you’re using preneed to grow, what you’re really doing is trying to move beyond the low-hanging fruit. It’s the families who have not decided on Bradshaw that we want to reach. They’re usually younger, they may be a little harder to nurture, but that’s where we’ll grow our business.”

When you’re using preneed to grow, what you’re really doing is trying to move beyond the low-hanging fruit. Jason Bradshaw Bradshaw Funeral & Cremation Services

This philosophy meshed perfectly with ProActive Preneed®. Precoa steadily generated high-quality leads for Bradshaw. This increased the funeral home’s reach and expanded brand awareness into new corners of their market.  

And because every lead source with Precoa is optimized for conversion, Bradshaw was connecting with families who were ready to take the next step. Preneed was now an opportunity to share the value of funeral service with more families. 

Combined with Precoa’s follow-up support, significant market share growth was a given. 

Complete preneed support

It’s hard for funeral homes to find a team to handle every part of the preneed pipeline.

Too often, advance funeral planners end up playing every role. They’re setting up community events, lining up appointments, and generating leads while also meeting with families.

Precoa brings so much back-end support. It’s the follow-ups with families, the persistence, and the organizational approach to how they manage our program. Jason Bradshaw Bradshaw Funeral & Cremation Services

“That’s a lot of boxes to check for one person, making it an almost impossible job,” Jason said. “But Precoa brings so much back-end support. It’s the follow-ups with families, the persistence, and the organizational approach to how they manage our program.”

With Precoa, Bradshaw found a partner who was invested in their preneed program. Not only was there complete support, but there was also a deep understanding of the funeral home.

They make sure everything they do aligns with our values and what we hold dear in serving families. Jason Bradshaw Bradshaw Funeral & Cremation Services

“Precoa is out in our community as the face of our funeral home,” Jason said. “They make sure everything they do aligns with our values and what we hold dear in serving families. They’re also willing to listen and try new ideas and programs. Precoa is amazingly nimble, which is good. You have to have that today.”  

On the right preneed path

Jason speaks from experience when he says running a great funeral home is very different from running a great preneed program.  

“Preneed has to be proactive,” Jason said. “It’s our opportunity to get out there in front of families and make an impact, and Precoa adds so much with their follow-through.”

Bradshaw was getting more leads, setting more appointments, and their preneed team was meeting with more families. Jason now had a trusted marketing partner who cared about the success of his funeral home, and an insurance partner he could count on. He had both sides of the equation, and it wasn’t long before he knew he’d made the right choice.

Thanks to our partnership with Precoa and NGL, preneed has become extremely integral to our growth. Jason Bradshaw Bradshaw Funeral & Cremation Services

“To see those first direct mail leads come in, and then to see how they converted to appointments—that’s when I said, ‘Hey, we’re on the right path.’ Thanks to our partnership with Precoa and NGL, preneed has become extremely integral to our growth.”