As soon as I start talking with someone about grave tending, it’s incredible how often we find a personal connection.
It can be small, like “I walk in that cemetery every afternoon!”
It can also be an extaordinary coincidence.
I was at an event recently. I met a woman who said she came across my grave care business on one of her socials. The picture stopped her in her tracks. She called her husband over: “Hey, isn’t that your aunt and uncle’s gravesite?”
Yup! As it turns out, the featured headstone was my husband’s childhood friend’s aunt and uncle. And my client is their cousin. :-)
Talk about 6-degrees and a small world!
You never know who will see your work. Be prepared to talk about it!
Especially in a small industry like grave tending, building awareness is critical. Clients won’t call if they don’t know a service exists to clean headstones or plant flowers for them!
On social media there’s a plethora of videos and before & after posts of folks cleaning historic headstones (which are fascinating and a bit mesmerizing, to be honest). But most people think that’s the extent of it. They don’t make the leap to, “Hey, maybe there’s someone out there to do this for my parents, who died a few years ago.”
The good news is the conversation happens naturally. Whenever you meet a new person or visit a friend you haven’t seen in a while, they ask open-ended questions we answer by talking about our industry: “So, what do you do?” I own a small business taking care of gravesites. “What are you doing for fun these days?” I spend a lot of time in the cemetery!
Chances are your conversation will be the most interesting one they’ve had in weeks.
I honestly love that initial reaction when I say “I clean headstones and plant flowers in the cemetery.” I can see it move across their face: What did she say? Huh. That’s different. It’s…kind of cool, actually! Then they start talking, asking questions, and getting excited about it!
Of course, you probably won’t see the fruits of your conversation today. A year may pass, then one of their friends is talking about an upcoming visit to their beloved aunt’s gravesite. They mention how bad they feel because they can’t get there as often as they’d like. That triggers a memory: “Oh! I was talking to someone about grave tending. You can hire a company to keep your parents’ site looking cared for all year long. They’ll send you pictures and everything!”
Being able to provide peace of mind to our clients…it’s well worth the wait!
One final note. Along with learning that grave care is a very cool business, there’s another aspect of conversation that bears mentioning: The world is looking for more connection and meaning in life. In this increasingly on-line and automated world, a discussion about grave tending gives us the opportunity to talk about something positive, real, and meaningful. When those we meet learn about a new type of business built on care, tradition, and human connection, they walk away with a bit more hope in their heart.