It’s s question that I have a hard time answering or getting an answer to.  The question being, “What is the number of preneed policies a funeral home needs to write to move market share forward?”  Or even more basic, “What is the average ratio between going-concern funeral homes as it comes to annual preneed contracts sold in relation to at-need services held?”

There is a lot written about Preneed and how to increase your numbers but I don’t know if I ever have seen a percentage listed that would indicate a funeral home is doing well or doing poor in relation to other funeral homes.

What caught my interest on this subject is information that Funeral Director Daily wrote about in this article on British preneed sales.  The first half of 2025 produced record sales for the companies that report to Great Britain’s National Association of Funeral Plan Providers (NAFPP).  And, in the numbers provided one could calculate that the number of preneed policies sold in Great Britain in a year, on the current rolling rate, would equal approximately 39% of all deaths in Great Britain for the year. . . . .So, I would call the ratio of preneed sales to at need deaths in Great Britain a 39% rate.

Just for comparison sake, I know that Service Corporation International, in their quarterly reports lists Preneed Contracts sold as well as a term they use called “Funeral Services performed”.  I then took the liberty to go back four years and look under their “Comparable Funeral Revenue” report.  Here’s the data that I found:

At first look at this data, you would have to say that Service Corporation International Preneed/AtNeed ratio would be about 60%. . . . 20% higher than Great Britain is reporting.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

At our funeral home we became what I call “subtly aggressive” with preneed sales early on.  My brother was in charge of Preneed and did a great job at it.. . . . There were years when our ratio was at 100% and that was always our goal —  One preneed for every At Need.  At that rate we felt very secure that we were increasing market share.

We did that number with seminars, mailings, walk-ins, Medical Assistance, partnerships with fraternal agents, and simply always talking about the benefits of PreNeed.

Over the years one of the facts that occured to me is that when there is an at-need death it involved one individual. Preneed, in most instances, involved the sale of policies to two individuals (married couples) at once. . . .. . . which is one reason the 100% ratio was attainable.

About the SCI Numbers:  In the table above you will notice that in general Preneed policies sold went up every year and Total Funeral Services went down every year.  The exception to this was the Preneed sales in 4Q2024 where Preneed contracts sold also went down.  I believe that the simple explanation for Preneed sales going down is that SCI has changed their Preneed modus operandi and they now have an agreement with Global Atlantic as their provider.  They have made no secret that some of the training is taking longer than expected which is probably why Preneed sales have lagged.

As for the Total Funeral Services performed number going down for SCI I’m a little perplexed.  This number comes from their “Comparable Funeral Revenue” and you would think that they have more facilities today than they had in 2021.

However, there is no explanation for this line item on the report and without all the data and explanations we can only theorize.  It could be that 2021 deaths included increased deaths from the pandemic.  Deaths from later years could explain what has been called a “pull-forward” effect of the pandemic where older people died earlier because of the pandemic (2020 and 2021) and they would have been deaths in later years like 2022, 2023, and 2024, had they not died during the pandemic. . . . leaving lower death numbers in these succeeding years.

Other possible explanations are that SCI is losing market share or that they have less funeral homes today than they had in 2021.  The reduced numbers could even be caused by the calendar  —  maybe there was more “reporting” weeks via the way the calendar fell for the 4th Quarter in certain years.  In any regard, it is my assumption that the data is too limited to really tell what might be at play with these reduced “Funeral Services Performed” number.

Final Thought — If you do want a comparison for Preneed sales over the past couple of years.  After reading the above linked article that appeared on August 27 in Funeral Director Daily one of my friends, and FDD subscriber, who operates a preneed agency for several funeral businesses reported to me that 2024 was “a record year” and 2025 year-to-date is up 15.7% over that 2024 number.

More news from the world of Death Care:

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,201 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

Using Data and Tech to Drive Funeral Home Success 

Scott Jensen and Zack Moy offer a practical guide at CANA’s 107^th Convention 

WHEELING, IL— Cut through the noise, clarify your results, and make smarter decisions for your business using data and technology! The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) brings together two industry experts to help you harness these powerful tools at the 107^th Annual Cremation Innovation Convention this August 6-8, 2025, in Phoenix.  

Scott Jensen will start by tackling one of the biggest frustrations funeral home owners face: not knowing whether their marketing plan is paying off. “When you’re looking at a report with impressions, clicks, rates, how do you know if that means they’re turning into calls or cases?” asks Scott. “Are people actually looking for a funeral home or are they just obituary clicks or directions to the service on Saturday? How can you know if your marketing is working?” 

With years of experience in digital marketing for the death care profession, Scott will share a simple, three-step process to help you define the right metrics, implement tracking, and confidently analyze your results. You’ll leave with actionable insights and free resources to take control of your marketing strategy and improve your ROI. 

Then, Zack Moy will demonstrate how technology can do more than just modernize your image—it can directly enhance your operations and your customer experience. “It’s not just about the business side,” he explains. “These problems directly affect the families you care for. At a time when they’re grieving and vulnerable, families trust you to handle sensitive details smoothly and carefully. Funeral homes do a great job managing the administrative work and creating a space for families to begin processing their emotions. But behind the scenes, it’s easy to get lost in all the details.” 

Drawing on real-world data, Zack will explore how digital tools can streamline planning, reduce strain on your staff, and expand your reach, even in a competitive market. Equipped with years of experience in software engineering, Zack is dedicated to building better tools for the community of funeral professionals who guide grieving families through difficult times. From improving productivity to boosting online engagement, you’ll discover how smart tech adoption can make your funeral home more efficient and effective. 

Put what matters first with targeted learning from each session at the CANA Convention: 

• In the keynote, Joan Fox, President of Inspired Solutions, asks Are You Creating or Killing Customer Loyalty?, and shares why customer satisfaction is an inadequate goal, how company culture and customer loyalty are connected, and what strategies measure customer loyalty to grow your business. 

• Take a close look at Ethics in Cremation: A Colorado Case Study with Faith Haug, Program Director of Arapahoe Community College Mortuary Science Program, and explore three pivotal cremation cases and how they directly influenced Colorado’s funeral service laws and public trust. 

• Succession planning and driving enterprise value should always be top of mind, so Jake Johnson, President & CEO of Johnson Consulting, will show how to Exit with Success: Succession Planning and Your Business. 

• In Historic Cemeteries Facing the Future, Regina Harrison, Director of Sales of Mount Auburn Cemetery, shares how to think creatively with options for cremation memorialization—whether you’re managing historic grounds or guiding families through end-of-life choices. 

• Barbara Kemmis, Executive Director of the Cremation Association of North America and Chance Parker, Chief Research Officer of Fortitude Research + Marketing, present the Cremation Practitioner Benchmarking Study of insights into current practice and provides strategies to address future challenges. 

What could be better than what’s happening on the CANA stage? It might be the backdrop! The Convention hotel is the Arizona Biltmore which offers seven relaxing pools, five appealing shops featuring hand-curated pieces, three unique dining experiences, two picturesque golf courses, and one award-winning spa and salon – plus two iconic bars where you can revel in a tequila sunrise. You’re invited to explore, to discover, and to feel inspired by the colors, culture and the captivating energy of the Valley of the Sun. Make your reservation now at canarooms.com. 

To make the most of the resort experience, the CANA Convention schedule is revamped so you can enjoy all that Phoenix has to offer in the cool desert nights and mornings. First is a 9-hole scramble on The Estates Course at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club with an 8am shotgun start. Not a golfer? Take in the scenery with the Arizona Biltmore History Tour to explore the bold Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced architecture, get the scoop on historic celebrated guests, and view the meticulous restoration. Moving at a different speed? Put relaxation first and take a yoga class or book your appointment at the award-winning Tierra Luna Spa and Sol Garden. Or take advantage of the resort pools open around the clock. 

Get a powerful look at how data—whether in marketing or operations—can be your greatest ally with Scott Jensen and Zack Moy at CANA’s 107^th Annual Convention this August 6-8, 2025. Special rates are available for teams to learn, grow, and implement strategies together. Plus, the schedule is redesigned to ensure you can explore the Valley of the Sun in the cool mornings and evenings and fully savor the networking and learning in the air-conditioned Convention hall during the heat of the day. Visit cremationassociation.org/CANA25 to learn more and register today! 

About CANA 

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization. 

There’s a lot of places that one can collect data to help them with their business – and that business could be Death Care or international espionage.  This story is not necessarily about Death Care, but it is about finding data in interesting places that you may not be looking for it.

So, back in my day about the only solid data I kept was cremation percentage, average casket sale price, and the proportion of death calls between my competitors and myself.  Those numbers helped me but a major portion of my decisions had to be decided on  “feel and intuition”.

Today, data is everywhere and if you find it there is a real possibility that you can use what you learn for your benefit.

Here’s an interesting story that came from Seeking Alpha the other day.  If you cannot access the Seeking Alpha story here I’ve linked two other articles on the same subject below.

Related Story — “Pentagon pizza-tracker.  Can late-night orders really predict war and why it’s trending amid Israel-Iran conflict?  The Hindustan Times

 

Related Story —  “The Pentagon Pizza Index — How pizza orders may predict global crisis.”  Business Standard

 

In today’s world it is quite simple to see the “wait time” of a pizza that you have ordered online.  And, if you order a pizza in the vicinity of the Pentagon late at night and see long wait times, there is a great possibility that something is going to happen, militarily, around the world soon.

As the Seeking Alpha article mentions, on the evening of July 12 nearly all pizza establishments in close proximity to the Pentagon had long wait times.  As it turns out, only a couple of hours later, Israel began preemptive military strikes against nuclear and military targets in Iran.

According to one of the articles this confluence of late night pizza orders near the Pentagon and ensuing military action is nothing new.  Here’s what one of the linked articles says of the history of pizza and the Pentagon:

“The origins of the Pentagon Pizza Theory actually trace back to the Cold War era. Soviet spies are said to have closely monitored late-night pizza deliveries in Washington, interpreting these unusual orders as signs of heightened military activity. They even gave it a name: Pizzint, a portmanteau of “pizza” and “intelligence,” as reported by Business Standard.

The idea was that large, unexpected surges in pizza orders could signal moments of increased military readiness. Over time, this quirky form of intelligence gathering morphed into a more widely discussed theory, particularly when high-profile events like the Iraq-Kuwait invasion seemed to coincide with pizza delivery spikes.”

So, now you know this quirky little story — whether you believe it or not.  And, you know that data is everywhere and when found and put to use probably can help your Death Care business in some way!!!

#                    #                    #                    #

It’s not pizza delivery but, here is an interesting job posting from Pure Cremation in the United Kingdom.  That salary in US $ would be equal to $40,000.  My take is that if this job category grows it would be great for funeral directors who want less challenge or for those with hospitality industry training who may be thinking about the Death Care profession as a new career.

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,164 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily:

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”