Janet Cevelin
Woodruff,SC
Summary
Internationally awarded, highly motivated Family Service Counselor, Top Ten Producer of Preneed Sales for Park Lawn Corporation, 2021, with honorary mention in 2019, 2020, awarded again in 2022. Exceptional communication and listening instincts and the ability to engage with new and existing clients to discover the opportunities and options that bring forth shared values. Four years of successful accumulation of Perpetual Care Cemetery knowledge gained from working for Citadel under Bill Gaffney, later bought by Park Lawn Corporation, with excellent training from sales managers of over 40 years of cemetery experience, in addition to my ability to adapt as our location changed hands and procedures adjusted accordingly. I helped convert a private cemetery office location to an operational corporate location after Park Lawn purchased Mountain View Memorial Park. Skilled at planning memorials, guiding families in selecting and upselling burial options preneed and at-need, and providing exceptional service and value to every family. Excellent relationship-building, communication and problem-solving abilities. I seek to obtain a sales position, or sales manager position, at a non-corporate cemetery location, that welcomes the motivation of a modern marketer, while simultaneously offering a traditional and comfortable environment to provide support to the community and to inspire family satisfaction and comfort of choice. I hope to utilize my current experience and capabilities to increase community trust and loyalty, while facilitating the growth and value of what Heritage Memorial Gardens has to offer.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Business Owner
The Spokespeople Project
Greenville, SC
11.2021 - Current
- Event planning, scheduling, operations, coordination, public relations, empowering social justice for the community, marketing and fundraising for non-profit organizations, and for-profit organizations.
- Instructed event staff on procedures for operations for our events.
- Delegated a team to coordinate smooth execution of event directives in accordance of event programs, scheduling. Evaluated employee performance for punctuality, productivity, and positive public presentation.
- Assigned 3 employees to specific duties to best meet needs of event directives, with respective care for host sites, the non-profit organizations, and to the members of the community they serve.
- Positively impacted public opinion of organization relevance through public announcements, advertising, and by careful distribution, merchandising and display techniques of relevant products and services, and designing presentations to publicly showcase the organizations' value.
- Displayed merchandise for upcoming sales in visually appealing way.
- Verified merchandise pricing to achieve revenue and profitability goals, reduce shrink and forecast sales.
- Negotiated and worked with local vendors to keep costs low and build community relations.
- Maintained detailed and accurate accounting records by overseeing documentation of sales, purchases and requisitions, budgeting, inventory.
- Created engaging merchandise presentations to motivate impulse purchases.
Family Service Counselor
Park Lawn Corporation
Travelers Rest, SC
03.2019 - 04.2023
- Assisted with advanced arrangements for individuals and couples, conducted park tours, verified grave locations.
- Maintained documentation, coordinated paperwork and data card updates per legal business requirements and developed proper recordkeeping habits for the entire location to employ .
- Helped clients schedule interment services, select caskets, markers and memorial options.
- Retained product, service and company policy knowledge to serve as resource for both coworkers and customers.
- Mentored team members in mastering sales techniques to consistently exceed objectives.
- Sold various products by explaining unique features and educating customers on proper application.
- Negotiated and closed deals with minimal oversight, on handwritten agreement forms as well as on modern computer data formats.
- Offered product and service consultations and employed upselling techniques to bring high value transactions to close.
- Met with management to discuss and accomplish sales goals and facilitate sales growth, to discuss and employ cemetery marketing strategies.
- Interfaced with customers to resolve problems quickly.
- Generated sales by prospecting leads, cold calling and negotiating advantageous deals.
- Cultivated strong relationship with customers while fostering positive business image in the eyes of the community.
- Exceeded sales goals using consultative sales talents and effectively explaining programs and service.
- Increased return customers, family loyalty, and repaired location reputation through effective problem solving and conflict resolution.
- Conducted pre-need consultations to educate clients on available burial options.
- Arranged burials in manner consistent with each family's heritage and religious beliefs, with respect to diversity in culture.
- Implemented pre-need burial arrangement services, which guaranteed specific prices and secured clients' company trust.
- Consulted with families of deceased to make burial arrangements, and offered family support on day of interment.
- Offered counseling and comfort to bereaved family members and friends.
- Provided excellent service and attention to customers when face-to-face or through phone conversations.
- Demonstrated self-reliance by meeting and exceeding workflow needs, and also trained marketing agents to further growth of location.
- Improved operations by working with team members, local funeral home staff, and families to find workable solutions and to offer value.
- Utilized technological advancements like Docusign and Zoom meetings to increase remote accessibility for purchasing for customers with transportation difficulties.
Education
Certificate of Completion -
Advanced Family Service Counselor Training
Citadel, Mountain View Memorial Park02.2019
Associate of Science -
Greenville Technical College
Greenville, SC2014
Accomplishments
Motivating and mentoring new counselors and marketing agents
- To improve department skills, knowledge, and efficiency
- Maintain the family engagement which increase account values, by providing top level customer service
Provide Support to all departments
- Serving as the office liaison
- Including their implements on plan of service
- Preserving time to increase value
Sold private estate in 2021, accelerated mausoleum sales pre-need and
at-need by 75% in 2020 and 2021. Received Corporate Awards for top ten producer of preneed sales in 2021, totaling at about $750,000 in closed contracts for the year, with the assistance of an award winning marketer I trained.
Timeline
Business Owner
The Spokespeople Project
11.2021 - Current
Family Service Counselor
Park Lawn Corporation
03.2019 - 04.2023
Certificate of Completion -
Advanced Family Service Counselor Training
Associate of Science -
Greenville Technical College