Client Relationship Specialist

Brief Description

Responsible for creating lead opportunities for Advance Planning, support outbound lead development and create meaningful client relationships with client families. This position will also be responsible for creating new lead opportunities provided by Marketing lists as well as leads older than six months and setting appointments for client families while educating and influencing/encouraging families to learn about preplanning.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that an employee in this position may be asked to perform from time to time. Duties and responsibilities can be changed, expanded, reduced, or delegated by management to meet the business needs of the Association.

• Conducts outbound calls to educate client families on the value of preplanning.
• Provides caring and compassionate services to our Forest Lawn client families.
• Generates new lead opportunities through outbound calling initiatives.
• Builds and maintains a network of sources from which to identify new lead opportunities and business growth.
• Initiates and maintains relationships with client families to establish and nurture fruitful, long-lasting relationships through outbound voice, email, social media platforms, and direct mail campaigns.
• Conducts client-family follow-ups with existing leads to educate families to build on the client experience journey.
• Engages potential clients through outbound calling, introduces them to our services, and effectively communicates our preplanning value proposition.
• Identifies product or service needs for client families.
• Uses professional experience to overcome objections and effectively communicate Forest Lawn Pre-planning value propositions.
• Appointment Setting: Qualifies leads and schedules sales appointments for our Advance Planning Team.
• Ensures appointments are well-prepared and aligned with clients' requirements and the CET process.
• Maintains a consistent follow-up schedule to nurture leads and build lasting relationships.
• Keeps potential clients engaged and informed about our offerings.
• Prioritizes projects and assists in business growth, while hitting monthly/weekly activity goals and quarterly KPIs.
• Stays informed about industry trends, and legal requirements and remains at the forefront of the funeral industry.
• Collaborates with Client Engagement Manager and other departments such as Marketing and Advance Planning teams to exchange feedback and insights for achieving individual and team targets.
• Provide regular feedback to the Client Engagement Manager on outbound progress and engagement and any challenges or opportunities.
• Entering and maintaining client information in the Salesforce CRM system, detailed records of emails, follow-ups, calls, and communications, including managing leads through Salesforce CRM software.
• Other duties may be assigned as needs arise or as required to support the organization.
  
  

Qualifications/Requirements

• Ability to work independently and with a team.
• Personable, compassionate, outgoing, helpful, and able to initiate conversation and communications in an engaging manner with client families through outbound initiatives.
• Experience working in a collaborative team environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to articulate and influence our preplanning value proposition to client families.
• Excellent organizational skills, keen attention to detail, and excellent time management abilities.
• Strong analytical and research skills to identify and evaluate potential new lead opportunities.
• Proven track record of delivering measurable results through outbound lead-generation efforts.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, managing and prioritizing tasks effectively.
• Highly self-driven and results-oriented, with the ability to work independently and maintain focus in a remote work environment.
• Proficient in using CRM software and other sales tools to manage leads.
• Strong relationship-building skills to engage prospects, nurture leads, and foster long-term partnerships.
• Resilience: Ability to handle rejection professionally and persistently pursue new opportunities.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities, industry dynamics, and market conditions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software products (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Preferred but not required: experience with Salesforce CRM software.
• Bilingual required/ Mandarin.
  
  

EDUCATION And/or EXPERIENCE

• High School diploma or General Education Diploma (GED). Minimum 2 years inside sales experience preferred. Previous experience with cold calling, advertising, and /or sales force a plus. Minimum of 3-5 years of outbound calling/ prospecting, with a successful track record of generating leads and setting up sales appointments.
• Extensive outbound tele sales and/or lead generation experience, preferably with people-focused industries.
  
  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and hear. Requires normal, corrective vision range, close vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus, to see color, and to distinguish letters, numbers, and symbols. Requires the ability to clearly and understandably speak. This position requires the incumbent to experience periods of prolonged sitting and regularly stand, walk, carry, climb, and reach. Requires the use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms.
  
  

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This individual will work in a busy team environment that requires constant communication with team members and with other departments, multi-tasking and meeting strict timelines. This individual will also work directly with the bereaved and will be exposed to decedents.

Summary

Forest Lawn has always attracted unique and exceptional individuals; those who aren’t satisfied with simply building a career, but want to go home at the end of the day knowing they’ve made a profound and positive difference in people’s lives.