By Sales Manager: Mr. Luo from HuaHeng Columbarium Factory Jiangxi, China

Friends in the Buddhist Columbarium business, are you still pondering how to "innovate" uniquely? Still struggling to design products that impress customers? Let me tell you, top experts all use one word—"copy"!

Today, I'll share some practical insights with you. You've attended many lectures and learned a lot of theories, but why are you still not doing well? Because the essence of business is often not "learned" but "done," or even "copied"!

Don't doubt it. Think about it: in our industry, or many others, what was profit based on? Products. And how were those products created?

You think they were drawn by designers racking their brains? Not entirely! Look at the car king Li Shufu, who bought a Mercedes-Benz, dismantled it, studied it thoroughly, and then found tractor manufacturers to produce a "tractor" that looked like a car—the early Geely. Didn't he first "copy" the appearance of Mercedes-Benz?

If you want to make phones, don't you first buy an iPhone and take it apart? In fashion, don't they buy patterns worldwide and "reference" them? Even the diva Faye Wong initially imitated Teresa Teng before gradually developing her own style.

So, the first step in product development is often imitation and reference. The same applies to our industry.

How do you design the niches? How do you plan the areas? How do you create that solemn, tranquil, culturally rich, and caring atmosphere? The best method is to visit well-run columbariums temples, or peers' projects, see how they do it, what their design philosophies are, and what we can learn from their material choices, spatial layouts, and cultural integrations.

Of course, when I say "copy," I don't mean you should replicate it exactly—that's low-level duplication. Experts "copy" ideas, "copy" logic, "copy" the underlying reasons for success. For example, if you see others' Columbarium design is simple and elegant, incorporating Buddhist elements like lotus flowers and swastika patterns, you should think: why is this style popular? What message does it convey? Can I combine it with the characteristics of our facility, such as our origins in Buddhism, emphasizing offerings, listening to sutras, eliminating karma for the deceased, and the concept of early rebirth in a good path, to design products with more unique cultural connotations and spiritual significance?

Alright, products can be started by "copying." Next is brand. In this industry, brand is especially important, representing trust, commitment, and respect for life. So how do you build a brand?

Look again at sports brands: Nike has a swoosh, Li Ning also has a similar one, Anta is almost the same, and Xtep simply draws a cross. How did Zhen Gong Fu fast food rise back then? By opening stores right next to KFC, with extremely similar decor, and then promoting "Steaming is better for nutrition," directly targeting customers who thought fried chicken was unhealthy.

Aren't they also "copying"? They copy positioning, visual symbols, marketing strategies!

In our field, how do we "copy" brands? Not by copying others' logos, but by studying those century-old columbariums and famous temples that are deeply rooted in people's hearts, how they build trust, how they convey core values like "peace of mind," "heritage," "care," and "fulfillment."

You can learn from their rigorous management systems, their careful maintenance of the environment, their service processes full of human care. Then, combine them with the unique advantages of our Buddhist Columbarium—such as indoor storage that is not eroded by wind and rain, constant temperature and humidity; and the Buddhist cultural background we emphasize, through regular ceremonies, lamp offerings, sutra chanting services, to accumulate merits for the ancestors placed here, bringing spiritual comfort to families. Integrate these "copied" essences with your own characteristics to form your unique brand promise and brand story. Tell customers that choosing us not only finds a peaceful place for ancestors but also paves a path to a good realm for them.

After products and brands, what really makes money now? Models! Business models!

You ask me how to do models? Let me tell you, it's still that word—"copy"!

Look at internet giants: Did Baidu learn from Google? Did Taobao learn from eBay? Did Alipay learn from PayPal? There's nothing new under the sun; successful models have been proven countless times!

In this industry, what models can we "copy"? Plenty!

How do others handle sales models? Is it a direct sales team? Or developing channel agents? Or like what we call "maker partners"? What are their pricing strategies? One-time fees or including ongoing management fees? Have they launched packages at different levels to meet various needs? How do they cooperate with funeral service agencies, temples, communities?

When you see successful peers quickly recruiting agents, rapidly expanding the market, and achieving profitability, you should study how their model is designed? What is the profit-sharing mechanism? What is the support system? Can I borrow from it, combine it with my resources and the characteristics of our business, and also design a "maker partner" model that can quickly replicate?

But, just knowing how to "copy" models isn't enough. I have to tell you something deeper.

A successful project often requires huge upfront investment. This involves the "capital model." How do you use less of your own funds to leverage more social capital or financing? How do you design your equity structure to both attract investors and partners and ensure your control over the project?

Many people get nervous when talking about equity, holding on tightly. Look at Jack Ma, who had only a few percent of shares but still controlled Alibaba. The key lies in the design of control, not the share proportion itself. Projects in this field have large investments and long cycles, and need to understand capital operation, using equity to exchange for the funds and resources needed for development. Don't be intimidated by those "equity experts" who only talk theory; learn to use equity as a tool in development.

Then comes the "operational model." What is the goal of operations? Maximize revenue, minimize costs! How to achieve it?

The best operations are "no operations"! What does that mean? It means establishing a system that lets others operate for you!

Think about how Sanzhu Oral Liquid achieved billions in sales back then? By relying on "human sea tactics," with thousands of salespeople going deep into rural areas. Can our business also use a similar approach?

Develop a large number of "maker partners," making them your sales terminals. For their own profits, they will expand clients and maintain relationships themselves. You share part of the profits with them, and they help bear the costs and risks of market expansion. Your core team only needs to focus on product optimization, brand building, service improvement, and empowering support for partners.

Just like sending a package, would you deliver it yourself or hire someone specifically? No, you'd find a courier company, outsourcing the "delivery" action. Similarly, can the sales and partial services be "outsourced" through cooperation and developing partners, allowing you to focus more on core value?

So, friends, in this business, if you want to succeed, stop reinventing the wheel!

The core lies in:

1. Learn to "copy": not blind replication, but deep learning and smart borrowing, whether in product design, brand building, or business models.

2. Understand "capital": grasp the essence of equity and financing, use capital thinking to amplify your business.

3. Master "operations": leverage external forces, especially developing "maker partners," to maximize revenue and minimize costs.

Remember, business models are never "thought up" out of thin air. By understanding others' success, quickly learning, and implementing, you can walk faster and steadier in this industry full of opportunities and challenges!