What would you say if I asked to describe your typical funeral director? Would they be male, white, and middle aged? Chances are, your stereotypes of funeral directors would lead you to an image similar to what we just described. Yet, funeral service is changing. And this is to be celebrated. Young folks, women, LBGTQ […]
Since 2020 began, a lot has changed (here’s a hilarious review of 2020 in case you need it). The way we communicate, connect, work, socialize, do business, eat… pretty much every aspect of our lives has changed since COVID-19 hit us like a giant curveball. So that means the ideas around success in the funeral […]
We all like to think that we provide high quality, unique services for our families. But is that what someone will really experience when they walk in your door? Georganne Bender and Rich Kizer are cultural anthropologists that specialize in consumer interests. One of the many aspects of their business has been blind shopping at […]
No one needs to tell you how people can be deeply affected by the death of a loved one. Some families find it harder to navigate the process of creating a ceremony that captures the essence of the deceased’s life than others. And sometimes raw emotions can become unmanageable. We sat down with Jason Troyer, […]
Running a funeral business comes with unique trials & tribulations. While some of the challenges might seem niche, one thing is clear – everyone is experiencing them together. At the NFDA Convention a few weeks ago, we asked attendees to vote for their biggest business challenge, and the results are crystal clear. So what are […]
The “Future of Funerals”. A topic we’ve spent many a day writing about, researching, reading about, and talking to our clients about. If you’ve popped your head out of your funeral home long enough to attend a conference, workshop or event that’s funeral industry related, you’ll hear more of this “future of funerals”. This “future” […]
It’s amazing how many people actually want to talk about death these days. Well, at least in the media. Funeral innovation, death technology, and death cafes, and the death positive movement have been hot topics in the press this year. Just do a Google search for any of those terms and see for yourself. These […]
Did you know that community outreach could be the most important component of your funeral home’s marketing plan? It’s true. According to the 2018 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Consumer Awareness and Preferences Survey, when planning a funeral, only 8.3% of consumers call more than one funeral home! Further, 23.2% called one funeral home and […]
In all of my time working with funeral homes over the last 15 years, I’ve known one thing to be true: Making your families feel heard and supported is the magic that creates a successful funeral business. Beyond pricing, services, facilities, it all comes down to customer experience. And if you don’t believe me, my […]
Death changes everything. It takes the familiar and shakes it up. It takes our everyday and makes it messy. And this is how I’ve chosen to live my life as a funeral director: in symmetry with those who have to walk with death and grief. It’s a path that I’ve grown familiar with over the […]
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