Cremation Strategies, Certification & Tributes

Registration is now open for this year’s Cremation Strategies Conference , which takes place November 12th in St. Pete Beach, Florida. The one-day event is packed with experienced and knowledgeable speakers who will focus their talks on catering to all cremation families and earn you up to 5 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits.

If you aren’t reaching out to cremation families and helping them recognize the value of memorialization, then you’ll only have yourself to blame when competitors boost market share at your expense.

Can Technological Innovation Help Reclaim Your Potential? Yes!

My thesis argument is a simple one. Innovations in funeral service have created a wealth of potential for business and personal success. So much so that funeral professionals simply cannot afford to be disconnected from the awareness of their positive personal and professional potential. That awareness is central to the pursuit of bigger and better things; if you don’t have it, you can slip quietly into apathy and a victim mentality. If you find the assertion credible, read on; if not, turn the page. (It’s okay; I’ll never know.)

There’s a lot happening in funeral service today. You have the really big (and big ticket) technological innovations like water resomation, the advent of online marketing tools, ancillary sales opportunities, and web-based memorialization (interactive funeral home websites with built-in e-commerce features), and the continued growth of the pet loss services profession. Let’s not forget the elephant in the room: cremation. The rise in cremation arrangements was long seen as tolling the death knell for our profession yet, when you see it through the eyes of someone confident in their potential for success, cremation becomes a not-to-be-missed opportunity.

Engaging Families with the Book of Memories is as Easy as 1-2-3

The concept is so simple yet so many families are unaware of the support and tools available to them through their loved ones’ Book of Memories. This easy-to-access portal opens communications for families who may appreciate any opportunity to further engage with family members and friends at such a difficult time. It also creates a permanent link between the families and the funeral firms that serve them.

Voting Now Open! Reward Innovation and Innovative Technology

If I allow myself enough time to ponder the concept of innovation, I’m almost overwhelmed by its significance in both human history and our day-to-day life here in the 21^st century. I ask you; where would we be right now without innovators? Then, there’s my fascination with a word’s meaning and origins; exactly what is innovation, and when did the word become part of everyday language? More on those questions later; right now I want to share some really big news.

Is Your Funeral Firm Six Feet Under?

I’ve always loved the HBO series, Six Feet Under, so I jumped at the chance to see it again when Amazon Prime recently made all five seasons available to subscribers. The long Fourth of July weekend gave me ample time to dive in with both feet.

Without doubt, the second time around watching Alan Ball’s landmark series has not only been fun, it’s been insightful. It has led me to more deeply understand and appreciate the real value of funeral service software for those of us who work day-to-day on the front lines of funeral service. Sometimes, true learning happens when we least expect it.

FrontRunner Announces New $1.6-Million Dollar Training Facility to Help Funeral Professionals Learn, Grow and Better Their Businesses

As the technological demands on funeral professionals continue to evolve, FrontRunner Professional is creating an opportunity to jump ahead of the curve. Clients will have the opportunity to strategically position themselves to conquer new challenges and meet their communities’ expectations.

FrontRunner has acquired a new 6,500 square foot, $1.6-million dollar facility that will house the new Technology and Training Center. The center represents Frontrunner’s ongoing commitment to set a higher standard, and provides all the tools and resources to help clients truly excel in today’s market.

Understanding SEO Copywriting: When To Hire & a Do-It-Yourself Guide

Your funeral home website sits at the hub of your online marketing efforts; you simply can’t afford not to truly understand the importance of SEO copywriting. It’s what makes your families land on your website instead of your competitor’s.

It was way back in 2008 when Mortuary Management published an article I wrote titled, “Are You the Best Writer for Your Business?” Now, six years later, I’m returning to that same question but the years in between have not changed my perspective one whit. I still believe that most business owners shouldn’t write their own website content or sales copy. Most of the time, they can’t see the features and benefits of their business offerings as clearly as a seasoned copywriter can (one who asks all the right questions) and nine times out of ten, they don’t enjoy the writing process enough to excel at copy or content writing.

Online Grief Support: How to Truly Help Those in Mourning

FrontRunner has given me the wonderful opportunity to write on the topics of grief and bereavement in the process of developing two, year-long email series and a library of related articles.

I am resolute in my belief that I don’t want to write fluff. Instead, it is my intention to provide readers with practical information they can really use. Yet, I know the inspiring and thoughtful insights of others are important so I’ve included words written by both modern and classical authors and philosophers. Their thoughts are an ideal springboard for topical discussion.

Simple & Affordable Cremation Options Make Good Business Sense

The last funeral I attended for a close family member was over 20 years ago. My grandmother, in her mid-80s at the time of her death, had arranged everything. There were several visitations with an open and ornate casket, a full service, and a graveside ceremony. She clearly stated that she wanted all the bells-and-whistles because she had lived a full life and deserved it.

Those words have stuck with me all these years later. There’s little doubt that my grandmother considered a full, traditional funeral as the ultimate way to define her status. This was the accepted and preferred funeral arrangement – the status quo. Everyone else she knew in her generation had a big funeral and she wanted one too. She could afford it and wanted everyone to know it.

It All Boils Down to Customer Service

Marketing is a tricky beast. It’s a critical element to any business yet most small and medium sized companies don’t have actual marketing departments. Budgets are limited to the cost of advertising without any room to pay outside marketing firms. The advent of technology has added a new twist to marketing trends and companies are scrambling to find someone on staff to maintain websites, blogs, and social media platforms.

For some, they just throw their hands up in the air and admit defeat. They refuse to embrace new marketing strategies because they don’t have the time or resources. They continue to market their companies just as they have for however many years.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing when the companies instead focus their efforts on providing excellent customer service. It’s one thing to implement marketing strategies but when you get customers through the door, do you create a truly memorable experience? Does your firm ever take extraordinary measures to set yourself apart from the competition? Do you provide a service to your customers that they will then share with their family, friends and beyond?