You have undoubtedly been hit up at one time or another by the hype of promised profits through the use of sympathy stores and other online selling tools. Before you put your firm’s reputation on the line, there are a few things that you need to know.
My name is Mark Miatello. You pronounce it just how it looks. Mark. No, I mean Miatello. Mee-ah-tell-oh. Pretty simple.
I’ve been with FrontRunner Professional going on four years and it was decided that I should share some of my accumulated wisdom with you so that’s why you’re reading this.
When it comes to our software, I’ve seen almost every possible issue and usually numerous times…too numerous to count. Every one of our clients has been a newbie at one time. You may be one of the new ones and are a little overwhelmed with all the features available in the system and where to go to do what. You may be one of our long-time clients and know all there is to know about the IMS until that one day when you are sitting there thinking, “How do I do that again?” Hopefully, I can be of assistance with some of the main things that you’re going to run into.
A recent study suggested that the typical funeral home in North America receives an average of 19 unsolicited sales contacts per day. Being in the technology space, I am saddened to say that in today’s market, most of these contacts involve someone trying to sell some form of technology.
We live in a new world of digital phone service with unlimited calling, email blasts, digital fax machines, and social media. Many technology companies use these techniques because they require little to no investment in advertising and no personal contact. Most don’t know anything about the funeral profession because their sales ‘experience’ has focused on everything from vacuum cleaners and photocopiers to used cars. The noise they generate can be relentless and deafening.
Ashley Montroy, FrontRunner Professional’s Marketing and Social Media Manager spoke with Lauren Moore for her article Be Smart about Social Media. The article is published in the March 2014 issue of American Funeral Director Magazine.
The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, which has been studying online adults’ social networking site use since 2005, found that last year, 73 percent of adults that are online are using social networking sites. Like it or not, your customers – and your employees – are using social media, probably on a daily basis. It’s crucial, then, that you consider implementing a social media policy for your funeral home.
FrontRunner Professional CEO and Founder, Kevin Montroy, participated in a Technology Roundtable. The following article by Patti Martin Bartsche was published in the March 2014 issue of American Funeral Director Magazine.
There’s no question businesses – including funeral homes – are operating in a rapidly changing technological environment. What worked five years ago is now considered antiquated and not in tune with the times. But how do funeral professionals determine the right time to upgrade, what technology tools best fit their business model and how to protect themselves from security breaches? We turn to three industry leaders: Wes Johnson, president and CEO of Continental Computer Inc.; Kevin Montroy, founder and CEO of FrontRunner Professional; and Kimberly Simons, vice president of SRS Computing, to get the answers.
Stories. We love them, We’ve always loved them. Even ‘history’ as a word comes from ‘his’ ‘story.’ We like to hear them, and we like to share them. The stories we like most are the ones involving those we love. Those colorful characters and plot twists make up the text of our life stories, and sharing those stories brings us greater connection to each other.
There is a lot of hype these days about electronic guest books and most of the hype, of course, is coming from the technology companies producing them.
As the CEO of a technology company, this latest fad serves to remind me that when it comes to technology, just because we can, doesn’t mean we should. And, as more and more funeral homes seek to be the ‘leading’ funeral home in their communities, being on the front line gives them a greater chance of being shot.
Since the release of last week’s blog post Why Would Anyone Commit Obituary Piracy?, there has been an overwhelming response from FrontRunner clients who 1. had no idea that this was actually happening and 2. didn’t think they could do anything to prevent obituaries from falling in the hands of third party marketers that are out to profit off the copyrighted notices.
Obituary theft occurs when a company (third party marketer, rival funeral home, newspaper) copies an obituary off of your funeral home website and places it on their website. This practice not only takes revenue away from your funeral firm, it undermines your credibility with the families you serve in your community. Every obituary posted within the Book of Memories includes a link to a the ObitSafe.com disclaimer. It states the following:
The business models of these companies (who shall remain nameless; I’ll simply call them third-party marketers) are simple. They strive to make easy money off of unsuspecting families using an unethical practice that is more common than most people think.
I’m sad to report that most funeral homes aren’t even aware this is happening. What you don’t know can hurt you – badly. Obituary piracy can not only take revenue out of your funeral firm, it can undermine your credibility with the families you serve in your community.
If your funeral home is on Facebook, it’s crucial to make sure you aren’t making any mistakes that could hurt your firm’s social presence. You might not even be aware that what you are doing is wrong. If you’re unsure of what you should or shouldn’t be doing on social media then take a look at these 7 Deadly Mistakes Funeral Homes Make On Social Medi
a.
FrontRunner Professional Blog 