Many years ago I observed that funeral directors were spending a lot of energy, time, and resources (like money) to improve their casket merchandising. With a consistent year-over-year growth trend in cremation I found this odd. Especially in light of the complete absence of effort to do the same thing with service charges. So, I [...]
A satisfied customer is no guarantee of a repeat customer. So say a growing number of marketing strategists including some of the most prestigious among the marketing professors at harvard, Stanford and Wharton. Today businesses must go beyond satisfying customers to ENGAGING customers. Here is a great example of encouraging participation, customer engagement and a [...]
My friend Frank Dawson in E. Liverpool, OH has created a veritable competitive fortress by leveraging a simple principle: It was Mary Kay Ash who, when asked the key to her success, said, "I reminded myself every day that EVERYONE wants to feel important." Frank sends personal notes, often with a photograph enclosed, on average [...]
It is accepted wisdom that companies should have a mission statement. In most cases this exercise produces a plain vanilla restatement of something that sounded good. Effective mission statements connect with personal values...for both the members of the organization and those they serve. Some are bold others are just simple statements of commitment. But the [...]
Cremation has been growing at the rate of 1% a year for more than 30 years. Many areas are now at greater than 50% cremation. Without the sale of a casket this imposes very strong economic pressure to continue operations. Basil Forsberg of Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada shared with me a way he has found to [...]