I subscribe to the Harvard Business Review Blog and an interesting article came through today that I wonder might have application to those of you who might be challenged by low price competitors. It is a way to separate those who are truly price shoppers and those who are looking for value. It also might [...]
While I was in college I spent a summer as a Merchant Seaman on a Great Lakes iron ore carrier. Some of the crew "took me under their wing" and while in port one time invited me to join them on a trip into town. On the way one of them turned to me and [...]
Why Adaptation May Not Be the Right Strategy “You Can’t Manage Change…You Can Only Get Ahead Of It.” Peter Drucker Joe Weigel Last year, for the first time in the history of the annual Best Global Brands report, it was reported that Coca-Cola was no longer the most valuable brand in the [...]
"The best way to break a negative stereotype is to shock the stereotype" The Funeral Profession plays to the negative stereotype by the persona they cultivate: Formal, unapproachable, dignified, conventional, guardians of the past and so on. I have found one of the best ways to shock a stereotype is with humor. If I owned [...]
When will we stop fighting AMONG ourselves and start fighting FOR ourselves? Why is it so important in the funeral service culture to find blame? Blame is always a counterproductive force that slows us down and PREVENTS us from the personal accountability we need to move us to a higher plane. Some years [...]
There are two fundamental assumptions you must make in order to compete effectively against low price competitors: Some people buy solely on price...but it is the smallest part of your market Most people buy on value Let's talk a minute about the value buyers. People want value for their dollar. You do. Most people you [...]
Happened across this excellent advice the other day. Some things really are worth sharing. "Now, when I spell jerk with a small letter “j”, I’m referring to someone who is willing to say or do something that pushes a peer or subordinate far out of their comfort zones in order to make them or the [...]
Joe Weigel I am glad I don't have to compete with Frank Dawson. His use of social media for the past 50 years has built a veritable competitive fortress. Ron Hast, the recently deceased owner of Mortuary Management magazine, had a very compelling habit. It was shortly after I started my career at [...]
Gonna keep this positive. So just a word for background. Any casual observer would see that the declining results funeral service is experiencing signal a much greater problem: A growing segment of the public isn't sure why they need us or, worse, what they need us for. Now to better news: Statistically, the odds are very [...]
