The Creedy Commentary
4 Ways To Compete Against Low Price Competitors
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 […]
Why You Should Be A jerk More Often
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 […]
The Funeral Director Who Invented Social Media
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 Batesville Casket Company in […]
7 Steps To Reinvent Yourself
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 […]
We All Know The Questions…It’s Time For Some Answers
Sometimes the course of our lives depends on what we do…or what we don’t do. Will my kids be able to enjoy the same rewards and lifestyle as I have? What am I supposed to do with the investment I have in facilities and rolling stock? How can I get myself, much less my […]
I Am Tired of Talking About Change…Aren’t You?
We need to quit talking about change and figure out HOW we need to change if we are going to be sustainably viable. Don’t you think it’s time we learned HOW we need to change? Announcing the 21st Century Summit WE need to learn how to ask tough questions: How much am I worth and […]
How Funeral Directors Confuse Being Nice With Being Kind
When it comes to customers funeral directors are often the nicest people. But being nice and being kind are two different things. It takes courage to be kind. There is risk to it. You don’t really have to be more than just agreeable to be nice. Smile, never say anything bad about anybody and NEVER, […]
The Fallacy of Casket Discounts
Ever since it was revealed that SCI enjoyed a big discount the discussion around the convention lunch table has been preoccupied with the subject of discounts and rebates. For more than 15 years I have heard a lot about percentages but never about dollars. It’s not my dog much less my hunt but I think […]
Reinvention: Islands of Excellence In A Sea of Mediocrity
“one cannot manage change. One can only be ahead of it.” Peter Drucker The Cornerstone Assumption of the funeral side of DeathCare is that being nice is the same as being effective. Our “worldview” of being nice people is that we must never, ever make waves or create awkwardness. We run pell-mell from any form […]
Is A Scarcity Mentality Keeping You From Being A Good Leader?
A Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing recognition and credit, power or profit – even with those who help in the production. They also have a a very hard time being genuinely happy for the success of other people. Yet it is […]
Are You Really A Team…Or Just A Workgroup
Most people speak of those they work with as a team. But, in my experience, people rarely understand what a team really is. In funeral service what typically represents a team is really a group of people who are very nice but work towards their own ends independently. If the firm has clear standards and […]