Practitioner Forum: Insights and Ideas
PTSD: Who Helps The Caregiver?
Many Funeral Directors consider themselves caregivers. This article causes me to see a two way street. As you read it think about the critical role you can and should play with your customers AND their guests. But to those of us who support the practitioner, let’s think about the critical role WE should and can […]
Caregiver or Martyr? Beware the Rescuer Trap
Are you addicted to helping others or are your customer relationships creating unhealthy responses? Perhaps you’ve fallen victim to the Rescuer Syndrome. One of the common threads I am discovering as I get deeper into the study of culture within the funeral profession is the belief that one must be a “suffering servant” doing what […]
PP*2 ≠ FF
Protecting the Past and Perfecting the Present Does Not Equal Finding a Future. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic is a behavior often seen in organizations responding to massive change. Why is that? and why is it so prevalent in DeathCare. It turns out our century old culture is to blame and resolving a […]
What DeathCare Can Learn From The Way Women Dress…An Epiphany
Insights come from the strangest places. This time from why women dress the way they do. My wife has bad feet. Most women do. Why? Because women’s shoes are not designed for practicality. They are intended only to create an impression. Comfort and productivity, as purpose, are lost in favor of competing with others. When […]
FUNERAL SERVICE : YOUR FLY IS UNZIPPED
OR WHY FUNERAL DIRECTORS ARE NEUROTIC A pastor friend once told me: “The test of love is whether or not you are willing to tell someone their fly is unzipped.” Funeral service I love what you do and I love many of you. Your fly is unzipped. My phone rings: “Al, this is Ron.” Me: […]
Our Industry’s Self Talk: The Bad and the Great.
Alternative Title: It’s Time To Get Over Yourself! Not long ago I was part of a group studying the challenges of recruitment in the funeral profession. I was stunned to hear the “table talk” of practicing funeral directors. Our conversations centered around why people wouldn’t want to be funeral directors…the long and unpredictable work hours, […]
PTSD: The Slow Leak in Funeral Service’ Tire
As we enter our 3rd month following the Newtown disaster our nation has long since settled back into its routine fighting over symptoms and ignoring causes. I find myself reflecting on a hidden issue. A secret only occasionally mentioned and then quickly dismissed. No doubt those directly involved following this latest trauma are still affected […]
Expert opinion: What To Say When They Say “Dad Wanted Nothing”
A few years ago I was meeting with a husband and wife who operated a very successful funeral home. Like most successful people they were always looking for new ideas to help them stay in front of their competitors. To protect their privacy I’ll call them Bill and Jane. Over the course of our two […]
Expert Opinion: Size Matters: Making the Case for Growth
Why is bigger better when it comes to creating memorable experiences? Look at any successful service business, whether it’s a hospital, a hotel, a restaurant or even a funeral home, and you’re bound to come away with one undeniable message: the experience you create for your customers and guests is crucial to the future of […]
Expert Opinion: The Need to Be Nimble
Earlier this year Rick Baldwin used a comment by famed hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, in his post: “How To Be Exceptional In The New Normal”. Here Bruce Buchanan, CEO of The Buchanan Group adds his perspective to Rick’s. As funeral professionals we are torn by two forces when we take on a client. One, we […]
Book Review: When Growth Stalls
When Growth Stalls, How it happens, why you’re stuck and what to do about it. By Steve McKee, Jossey-Bass 2009 “when growth stalls, everything begins to break down. Confidence wanes, and it can be difficult to tell which problems are cause and which are effect.” This simple statement hits too close to home in an industry […]
EXPERT OPINION: HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR SHARE-OF-WALLET
A few years ago we came to the realization that there was a real necessity to review our system. Not all calls are equal in service type, in merchandise and in revenue. The old system indicated that direct cremation had the same market share value as a traditional burial. In a sense that is true. […]