Funeral Home Owners struggle with financial information.  It is very difficult for people who are not financially oriented to understand ...

The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by Franklin D. Roosevelt to eradicate Infantile Paralysis (Polio). With the advent ...

Case Studies in Succession Planning: The Case of the Reluctant Successor It comes as a surprise to most owners to ...

What, Then, Shall We Become? So, considering the issue from a theoretical, rational  and contextual perspective, we are left with ...

Six Blind Funeral Directors - Third Installment In our prior two installments we looked at our future from a theoretical ...

Six Blind Funeral Directors - 2nd installment A Rational Approach To The Future Last week we explored the theoretical approach ...

Six Blind Funeral Directors Describe Our Future Chapter 1 The Theory of DeathCare We are all familiar with the parable ...

Artificial Intelligence - Doing more efficiently that which is already done poorly. It's all the buzz - Artificial Intelligence. Of ...

http://funeralhomeconsulting.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Screen-Shot-2023-03-31-at-1.51.11-PM-300x60.pnghttp://funeralhomeconsulting.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/funeral-vision-logo-colored-300x104.pnghttp://funeralhomeconsulting.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Book-Cover-Allan-3D-300x225.png Posted on March 25, 2023 By Thomas A. Parmalee Forty-three years ago, Alan Creedy took over the financially distressed OGR ...

I know this is a politically charged topic. It is not my intent to influence anyone's perspective.  These words so ...

End of Watch As I write this it is July 27, 2020 and so far this year more than 140 ...

Covid - 19 and The Reinvention of Spring Burials Talking with funeral directors across the nation and Canada I am ...

Blood Drives...Something You Can Do During the Pandemic Well there is a picture you can't unsee. Me giving blood at ...

Callaway Jones Funeral offers "Stay At Home" Arrangement Helper. My friend, Cody Jones, of Callaway - Jones Funeral Home is ...

CRäKN ELIMINATES CASE FEES DURING CORONA CRISIS TO HELP FUNERAL DIRECTORS WORK FROM HOME CRäKN is a relatively new funeral management ...

This is an example of great creative thinking from O'Connor mortuary. CLICK ON THE PHOTO BELOW ...

How To Know When You are Ready To Exit Your Business The answer to this challenge is both situational and ...

Managing An Underperforming Family Member WOW! What a topic! If you have ever attended a county fair, you may have ...

While I was involved in preneed marketing I observed an odd and, yet, consistent human behavior. Research suggests that many ...

Sometimes people ask WHY we have funerals. Good Question. Unfortunately, many of our colleagues aren't quite sure themselves so they ...

It has been almost two decades since the new millennium began. Much has changed. 20 years ago, copper caskets were ...

Recruiting at Zaxby's The single greatest challenge facing funeral service is not cremation.  It is our inability to find and ...

These two questions will help you set the stage and provide the service your families are looking for. Today, there ...

Should You Join The Family Firm? When John decided to pursue his career by coming to work at the family ...

Several years ago the Funeral Service Foundation commissioned an unorthodox market research project. They retained one of the foremost market ...

Call it what you want: Career fatigue, burnout, and boredom. The truth is almost all of us go through times ...

I have a book on my office shelf entitled “Perfectionism...Sure Cure For Happiness”. The reason this is important is that, ...

Partnerships, by their very nature, are problematic. They are worse when there is not a clear vision of role differentiation ...

Why I Am Not A Funeral Home Broker Jack B. Stalk has a special goose. His goose lays a single ...

This week I was privileged to be interviewed by Sebastian Thalhammer of Austria. You may or may not have heard ...

I have chosen to celebrate the re launch of my new website with an updated and improved funeral home valuation ...

My apologies to my subscribers. We had a major glitch in the website subscribers Thursday and many (maybe all) of ...

http://funeralhomeconsulting.yoursocialstrategy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/arguing-fds.jpg It seems like funeral service has been talking about change for my entire career of almost 40 years. Sometimes ...

https://funeralhomeconsulting.orgwp-content/uploads/2018/01/hedcut-face-right-150x150.png What is an Intentional Funeral Director? Some years ago I attended a Men's Retreat at my church. The plan ...

Big Question!! How much should the value of a funeral home be discounted if the facility is being sold for other ...

Funeral directors are notorious for being conflict avoidant. Yet they have a job where they must engage in difficult conversations ...

I think I saw my first Urn Ark around 20 years ago. I was immediately taken and still consider it ...

It has now become routine for me to analyze what they are paying in "True" wholesale prices for caskets. In ...

After the Newton Massacre I brought up the issue of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in a blog entitled: PTSD: The Slow ...

The conventional incentive rewards the individual...usually with something monetary. Like so many things, incentives have evolved and become more complicated than ...

In light of our recent presidential election this is especially fitting. The invective, threats and vitriol directed at our President ...

I love the story of two little boys fighting over the last piece of cake. Mom comes into the kitchen ...

Sociologists have discovered there is a saying in every culture that is best illustrated by the title to this article ...

We live in a litigious society. More and more practitioners are ending up in lawsuits.  Often it isn't really their ...

Most of us know that success requires that we spend, at least, some time working "on" our business instead of ...

Many years ago I fell prey to a "woe-is-me" episode. A friend made an offhand comment that changed my life direction ...

The prevailing culture in funeral service is Passive Aggressive. I have talked about the "ten call man" before and how ...

Some years ago a study was conducted. A group of people were divided into "tappers" and "listeners". The tappers were ...

Every once in a while you run across something that is so sound that you can't improve on it. This ...

I like the approach demonstrated in the attached picture. My friend, David Storke, shows this wicker green burial casket on ...

Maybe you are anxious to exit your business. Or perhaps you dread the day you will no longer be involved ...

I have lived in my house for 30+ years and we are getting ready to sell and move closer to ...

There are 3 Universal requirements for a successful family business transfer: A competent successor The Business is ready The owner ...

The message at the end of this video is the message I pray all my friends and family will embrace. Merry ...

I seem to have a penchant for joining fights that aren't mine. Not long ago I was presenting a seminar ...

A lot of my readers are curious about what their business is worth but aren't yet ready for a full ...

Uhhh...NO! I got an email from Harvard Business Review today. It invited me to take an assessment on innovation readiness ...

A client and friend of mine recently spent days revising the staff schedule to be more efficient and effective. He ...

Last week's blog sparked a lively conversation on and offline about clothing. From those conversations I think it might help ...

"My name is Alan and I am overweight!" Last week I was shocked when someone said to me, "Alan, you ...

What happened to social etiquette? You spend a couple of million dollars on a new building and you let the ...

The Hawthorne effect occurs when individuals modify or improve an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed ...

Most people in the funeral profession are almost pathologically averse to confrontation. As a result, the predominant internal culture in ...

You're here...NOW WHAT! There are more ways to transition a business than just selling to a consolidator. You can transition ...

Staff shortages among licensed professions have been successfully addressed by changing the model in the medical and legal professions. The ...

WARNING! This is not about caskets! A couple of decades ago I was visiting with 3 funeral home owner friends ...

Last week's post was about casket discounting. I just want to make myself clear. I still meet people who believe ...

So, it's not my hunt...not even my dog; but I just hate being played. A few weeks ago I was ...

Lessons From Radar O'Reilly Some years ago there was a nationwide nursing shortage. Then some very wise doctor's and hospitals ...

Many consider the advent of the Internet to have ushered in the "Age Of The Consumer." The balance of power ...

As we prepare to celebrate Easter author Walter Wangerin, Jr. offers us a poignant allegory of Christ's glorious work for ...

I subscribe to the Harvard Business Review Blog and an interesting article came through today that I wonder might have ...

While I was in college I spent a summer as a Merchant Seaman on a Great Lakes iron ore carrier ...

Why Adaptation May Not Be the Right Strategy  “You Can’t Manage Change…You Can Only Get Ahead Of It.” Peter Drucker ...

"The best way to break a negative stereotype is to shock the stereotype" The Funeral Profession plays to the negative ...

Why is it so important in the funeral service culture to find blame? Blame is always a counterproductive force that ...

There are two fundamental assumptions you must make in order to compete effectively against low price competitors: Some people buy ...

Happened across this excellent advice the other day. Some things really are worth sharing. "Now, when I spell jerk with ...

I am glad I don't have to compete with Frank Dawson. His use of social media for the past 50 ...

Gonna keep this positive. So just a word for background. Any casual observer would see that the declining results funeral ...

...

Sometimes the course of our lives depends on what we do...or what we don't do. Will my kids be able ...

We need to quit talking about change and figure out HOW we need to change if we are going to ...

When it comes to customers funeral directors are often the nicest people. But being nice and being kind are two ...

Ever since it was revealed that SCI enjoyed a big discount the discussion around the convention lunch table has been ...

I am out of my comfort zone.  It's ok.  But it's like learning to write your name with your left ...

"one cannot manage change.  One can only be ahead of it."  Peter Drucker The Cornerstone Assumption of the funeral side ...

A Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing ...

Most people speak of those they work with as a team. But, in my experience, people rarely understand what a ...

The saying goes, "It's lonely at the top." Who do you talk to when you're the boss? Edgar Schein, Professor ...

Many Funeral Directors consider themselves caregivers. This article causes me to see a two way street. As you read it ...

I found this ad on youtube. Produced by Boeing it is, in my mind, the best tribute to veterans I ...

My friend, Howard Beckham, responded to last week's video on customer service at Starbucks with the following comment. I feel ...

Here is a great video that you should watch with your staff and talk about. QUESTION: How do you mentally ...

Most of us do, especially those in the helping professions. Yet, we all know that our jobs require that we ...

A while ago I wrote on the subject of funeral directors and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the belief that ...

Nothing brings greater clarity than an impending death. You have spent a career writing obituaries for others. Now it turns ...

People are wondering what impact Baby Boomers will have on DeathCare. I believe one trend you as a practitioner can ...

The Regressive Elements in Pennsylvania have apparently won a victory...or have they? Last week's Circuit Court Reversal regarding the Pennsylvania Funeral ...

This week we finish our discussion of barriers to succession with: 4. Serving more than one master. Change is hard ...

Last week we began a discussion of the ten things that are the most frequent barriers to real succession planning ...

Speaker and family business expert John Davis made this comment as he addressed the St. Thomas Center For Family Enterprise: ...

With almost 30 year's experience I think I can safely say I know something about Preneed selling and marketing.  Sadly, ...

As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I hope this video brings you a little ...

Unlike most other professions funeral practitioners must operate within an often sensitive emotional environment. Let's call it emotionally charged. We ...

Equalize Price Points to Crystallize Personal Relevance. This is the first recession to show a measurable impact on DeathCare.  Most ...

There are, in fact, many firms today that remain in denial that our profession has changed dramatically and will continue ...

Are you a shop foreman or a leader? In recent years a new focus has crept in to the profession ...

One man sat at a stop light. The woman in front of him was going through papers on the seat ...

Are you addicted to helping others or are your customer relationships creating unhealthy responses? Perhaps you’ve fallen victim to the ...

I am a little annoyed with myself. As I address this topic of Leadership i find that I have fallen ...

Protecting the Past and Perfecting the Present Does Not Equal Finding a Future. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic ...

As I travel about the country I encounter a lot of good ideas and some bad. It seems to me ...

Insights come from the strangest places. This time from why women dress the way they do. My wife has bad ...

OR WHY FUNERAL DIRECTORS ARE NEUROTIC A pastor friend once told me: "The test of love is whether or not ...

Alternative Title: It's Time To Get Over Yourself! Not long ago I was part of a group studying the challenges ...

Did you know that money is not a motivator. It is only a hygiene factor. Paying too little creates dissatisfaction...paying ...

I started out too many weeks ago addressing the virtues of a senior leader making themselves unnecessary and I ran ...

Sometimes you read stuff and it fits so perfectly all you are left with is: "I wish I had said ...

Funeral Service is simultaneously over managed and under led. The key to overcoming the "Being Necessary" complex is to recognize ...

Saturday morning, January 7, 2012 my phone rings at home. "Al, this is Bob. Guess where I am?." Bob Neiman ...

Recently I read something that triggered an insight.  In my Funeral Home Consulting practice it is clear that businesses don't ...

Here is a short video for Good Friday to remind us that Jesus lives. Watch it, you might be surprised ...

I think I can make a very strong case that funeral service as a profession makes a vital social contribution ...

to dismount." Archimedes once said, "Give me a lever long enough and I will move the world" For the last ...

As we enter our 3rd month following the Newtown disaster our nation has long since settled back into its routine ...

I am an accountant. As I have watched the financial metrics of funeral service continue in their long slow decline ...

I have to admit I tense up whenever someone begins using the Ritz Carlton as an example Funeral Service should ...

There is a way to a better future for Funeral Service. In fact, for those who are willing to closely ...

WHY WE CAN'T AFFORD TO FOLLOW YOUR LEAD ANYMORE Alpha Dogs are frequently those "Type A" personalities that exercise undue ...

Did your funeral home achieve all of its goals for 2012? Does the increasing number of families selecting cremation with ...

On my office wall I have framed photos of three men.  If I asked you what they have in common ...

If you were not able to access the video on this week's post, "THE WIND IS CHANGING" it is now ...

For months now I have been telling DeathCare that the wind is changing in our favor.  The public attitude toward ...

With all the hype about our nation's pending FISCAL CLIFF, I was recently asked when we could expect funeral service ...

My discussion of reinvention / transformation has sparked more comment (online and offline) than most any other topic. Clearly it ...

What is the link between Terrorism and Funeral Service? Well, you have to read a very short story and watch ...

In Old Testament Days the Hebrew Temple contained the "Holy of Holies" behind the "Veil of The Temple".  The Ark ...

There is a level of neglect in our profession that will (and is) causing too many to approach the end ...

I once heard a sermon that now seems appropriate to this last in my series on reinvention. We all know ...

Last week I referred to Andrew Grove's comments relative to the reinvention of Intel in which he referred to the ...

Reinvention will soon become the latest catchword in the DeathCare professions.  I agree! Reinvention has been a long time coming ...

The Funeral Service Foundation has just released the results of its "Bleeding Edge" research project with world renowned Olson-Zaltman Associates ...

This question and its brother: "How much does a funeral cost?"  Are non questions.  When we attempt to answer them ...

My hero, Peter Drucker, believed: "For the organization to perform to a high standard, its members must believe that what ...

Here is an interesting perspective on implementing change within your own organization. Most funeral homes and cemeteries are at level ...

Why do DeathCare Practitioners get these "Deer In The Headlight" looks when you use the word "Strategy" in their presence? I ...

Peter Drucker was the first to draw a parallel between Leadership and Orchestra Conductors when he observed: "A great orchestra ...

In the near future the difference between winning and losing in DeathCare will be a result of one factor: LEADERSHIP ...

I feel like maybe I have backed myself into a corner. Price-Led-Costing A simple concept; but for an industry steeped ...

Last week I addressed our broken pricing model referred to as Cost-Led-Pricing.  Apropos of everything this article came to my attention ...

I know you are busy but YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!  If you want to know what our future is ...

This image illustrates so well the folly of our more than century old pricing model.   All was good until ...

It was between sessions at  an NFDA convention and busy in the bathroom.  An  older  gentleman approached  me and asked ...

A few years ago I was meeting with a husband and wife who operated a very successful funeral home. Like ...

My friend, Ed Mazur of Kapinos-Mazur Funeral Home, ran a very successful PR / Public Service program in his local ...

Why is bigger better when it comes to creating memorable experiences? Look at any successful service business, whether it’s a ...

One of my favorite bloggers is Caleb Wilde who writes "Confessions of A Funeral Director."  He recently Posted this photo ...

Funeral Directors are increasingly distressed about being treated rudely by families. This rudeness often causes practitioners to lose control of ...

Here is an excerpt of an interrogation of a witness in a Massachusetts trial court: Lawyer:  Doctor, before you performed ...

last week in my article "Funerals as Counter Culture" I made a bold statement: "After 50 years of steady decline ...

Are we rapidly moving toward a "Post-Funeral"culture? I don't think so. After 50 years of steady decline in public attitudes ...

I read a lot and sometimes I preorder new books.  This Winter I preordered "THE REINVENTORS, How Extraordinary Companies Pursue ...

Marketing experts tell us that we should be able to express our unique selling proposition (USP) in such a compelling ...

I was visiting with a friend last week and the conversation went, briefly, to some mutual acquaintances. We noted how ...

Most DeathCare Practitioners are aware of their need to change to accomodate a changing consumer.  What many lack, unfortunately, is ...

No One Dies So Poor He Doesn't Leave Something Behind. Blaise Pascal Ya wanna know how to make a difference ...

Earlier this year Rick Baldwin used a comment by famed hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, in his post: "How To Be ...

In the past few weeks I have used strong negative language: Cowardice...Fight... Neglect   Please understand: this is not an ...

Game-changers are those events that intervene in our lives, on athletic fields, and in our businesses that forever change everything ...

Is it possible that in some markets people no longer care? In this series on Funeral Apologetics I have pointed ...

Apologists must be aware of 4 generally accepted fallacies: Consumers think in a well-reasoned rational way In fact, emotions are ...

"The Dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.  The occasion is piled high with difficulty and ...

How interesting! As I step out to encourage this profession to not give in but take a stand and fight ...

[Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of ...

...The problem is cowardice!! There, it's been said. Plain and simple:  We have been unwilling to stand up for what ...

When Growth Stalls, How it happens, why you’re stuck and what to do about it. By Steve McKee, Jossey-Bass 2009 “when ...

I serve on the Board of Directors of a community bank based in Orlando, Florida. In that capacity I receive ...

A few years ago we came to the realization that there was a real necessity to review our system.  Not ...

I recently joined several industry discussion groups. I had heard that Selected Independent had a great one and, since I ...

Remember that bill congress needed to pass to see what was in it?  Well, surprise!!  The Medicare Tax has been ...

When asked what it was that made him so exceptional a hockey player, Wayne Gretzky is said to have responded, ...

Last week in part 2 of this series we learned that "Challengers" don't educate,  they teach.  They are not afraid ...

Last week, in Part 1 of this series, we explored the idea that funeral Directors, as consummate relationship builders, may ...

DeathCare has been losing ground relative to consumers for almost 30 years.  Now comes research that may explain why and ...

Here are the year's top favorites: a tv ad that will move market share To Guarantee or Not Guarantee Preneed Trust ...

Having trouble with your Christmas Spirit? Watch this video ...

Don't know what happened but it seems Amazon pulled the promotion before it really got started. My thanks to Tom ...

Well it had to happen. You have a new competitor.  Merry Christmas!! As of Monday December 12 Amazon is offering ...

Google adplanner is a site analyzing any site for those thinking about buying advertising.  I doubt you will find either ...

A week ago I published a post that suggested humor would work in funeral service but expressed doubt anyone would ...

I do my best to keep these posts short.  I know your time is important.  But, on your behalf, I ...

The article linked below appeared in the August 2010 issue of "Plaintiff Magazine"and was brought to my attention by my ...

Race To The Bottom is more than just a phrase, it is a political theory and Funeral Service seems to ...

In this article in the Wall Street Journal we learn that the IRS is getting serious about the misuse of ...

There is  a difference between a disciplinary interview and a termination meeting.   Disciplinary meetings are about second chances and ...

One of my techie friends told me recently that the term "Home Funerals" is the second most searched term relating ...

When I first began negotiating with insurance companies some 25 years ago I made the same mistake now common in ...

Having addressed, last week, assumptive fallacies let's look at the actual mechanics of comparing products. Here is an apples to ...

To keep this as brief as possible I am breaking it into two segments.  One this week and another next.  I am ...

The theory of commissions is that it motivates producers to produce more.  This is not necessarily true.  What is true ...

Last week I shared with you that the general rule of thumb is one counselor per 200 calls.  I also ...

There is a lot of misunderstanding and just plain myth about how much preneed a preneed counselor would sell if ...

Well, it's summer time and I am on vacation.  So, I thought I would resurrect some of my most popular ...

One of the ways I spot trends is to look for frequency of mentions in publications.  This last week The ...

These are good tips. I know many of my readers have autoplay music or "walk-ons" so you need to know ...

This may seem like a "Yawner" topic but it's important and I am going to make it short. Let's pretend ...

It has been the vision of many DeathCare firms to become the death resource for their community.  All too often ...

We know a few things: There are 48,000,000 people who are active adult caregivers in the U.S. Many Boomers are ...

Wow! I really have it on for social networking...or maybe some experts are starting to agree with me.  Either way ...

As you may have gleaned from other writings I believe DeathCare is at The Threshold of The Single Greatest Opportunity ...

It began when I read this on the wall of a doctor’s office: “When you expect things to happen, Strangely ...

I couldn't bring myself to say God Bless but, still, in a piece of irony that deserves comment The Klan ...

I am sure that those of you who practice the art of embalming are annoyed when you see other practitioners ...

I am now at an age where friends are calling me to help with their prearrangements.  Yesterday was my 4th ...

A few years ago I attended a breakfast honoring Alabama University football coach Nick Saban.  In his remarks he shared ...

What business owner wouldn't agree that Cash is King.  Here is a quick and easy way to find your break ...

In his controversial series challenging the belief that Funeral Service is in the "Grief Business" Dale Clock provocatively pushes us ...

I have found that "unfriending" people (in particular vendors using this mechanism to solicit) is an emotionally rewarding pastime...and I ...

I recently read about a research project conducted by McKinsey & Company, a world renowned consulting company.  They found that ...

Recently my friend, Dale Clock, wrote an article entitled "Should Funeral Homes Be In The Grief Business?" His position is ...

Download Free For Subscribers This year's Biannual Commentary has been broken down into 3 installments. Get the first one today ...

Several weeks ago I received an email from a friend sharing why he had chosen to be so active in ...

I  "unfriended" my second person today. They got under my skin. And I am thinking about my third "unfriend" with growing ...

Two weeks ago in my article, "A Horrifying Revelation About Price", I adressed two issues:  Opportunity Cost and our inadequacy ...

There is an apocryphal story in accountant circles about Lee Iacocca's first day as CEO of Chrysler.  As the story ...

I have long believed that most price shoppers in DeathCare begin with the price question solely because they don't know ...

I have to admit I don't know why I find myself commenting on Social Media as much as I do.  ...

Olson / Zaltman is an internationally recognized market research firm spawned out of Harvard and Penn State Universities.  They developed ...

Selling a business is a highly practical exercise wrapped in a thick emotional blanket.  Much like the grief cycle we ...

As a student of leadership and as a "Benchmark" Assessor for the Center for Creative Leadership, I am well aware of the ...

I started my career in business turnarounds in the 1970's when I worked for  a company whose business it was ...

What employee turnover reveals about your leadership. Employee turnover can reveal a lot of things.  Surely turnover is normal but ...

Wow!!  Big Brother is watching. I really don't pay much attention to the issue of privacy.  But I learned something ...

A few weeks ago, in response to a series of commentaries on business valuation, a reader asked this very good ...

In 1949 noted journalist Vermont Royster wrote an unusual editorial about St. Paul and his mission.  In an extraordinary editorial ...

"A number of years ago a remarkable Christian Christmas card was published by the title 'If Christ had not come'.  ...

Funeral Home Websites have come a long way in the last 5 years.  Yet, most sites still remain fairly primitive ...

A problem, certainly not unique to DeathCare but just as certainly profoundly prevalent, is an artificial sense of professionalism.  Born ...

Booz & Company, one of the foremost consulting leaders in innovation, has discovered a link between performance and strategy called ...

First, it is important to say that ignoring the current social media trend is akin to ignoring the increasingly vital ...

I consider Frank Dawson of Dawson Funeral Homes in E. Liverpool, Oh. to be the "Grand Master" of social media ...

Two key social media levers that have nothing to do with technology With all the recent buzz about social media, ...

We have now learned about 3 key variables in arriving at a value for your funeral home: What a multiple ...

Get your crying towel out.  This is a great video and I hope you will help make it viral.  click below ...

Many years ago I observed that funeral directors were spending a lot of energy, time, and resources (like money) to ...

If you are like a growing number of funeral homes you offer webcasting. We webcast our mother's funeral. This was ...

A satisfied customer is no guarantee of a repeat customer. So say a growing number of marketing strategists including some ...

My friend Frank Dawson in E. Liverpool, OH has created a veritable competitive fortress by leveraging a simple principle: It ...

It is accepted wisdom that companies should have a mission statement.  In most cases this exercise produces a plain vanilla ...

Cremation has been growing at the rate of 1% a year for more than 30 years. Many areas are now ...

What is needed is a sensory rich way to communicate why people should call us rather than the other guy ...

Many funeral directors know that when they really help someone that person often becomes a friend and advocate. Yet, we ...

In a recent Harvard Business Review article of the same title as this page the authors discussed research findings on ...

It used to be said that "Funeral Service is in the details." One of the characteristics of truly great practitioners ...

Today's awareness of our active military and veterans is higher than it has ever been. We are all looking for ...

We all look for special ways to interact with our community. We know that when a national or international figure ...

I used to have a senior manager who worked for me that told me that when he served a family ...

I have never been able to find anyone who can explain to me why our profession believes they should always ...

If you watch "Antiques Roadshow" with any regularity or you are like me and are old enough to have met ...

There are 65,000,000 adult caregivers of whom 45,000,000 are caring for the elderly. These folks are part of the influence ...

Preneed Guarantees are a hot topic these days. Funeral Homes feel caught betwixt and between...desparately wanting to get out of ...

Brad Speaks of Speaks Chapels in Independence, MO. creates intimate bonds with families Personalization is a big issue today in ...

In order to properly determine EBITDA you first have to present your financial statements correctly. If you are not using ...

Once in a while something comes along that deserves to be viral.  Something that speaks to the common good and ...

Funeral home valuation, Funeral home appraisal, Cemetery Valuation, Cemetery Appraisal EBITDA became popular in the 70s and 80s when buyers were ...

Funeral home appraisal, funeral home valuation, cemetery appraisal, cemetery valuation Multiples and how they are chosen For the past 20 ...

A Management lesson from the bible One of the most common and pervasive staffing problems in funeral service is the ...

for the past 4 weeks I have been attempting to spark a conversation about Pricing Strategy against the backdrop of ...

Partition Prices to Highlight Overlooked Benefits  This is the 4th and last in a series on pricing strategy based on ...

Part 3 Willfully Overpricing to Stimulate Curiosity Last week we discussed the commoditized customer and the second of 4 pricing ...

Part 2:  “Using Price to Clarify Your Advantage” Increasingly, funeral markets are being commoditized.  This series is adapted from an ...

How "The Hawthorne Effect" got us off focus The formal casket and vault merchandising systems so common today in funeral ...

As I was preparing this week's article my friend, Dale Clock, posted this question and a followup on his blog Dale ...

Why it is so important that you practice Critical Thinking I am concerned that we, as a profession, are making vital ...

Breaking The Cycle DeathCare is in its 13th year of declining profitability.  Last year is reported as our worst year ...

How a part time hostess taught me the most valuable lesson. It was late 1989.  Rachel was then in her ...

An Easy, Practical Way to Engage Staff In an aprocryphal story a "burned out" Russian Priest takes a sabbatical in ...

Wise words from Coach Nick Saban, Football Coach, University of Alabama Are you in danger of becoming irrelevant?  It's easy, ...

5 insights to packaging funerals Numerous funeral homes are implementing and experimenting with package pricing with excellent success.  But little is ...

To Guarantee or Not Guarantee That is the question Pardon my poetic license with Shakespeare. It is morning and I ...

Is it too much to ask for a simple, easy to understand customer survey that is accurate and corresponds directly ...