Global Pandemic: How Should We Then Live
I know this is a politically charged topic. It is not my intent to influence anyone's perspective. These words so ...
Read More
Read More
End of Watch
End of Watch As I write this it is July 27, 2020 and so far this year more than 140 ...
Read More
Read More
Covid – 19 and The Reinvention of Spring Burials
Covid - 19 and The Reinvention of Spring Burials Talking with funeral directors across the nation and Canada I am ...
Read More
Read More

Creedy Not Bloodless After All
Blood Drives...Something You Can Do During the Pandemic Well there is a picture you can't unsee. Me giving blood at ...
Read More
Read More
Callaway – Jones Stay At Home Arrangements Helper
Callaway Jones Funeral offers "Stay At Home" Arrangement Helper. My friend, Cody Jones, of Callaway - Jones Funeral Home is ...
Read More
Read More
CRaKN WAIVES CASE FEES
CRäKN ELIMINATES CASE FEES DURING CORONA CRISIS TO HELP FUNERAL DIRECTORS WORK FROM HOME CRäKN is a relatively new funeral management ...
Read More
Read More
Creative Thinking During the CoronaVirus Pandemic
This is an example of great creative thinking from O'Connor mortuary. CLICK ON THE PHOTO BELOW ...
Read More
Read More
How To Know When You are Ready To Exit Your Business
How To Know When You are Ready To Exit Your Business The answer to this challenge is both situational and ...
Read More
Read More
Managing An Underperforming Family Member
Managing An Underperforming Family Member WOW! What a topic! If you have ever attended a county fair, you may have ...
Read More
Read More
Online Funeral Arranging: What I think and a Harvard Study that Supports It.
While I was involved in preneed marketing I observed an odd and, yet, consistent human behavior. Research suggests that many ...
Read More
Read More
Collaborative Healing: Our Real Purpose
Sometimes people ask WHY we have funerals. Good Question. Unfortunately, many of our colleagues aren't quite sure themselves so they ...
Read More
Read More
Funeral Service: It’s All In the Attitude
It has been almost two decades since the new millennium began. Much has changed. 20 years ago, copper caskets were ...
Read More
Read More

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

Two Questions Professional Experts Ask Themselves Before Meeting With Clients
These two questions will help you set the stage and provide the service your families are looking for. Today, there ...
Read More
Read More
Should You Join The Family Firm?
Should You Join The Family Firm? When John decided to pursue his career by coming to work at the family ...
Read More
Read More
What People Want
What People Want According to the Law of Unintended Consequences whatever can go wrong...will go wrong. Last week I published ...
Read More
Read More
Inside the Mind of Funeral Consumers
Several years ago the Funeral Service Foundation commissioned an unorthodox market research project. They retained one of the foremost market ...
Read More
Read More

What To Do When Your Heart Isn’t In Your Work Anymore
Call it what you want: Career fatigue, burnout, and boredom. The truth is almost all of us go through times ...
Read More
Read More

The Neurosis That Defines Funeral Service: Perfectionism
I have a book on my office shelf entitled “Perfectionism...Sure Cure For Happiness”. The reason this is important is that, ...
Read More
Read More

Business Partners: The Rainmaker & The Operator
Partnerships, by their very nature, are problematic. They are worse when there is not a clear vision of role differentiation ...
Read More
Read More
Why I Am Not A Funeral Home Broker
Why I Am Not A Funeral Home Broker Jack B. Stalk has a special goose. His goose lays a single ...
Read More
Read More
5 Ways To Breathe Life Into Your Business
This week I was privileged to be interviewed by Sebastian Thalhammer of Austria. You may or may not have heard ...
Read More
Read More

New & Improved Funeral Home Valuator
I have chosen to celebrate the re launch of my new website with an updated and improved funeral home valuation ...
Read More
Read More
Unsubscribe!…Oh My…Oh No
My apologies to my subscribers. We had a major glitch in the website subscribers Thursday and many (maybe all) of ...
Read More
Read More

How to Make Change More Fun And Effective
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 ...
Read More
Read More
The Intentional Funeral Director
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 ...
Read More
Read More

What Would You Pay?
Big Question!! How much should the value of a funeral home be discounted if the facility is being sold for other ...
Read More
Read More

Difficult Conversations For Those Who Hate Conflict
Funeral directors are notorious for being conflict avoidant. Yet they have a job where they must engage in difficult conversations ...
Read More
Read More

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

How To Be Smart About Buying Caskets
It has now become routine for me to analyze what they are paying in "True" wholesale prices for caskets. In ...
Read More
Read More

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

Conventional Incentives Don’t Work As Well As They Used To
The conventional incentive rewards the individual...usually with something monetary. Like so many things, incentives have evolved and become more complicated than ...
Read More
Read More

Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
In light of our recent presidential election this is especially fitting. The invective, threats and vitriol directed at our President ...
Read More
Read More

Buy Sell: The Texas Shoot Out Provision
I love the story of two little boys fighting over the last piece of cake. Mom comes into the kitchen ...
Read More
Read More
Rice Paddy to Rice Paddy in 3 Generations
Sociologists have discovered there is a saying in every culture that is best illustrated by the title to this article ...
Read More
Read More
What Proof Do You Require?
We live in a litigious society. More and more practitioners are ending up in lawsuits. Often it isn't really their ...
Read More
Read More

Too Busy To Succeed
Most of us know that success requires that we spend, at least, some time working "on" our business instead of ...
Read More
Read More

A Comment That Changed My Life
Many years ago I fell prey to a "woe-is-me" episode. A friend made an offhand comment that changed my life direction ...
Read More
Read More

5 Ways Funeral Directors Sabotage Progress
The prevailing culture in funeral service is Passive Aggressive. I have talked about the "ten call man" before and how ...
Read More
Read More

Knowing Too Much Causes You To Underserve Families
Some years ago a study was conducted. A group of people were divided into "tappers" and "listeners". The tappers were ...
Read More
Read More
What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do
Every once in a while you run across something that is so sound that you can't improve on it. This ...
Read More
Read More
Merchandising Rental Caskets
I like the approach demonstrated in the attached picture. My friend, David Storke, shows this wicker green burial casket on ...
Read More
Read More
Part 3: The Owner Is Ready
Maybe you are anxious to exit your business. Or perhaps you dread the day you will no longer be involved ...
Read More
Read More
Part 2: The Business Is Ready
I have lived in my house for 30+ years and we are getting ready to sell and move closer to ...
Read More
Read More
Universal Requirements For Successful Family Transition
There are 3 Universal requirements for a successful family business transfer: A competent successor The Business is ready The owner ...
Read More
Read More

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

Should Women Wear Pant Suits?
I seem to have a penchant for joining fights that aren't mine. Not long ago I was presenting a seminar ...
Read More
Read More

Thumbnail: What’s It Worth?
A lot of my readers are curious about what their business is worth but aren't yet ready for a full ...
Read More
Read More

Is Funeral Service Ready For Innovation?
Uhhh...NO! I got an email from Harvard Business Review today. It invited me to take an assessment on innovation readiness ...
Read More
Read More

Employee Pushback – A Strategy
A client and friend of mine recently spent days revising the staff schedule to be more efficient and effective. He ...
Read More
Read More

The Lesson of the $300 Shoes
Last week's blog sparked a lively conversation on and offline about clothing. From those conversations I think it might help ...
Read More
Read More

A Fat Man Dresses For Work
"My name is Alan and I am overweight!" Last week I was shocked when someone said to me, "Alan, you ...
Read More
Read More

This Is What I Would Tell My Staff
What happened to social etiquette? You spend a couple of million dollars on a new building and you let the ...
Read More
Read More

Casket Merchandising and The Hawthorne Effect
The Hawthorne effect occurs when individuals modify or improve an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed ...
Read More
Read More

Confronting Passive Aggressive Behavior at Work.
Most people in the funeral profession are almost pathologically averse to confrontation. As a result, the predominant internal culture in ...
Read More
Read More

Creedy & McQueen Earn Exit Planning Certification
You're here...NOW WHAT! There are more ways to transition a business than just selling to a consolidator. You can transition ...
Read More
Read More
Serve more families, work less and be more profitable
Staff shortages among licensed professions have been successfully addressed by changing the model in the medical and legal professions. The ...
Read More
Read More

Check Their Math! How The Herd Instinct Works In Funeral Service
WARNING! This is not about caskets! A couple of decades ago I was visiting with 3 funeral home owner friends ...
Read More
Read More

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

The Curse of the 25% Casket Wholesale Discount
So, it's not my hunt...not even my dog; but I just hate being played. A few weeks ago I was ...
Read More
Read More

You Don’t Need Another Licensee
Lessons From Radar O'Reilly Some years ago there was a nationwide nursing shortage. Then some very wise doctor's and hospitals ...
Read More
Read More

Families Aren’t Your Typical Consumer
Many consider the advent of the Internet to have ushered in the "Age Of The Consumer." The balance of power ...
Read More
Read More
Ragman: An Allegory of Death and Resurrection
As we prepare to celebrate Easter author Walter Wangerin, Jr. offers us a poignant allegory of Christ's glorious work for ...
Read More
Read More

A New Approach To Price Shoppers
I subscribe to the Harvard Business Review Blog and an interesting article came through today that I wonder might have ...
Read More
Read More

Lessons From Bar Fighting
While I was in college I spent a summer as a Merchant Seaman on a Great Lakes iron ore carrier ...
Read More
Read More

Is Coca-Cola Still “The Real Thing”
Why Adaptation May Not Be the Right Strategy “You Can’t Manage Change…You Can Only Get Ahead Of It.” Peter Drucker ...
Read More
Read More

How To Overcome Negative Stereotypes
"The best way to break a negative stereotype is to shock the stereotype" The Funeral Profession plays to the negative ...
Read More
Read More

Why We Fail: How Blame Game Defeats Us
Why is it so important in the funeral service culture to find blame? Blame is always a counterproductive force that ...
Read More
Read More

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 ...
Read More
Read More

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 ...
Read More
Read More

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 ...
Read More
Read More

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 ...
Read More
Read More

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 ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
Hey You…Yes You!
I am out of my comfort zone. It's ok. But it's like learning to write your name with your left ...
Read More
Read More

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 ...
Read More
Read More

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 ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
Boomer Owners: 6 Signs That It’s Time To Talk
The saying goes, "It's lonely at the top." Who do you talk to when you're the boss? Edgar Schein, Professor ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
Best Veterans Ad Ever
I found this ad on youtube. Produced by Boeing it is, in my mind, the best tribute to veterans I ...
Read More
Read More
It’s All In The Attitude
My friend, Howard Beckham, responded to last week's video on customer service at Starbucks with the following comment. I feel ...
Read More
Read More
Customer Service: What Does It Look Like
Here is a great video that you should watch with your staff and talk about. QUESTION: How do you mentally ...
Read More
Read More
Do You Hate Confrontation?
Most of us do, especially those in the helping professions. Yet, we all know that our jobs require that we ...
Read More
Read More
The Unspoken Affliction: FD’s and PTSD
A while ago I wrote on the subject of funeral directors and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the belief that ...
Read More
Read More
Wanna Know What Your Brand Stands For? Write Its Obituary.
Nothing brings greater clarity than an impending death. You have spent a career writing obituaries for others. Now it turns ...
Read More
Read More
Reinventing The Obituary
People are wondering what impact Baby Boomers will have on DeathCare. I believe one trend you as a practitioner can ...
Read More
Read More
Pennsylvania Deprives Consumers of 21st Century Services
The Regressive Elements in Pennsylvania have apparently won a victory...or have they? Last week's Circuit Court Reversal regarding the Pennsylvania Funeral ...
Read More
Read More
10 Barriers to Succession Planning Part 3 of 3
This week we finish our discussion of barriers to succession with: 4. Serving more than one master. Change is hard ...
Read More
Read More
10 Barriers to Succession Planning Part 2 of 3
Last week we began a discussion of the ten things that are the most frequent barriers to real succession planning ...
Read More
Read More
10 Barriers To Succession Planning In the Funeral Business — Part 1 of 3
Speaker and family business expert John Davis made this comment as he addressed the St. Thomas Center For Family Enterprise: ...
Read More
Read More
Signs Your Preneed Program is Underperforming
With almost 30 year's experience I think I can safely say I know something about Preneed selling and marketing. Sadly, ...
Read More
Read More
MERRY CHRISTMAS
As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I hope this video brings you a little ...
Read More
Read More
Empathy / Sympathy A Very Important Difference
Unlike most other professions funeral practitioners must operate within an often sensitive emotional environment. Let's call it emotionally charged. We ...
Read More
Read More
How To Stop Customers From Fixating On Price
Equalize Price Points to Crystallize Personal Relevance. This is the first recession to show a measurable impact on DeathCare. Most ...
Read More
Read More

Are You A Change Champion?
There are, in fact, many firms today that remain in denial that our profession has changed dramatically and will continue ...
Read More
Read More

The Excellence Trap: How We Confuse Efficiency With Effectiveness
Are you a shop foreman or a leader? In recent years a new focus has crept in to the profession ...
Read More
Read More
Sharks and People
One man sat at a stop light. The woman in front of him was going through papers on the seat ...
Read More
Read More

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 ...
Read More
Read More
Making Myself Unnecessary
I am a little annoyed with myself. As I address this topic of Leadership i find that I have fallen ...
Read More
Read More
Now For Something Completely New
As I travel about the country I encounter a lot of good ideas and some bad. It seems to me ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More

On Motivation – Money Is Not The Answer
Did you know that money is not a motivator. It is only a hygiene factor. Paying too little creates dissatisfaction...paying ...
Read More
Read More

Roadmap To A Great Legacy
I started out too many weeks ago addressing the virtues of a senior leader making themselves unnecessary and I ran ...
Read More
Read More
I Wish I Had Said That:
Sometimes you read stuff and it fits so perfectly all you are left with is: "I wish I had said ...
Read More
Read More
On Becoming Unnecessary
Funeral Service is simultaneously over managed and under led. The key to overcoming the "Being Necessary" complex is to recognize ...
Read More
Read More

Are You Too Necessary?
Saturday morning, January 7, 2012 my phone rings at home. "Al, this is Bob. Guess where I am?." Bob Neiman ...
Read More
Read More
4 Early Signs You May Be Losing Control of Your Business
Recently I read something that triggered an insight. In my Funeral Home Consulting practice it is clear that businesses don't ...
Read More
Read More

He Is Risen
Here is a short video for Good Friday to remind us that Jesus lives. Watch it, you might be surprised ...
Read More
Read More
Is this REALLY a Hill Worth Dying on?
I think I can make a very strong case that funeral service as a profession makes a vital social contribution ...
Read More
Read More

“If You Find You Are Riding A Dead Horse The Best Strategy is…
to dismount." Archimedes once said, "Give me a lever long enough and I will move the world" For the last ...
Read More
Read More

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 ...
Read More
Read More

Why The Answer Is Not Just Increasing Volume
I am an accountant. As I have watched the financial metrics of funeral service continue in their long slow decline ...
Read More
Read More
Esse Quam Videri
I have to admit I tense up whenever someone begins using the Ritz Carlton as an example Funeral Service should ...
Read More
Read More
The Road To Reclaiming Our Future
There is a way to a better future for Funeral Service. In fact, for those who are willing to closely ...
Read More
Read More

ALPHA DOGS AND THE ROAD TO NOWHERE
WHY WE CAN'T AFFORD TO FOLLOW YOUR LEAD ANYMORE Alpha Dogs are frequently those "Type A" personalities that exercise undue ...
Read More
Read More

EXPERT OPINION: 5 Tips for Positioning Your Funeral Home for Success in the New Year
Did your funeral home achieve all of its goals for 2012? Does the increasing number of families selecting cremation with ...
Read More
Read More
Doing Nothing Costs Too Much
On my office wall I have framed photos of three men. If I asked you what they have in common ...
Read More
Read More
WIND IS CHANGING-UPDATE
If you were not able to access the video on this week's post, "THE WIND IS CHANGING" it is now ...
Read More
Read More
The Wind Is Changing – The Conversation Project
For months now I have been telling DeathCare that the wind is changing in our favor. The public attitude toward ...
Read More
Read More
Burials down 4%…Cremations up 2.5%…Calculate Your Funeral Cliff
With all the hype about our nation's pending FISCAL CLIFF, I was recently asked when we could expect funeral service ...
Read More
Read More

HAMMERS, NAILS, PEWS AND HEARSES
My discussion of reinvention / transformation has sparked more comment (online and offline) than most any other topic. Clearly it ...
Read More
Read More
Terrorism and Funeral Service: The Secret Sauce
What is the link between Terrorism and Funeral Service? Well, you have to read a very short story and watch ...
Read More
Read More

REINVENTION: THE ARRANGEMENTS CONFERENCE–ENTERING THE “HOLY OF HOLIES”
In Old Testament Days the Hebrew Temple contained the "Holy of Holies" behind the "Veil of The Temple". The Ark ...
Read More
Read More
REINVENTION: PROFIT CLINICS
There is a level of neglect in our profession that will (and is) causing too many to approach the end ...
Read More
Read More

Reinvention: A 3 Pronged Plan
I once heard a sermon that now seems appropriate to this last in my series on reinvention. We all know ...
Read More
Read More

REINVENTION: The “Valley Of Death”–Your Cycle Of Grief
Last week I referred to Andrew Grove's comments relative to the reinvention of Intel in which he referred to the ...
Read More
Read More

What You Should Know About Reinventing Yourself Before You Start
Reinvention will soon become the latest catchword in the DeathCare professions. I agree! Reinvention has been a long time coming ...
Read More
Read More

New Research: Why 99% of Funeral Facilities Reinforce Negative Stereotype
The Funeral Service Foundation has just released the results of its "Bleeding Edge" research project with world renowned Olson-Zaltman Associates ...
Read More
Read More

The Non Question: Why Are Funerals So Expensive?
This question and its brother: "How much does a funeral cost?" Are non questions. When we attempt to answer them ...
Read More
Read More

Video: If You Want A High Performing Organization Are You Measuring The Right Things?
My hero, Peter Drucker, believed: "For the organization to perform to a high standard, its members must believe that what ...
Read More
Read More

A Model For Change Within Your Organization
Here is an interesting perspective on implementing change within your own organization. Most funeral homes and cemeteries are at level ...
Read More
Read More
The Simpler The Strategy The More Likely The Success
Why do DeathCare Practitioners get these "Deer In The Headlight" looks when you use the word "Strategy" in their presence? I ...
Read More
Read More
Lessons On Leadership: Peak Performance From Adequate People
Peter Drucker was the first to draw a parallel between Leadership and Orchestra Conductors when he observed: "A great orchestra ...
Read More
Read More
You Must Be Present To Win
In the near future the difference between winning and losing in DeathCare will be a result of one factor: LEADERSHIP ...
Read More
Read More
Licensing Laws: Barrier To Survival
I feel like maybe I have backed myself into a corner. Price-Led-Costing A simple concept; but for an industry steeped ...
Read More
Read More
Building A Competitive Fortress Through Your Pricing Strategy
Last week I addressed our broken pricing model referred to as Cost-Led-Pricing. Apropos of everything this article came to my attention ...
Read More
Read More
This Blog Is Interrupted For Something Much More Important
I know you are busy but YOU HAVE TO READ THIS! If you want to know what our future is ...
Read More
Read More

A Broken Business Model: Wringing More Money Out of Your Best Customers Is Not Sustainable
This image illustrates so well the folly of our more than century old pricing model. All was good until ...
Read More
Read More
A Strange Bathroom Encounter–A Rite of Passage
It was between sessions at an NFDA convention and busy in the bathroom. An older gentleman approached me and asked ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
Are You Tired of Burying Your Local Treasure?
My friend, Ed Mazur of Kapinos-Mazur Funeral Home, ran a very successful PR / Public Service program in his local ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
Kudo’s to Batesville Casket
One of my favorite bloggers is Caleb Wilde who writes "Confessions of A Funeral Director." He recently Posted this photo ...
Read More
Read More
Why Families Seem Ruder Today and Some Tips on How To Respond
Funeral Directors are increasingly distressed about being treated rudely by families. This rudeness often causes practitioners to lose control of ...
Read More
Read More
Expert Opinion: Some Things Are Obvious
Here is an excerpt of an interrogation of a witness in a Massachusetts trial court: Lawyer: Doctor, before you performed ...
Read More
Read More
Death Goes Mainstream
last week in my article "Funerals as Counter Culture" I made a bold statement: "After 50 years of steady decline ...
Read More
Read More
Funerals As Counter Culture
Are we rapidly moving toward a "Post-Funeral"culture? I don't think so. After 50 years of steady decline in public attitudes ...
Read More
Read More
New Book on Reinventing Your Business Features Funeral Home
I read a lot and sometimes I preorder new books. This Winter I preordered "THE REINVENTORS, How Extraordinary Companies Pursue ...
Read More
Read More
How to Create a 60 Second Elevator Speech
Marketing experts tell us that we should be able to express our unique selling proposition (USP) in such a compelling ...
Read More
Read More
Liking What You Do Is Not The Issue
I was visiting with a friend last week and the conversation went, briefly, to some mutual acquaintances. We noted how ...
Read More
Read More
Why Burning Platforms Are Necessary for Change
Most DeathCare Practitioners are aware of their need to change to accomodate a changing consumer. What many lack, unfortunately, is ...
Read More
Read More
Differentiating Your Funeral Home: Reinvent The Obituary
No One Dies So Poor He Doesn't Leave Something Behind. Blaise Pascal Ya wanna know how to make a difference ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
The Real Victims of Our Cowardice
In the past few weeks I have used strong negative language: Cowardice...Fight... Neglect Please understand: this is not an ...
Read More
Read More
Expert Opinion: Game Changers
Game-changers are those events that intervene in our lives, on athletic fields, and in our businesses that forever change everything ...
Read More
Read More
The Secret Sauce: How We Might Resurrect DeathCare
Is it possible that in some markets people no longer care? In this series on Funeral Apologetics I have pointed ...
Read More
Read More
Don’t Confuse Me With Your Facts
Apologists must be aware of 4 generally accepted fallacies: Consumers think in a well-reasoned rational way In fact, emotions are ...
Read More
Read More
Disenthrall Yourself of Your Dogma
"The Dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and ...
Read More
Read More
Funeral Apologetics 101A: Eight Principles of Successful Optimism
How interesting! As I step out to encourage this profession to not give in but take a stand and fight ...
Read More
Read More
Funeral Apologetics 101: Stop Clinging To Your Despair
[Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of ...
Read More
Read More
The Problem is Not Cremation…
...The problem is cowardice!! There, it's been said. Plain and simple: We have been unwilling to stand up for what ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
EXPERT OPINION: How Are Funeral Directors Like Bankers?
I serve on the Board of Directors of a community bank based in Orlando, Florida. In that capacity I receive ...
Read More
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Read More
Social Media: Why Discussion Groups Annoy Me
I recently joined several industry discussion groups. I had heard that Selected Independent had a great one and, since I ...
Read More
Read More
Why Your Business Will Be Worth As Much As 8.8% less in 2013
Remember that bill congress needed to pass to see what was in it? Well, surprise!! The Medicare Tax has been ...
Read More
Read More
EXPERT OPINION: How to Be Exceptional in the “New Normal”
When asked what it was that made him so exceptional a hockey player, Wayne Gretzky is said to have responded, ...
Read More
Read More
Are Funeral Directors “wired” to Lose in The “New Normal” Part 3
Last week in part 2 of this series we learned that "Challengers" don't educate, they teach. They are not afraid ...
Read More
Read More
Are Funeral Directors “Wired” to Lose in The “New Normal” Part 2
Last week, in Part 1 of this series, we explored the idea that funeral Directors, as consummate relationship builders, may ...
Read More
Read More
Are Funeral Directors “Wired” To Lose In the “New Normal”? Part 1
DeathCare has been losing ground relative to consumers for almost 30 years. Now comes research that may explain why and ...
Read More
Read More
Happy New Year! Here Are a Few of This Year’s Favorite Posts
Here are the year's top favorites: a tv ad that will move market share To Guarantee or Not Guarantee Preneed Trust ...
Read More
Read More
False Alarm: Amazon.com Stops Selling Preneed Cremation
Don't know what happened but it seems Amazon pulled the promotion before it really got started. My thanks to Tom ...
Read More
Read More
Amazon.com Starts Selling Preneed Cremation
Well it had to happen. You have a new competitor. Merry Christmas!! As of Monday December 12 Amazon is offering ...
Read More
Read More
Free Sites That Let You Spy on Your Competitors Website
Google adplanner is a site analyzing any site for those thinking about buying advertising. I doubt you will find either ...
Read More
Read More
Apparently some people aren’t too proud to use humor…hats off to Schmidt and Bartelt
A week ago I published a post that suggested humor would work in funeral service but expressed doubt anyone would ...
Read More
Read More
A TV ad that will move Market Share…but are you too proud?
I do my best to keep these posts short. I know your time is important. But, on your behalf, I ...
Read More
Read More
This Is Your Wake Up Call: Litigators Focus on DeathCare
The article linked below appeared in the August 2010 issue of "Plaintiff Magazine"and was brought to my attention by my ...
Read More
Read More
Funeral Service: The Race To The Bottom… is that a “Blue Ocean” I see?
Race To The Bottom is more than just a phrase, it is a political theory and Funeral Service seems to ...
Read More
Read More
IRS Cracks Down On Independent Contractor Status Abuse
In this article in the Wall Street Journal we learn that the IRS is getting serious about the misuse of ...
Read More
Read More
Things Not To Do Or Say When You Fire Someone
There is a difference between a disciplinary interview and a termination meeting. Disciplinary meetings are about second chances and ...
Read More
Read More
DIY Funerals: Another Innovation That Goes Backwards To Go Forward
One of my techie friends told me recently that the term "Home Funerals" is the second most searched term relating ...
Read More
Read More
How Insurance Companies Make Money: Wisdom From Warren Buffett
When I first began negotiating with insurance companies some 25 years ago I made the same mistake now common in ...
Read More
Read More
Preneed 402b: How to Compare Apples With Apples: Insurance Products
Having addressed, last week, assumptive fallacies let's look at the actual mechanics of comparing products. Here is an apples to ...
Read More
Read More