December 2011 Newsletter
December 9, 2011
Dear Jake,
Welcome back to Johnson Consulting Group's company Enewsletter providing updates and information to the funeral professional. We hope that you will find the content meaningful as Johnson Consulting continues to grow and enhance its services! As always if there is anything that you feel Johnson Consulting can do for you, please feel free to call me personally to discuss opportunities. May the holidays be pleasant for you and a happy new year!
Short Survey
As with every newsletter, we like to put together a short survey and then anonymously share it in our next newsletter. (Follow this link to take this survey...Customer Satisfaction & Incentive Survey)Results From Last Survey
In the last company newsletter, we asked the readers for their input on various questions regarding training and development. Of those who responded 83% said that they regularly participate in a training and development program. 55% said that they have 1 to 3 training programs they utilize in a year while the other 45% said they conduct 4 or more different training programs. Another question asked was whether the more preferred training method was in person or online through the web. 77% of those respondents indicated that live or in-person training sessions were preferred. Interestingly enough though, 90% of the respondents said they would be willing to utilize online training and development. Also interesting was that 67% of the respondents said they would take the online training regardless of whether they were to receive continuing education credits to do so. As it relates to the time in the program, most were agreeable to sitting through a 1 to 2 hours session, but no longer. I find these results interesting as training becomes more and more of importance in funeral businesses. Our business is changing all the time and the existence of continual improvement on our service delivery at all levels of the funeral process is critical. I hope you will glean valuable input to this data so that you can better your programs as well. Keep in mind that Johnson Consulting offers training programs for virtually every aspect of the funeral process. You can research this library by clicking here.This Month's Featured Services for Johnson Consulting Group
JCG Performance Tracker™
The JCG Performance Tracker™ is a funeral customer survey and sales contract analysis benchmarking program. It provides a complete solution designed specifically for the funeral business that gives you the most insight into both customer satisfaction and sales contract analysis by each arranger, location and company. You can begin tracking performance today with:- No Contract to Sign
- Low Monthly Cost
Johnson Consulting Group's Online PreNeed Insurance
Pre-Licensing School Johnson Consulting Group has partnered with TesTeachers Online to create a program that will ensure you pass your Pre-Need Insurance Licensing Exam on your first attempt. Our programs have an extremely high first time pass ratio. We offer Insurance Pre-Need licensing courses in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, KS, LA, MA, ME, MI, MO, NH, NJ, NM, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT and WA with more states coming soon! Start our on-line insurance Pre-need Licensing Program today! Enter code "jcg" to receive 10% off.Press Releases
Johnson Consulting Group Forms Strategic Alliance with Federated Funeral Directors of America Phoenix, AZ - Johnson Consulting Group (JCG) has announced an alliance with Federated Funeral Directors of America, a Fiducial company to provide business valuation and merger and acquisition services to Federated member firms. Federated is the funeral industry's largest comprehensive accounting and business consulting firm with a client base of 1,300 funeral homes in 45 states. By creating an affiliation with Johnson Consulting Group, Federated clients will have access to the most comprehensive business valuation and merger and acquisition group in the death care industry. According to Jake Johnson, President of JCG, "Our volume and expertise in mergers and acquisition provides a solid foundation for providing the market value support necessary for credible funeral home valuations". A business valuation is typically used for any of the following reasons:- General Business Value Inquiries
- Estate Planning
- Succession Planning
- Acquisitions
- Divestitures
Johnson Consulting Group Enters into Canada Phoenix, AZ - Jake Johnson announced today an affiliation with Todd Lumbard to further expand Johnson Consulting Group (JCG) services throughout Canada. Johnson Consulting Group is the death care industry's premier consulting firm in areas of Mergers & Acquisition, Accounting, Management Consulting, Customer Satisfaction Surveys and Business Valuations. The company has grown over the past 15 years through affiliations with some of the death care industry's leading consultants including: Tom Johnson Ken Knauss Robert Horn Greg Hilgendorf Al Asta Bill Cutter Rich Sells Dale Espich Brooks Cowles Charles Merrick JCG is proud to have served a number of Canadian firms, and has made a commitment to elevate the standard of services in Canada by affiliating with Todd Lumbard, who will work exclusively with Canadian firms. These consulting services will include the areas of Brokering, Business Valuations, Financial Accounting, Management Consulting, Customer Satisfaction Survey Programs, and Loan Sourcing. Mr. Lumbard's experience in funeral service includes being a current owner of funeral homes, crematories and a cemetery located in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and as past President of Selected Independent Funeral Homes (SIFH). Todd is also currently involved with the Funeral and Cremation Services Council of Saskatchewan and is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. Prior to entering funeral service, Todd pursued a career as a professional athlete as a hockey goaltender, culminating his career with the New York Islanders. "With SIFH, Todd developed an international perspective of funeral service having worked with funeral businesses throughout the free world. This perspective will serve him well as he works with JCG's Canadian clientele". - Jake Johnson Todd Lumbard stated "I am excited about the opportunity to bring the expertise of Johnson Consulting Group combined with my knowledge of Canadian operations to funeral directors and cemeterians throughout Canada". For additional information about the Johnson Consulting Group's services in the US and Canada, visit www.JohnsonConsulting.com or telephone 888.250.7747 or 480.556-8500. For Todd Lumbard you may email him at tlumbard@johnsonconsulting.com or telephone 306.501.8920.
Thinking of Selling your Business?
Douglas O. Meyer (Law Office of Douglas O. Meyer Woodland Hills, CA)
The last several years were a tough time to try to sell a funeral home. Values were depressed and then the credit market collapsed, so would-be buyers couldn't obtain financing for a purchase. Now, however, I'm seeing more acquisition activity. For those of you thinking of selling, I have the following suggestions and observations...
(Click here to view this article in it's entirety)
A Wake-Up Call: Are You a Party Planner or a Creator of Meaningful Funeral Experiences?
Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. (Center for Loss & Life Transition)
www.centerforloss.com
Perhaps it is time for a "wake-up call!" There is an undeniable truth that more and more people are saying things like: "When I die, just get rid of me...no muss, no fuss. Maybe you can throw a party, but I sure don't want a funeral!" I believe it is time for those of you committed to the future of funeral service to firmly choose your course- or the relentless drift of events will make decisions for you.
How many families have walked through your doors in recent years requesting not a funeral, but a "celebration" or a "party?" Quite a few, if the conversations I regularly have with my friends in funeral service are any indication. Of even more concern, do you think your helping role is to create one of these two options for families? While it is tempting to think your job is to create a celebration or a party when that is what is being requested, I would urge all of us to pause for a moment and consider what's best for families served.
(Click here to view this articly in its entirety)
Cemetery Succession and Exit Planning
Tom Johnson (Chairman)
Recently, Tom Johnson was asked to "weigh-in" on the below trends
Cremation - I think everyone will agree that the cremation rate will continue to increase. But I also think the number of cremations with some sort of service will also increase. That's good news! Many funeral directors around the country are getting better each day in the handling of a cremation family. All funeral directors who handle cremations need to continually improve in this area. Most suppliers and consultants in this business are also willing to assist.
(Click here to view this article in its entirety)
Strategic Planning: From your budget to your facilities to your finances-Get your year off to the right start
Tom Johnson & Jake Johnson (Chairman & President)
The subject of this article is most interesting for a couple of reasons; one, most funeral directors do little strategic planning and, two, even less prepare an annual budget. I have spoke about this subject for many years but see little progress. The typical modus operandi for most independent operations is to keep things just the way they are. It's worked in the past to some degree. However, it probably will not work in the future.
(Click here to view this article in its entirety)
Cemetery Succession and Exit Planning
Tom Johnson (Chairman)
Recently, Tom Johnson was asked to "weigh-in" on succession planning at cemeteries.
1. Why is exit planning for cemetery owners important?
Succession planning for cemetery owners may be more important than any other type of business for on simple reason; you have a depleting resource. Once a cemetery is full there is nothing to transfer or sell. The only remaining issue is the liability of maintaining the property into perpetuity. Hence the importance of looking at your cemetery and understanding the current and future inventory needs. A Masterplan is essential for this reason.
(Click here to view this article in its entirety)
Quotes and Blogs
"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide for our communication with others." - Anthony Robbins Getting Good at Communicating "Spend your energy searching for solutions, not excuses." - David Cottrell 180 Ways to Build Commitment and Positive Attitude "To motivate your team, provide "freedom with fences." Giving individuals the room to maneuver in a clearly defined playing field (with timetables, budgets, goals, etc.) allows them to have clarity, confidence, and a greater sense of control within their area of responsibility." - John Baldoni 180 Ways to Walk the Motivation Talk: Proven and Practical How-To's to Energize Everyone in Your Organization
Company News
JCG Summit -Once again, Johnson Consulting Group will be holding their annual summit at the Westin Kierland Resort February 9th through the 11th in 2012. Please contact us for more information at 888.250.7747 or email us at info@johnsonconsulting.com. Manny Francisco Joins Johnson Consulting as Pre-Need Sales Director -Another top notch executive chooses Johnson Consulting Group to extend his prominent and highly successful career. Manny Francisco has joined the company as Pre Need Sales Director. Manny's success in the pre need sales arena is well known and respected. Manny achieved this distinction by first holding key positions in several international companies including Procter & Gamble, J. Walter Thompson Advertising Co., Sun Life of Canada and Service Corporation International. He has lived and worked in five countries: The Philippines, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Indonesia. He is a sales legend in the California Death Care Industry where he spent 20 years working for various funeral home and cemetery organizations. Manny joined Lippo Karawaci in 2006 and was assigned as the Executive Director of San Diego Hills Memorial Park. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from De La Salle College in Manila, Philippines. Jake Johnson, President of Johnson Consulting, states: "Manny's ability to speak five languages ideally suites him for our global strategy in offering preneed sales programs to the funeral and cemetery industry. Manny exemplifies the professional talent, expertise and consistent high performance that provide Johnson Consulting Group the ability to deliver results that exceed our client's expectations. We are very fortunate to have Manny on our new Cemetery and Funeral Pre need Sales Team. Manny will be a member of the team headed by Rich Sells, an icon in Pre Need and Cemetery sales. His initial assignment will be to one of our newest projects in Mexico City, Mexico. JCG Performance Tracker™ -Johnson Consulting Group's PerformanceTracker™ (Customer Survey and Sales Analysis Program) is experiencing large growth due to its low cost and easy to use format. Call today for a comprehensive review of the program. Online Insurance Licensing Training -Johnson Consulting is now offering online insurance licensing training and continuing education. Follow this link to view our online insurance licensing...Online Training & Continuing Education Link, and be sure to use the coupon code "jcg" to receive 10% off. Performance Analysis Assessment -Our business improvement program involving our comprehensive Business Performance Analysis has proven to be a valuable tool to all our clients regardless of size by improving each client's performance in Marketplace, Workplace, Customer Service, and Financial Management. Call today for a complete review of the program.Recent JCG Business / Clients
-Federated Funeral Directors (JCG has become the exclusive provider for Business Valuations and M&A) -L.D. Pearson & Son, Louisville, KY (JCG successfully provided representation for the owners in a sale of the firm) -Murphy Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Oakton, VA (JCG successfully provided representation for the owners in the sale of the firm) -Desert View Funeral Home & Memorial Park, Victorville, CA (JCG successfully provided representation for the owners in the sale of the firm) -Daniels Family Funeral Services, LLC, Non-Albuquerque, NM (JCG successfully provided representation for the owners in the sale of the Non-Albuquerque markets only) -Serenity Cemeteries III, LLC, Verona, MS (JCG successfully provided representation for the owners in the sale of the firm) -Emken-Linton Funeral Home, Texas City, TX (JCG successfully provided representation for the owners in the sale of the firm) -Raymer Funeral Home, Huntersville, NC (JCG successfully provided representation for the owners in the sale of the firm) -Legacy Funeral Services of Texas, LLC, Houston, TX (JCG is successfully engaged to provide monthly surveys and contract analysis, PerformanceTracker™) -Solimine Funeral Homes, Lynn, MA (JCG is successfully engaged to provide performance analysis, monthly management consulting, and monthly surveys and contract analysis, PerformanceTracker™) -Bunker Family Funeral Homes, Mesa, AZ (JCG is successfully engaged to provide monthly surveys and contract analysis, PerformanceTracker™) -Richard Disque Funeral Home, Dallas, PA (JCG successfully provided financing through its loan program) -George J. Paynic Home for Funerals, East Alton, IL (JCG successfully provided financing through its loan program) -The Springs Funeral Services, Colorado Springs, CO (JCG successfully provided financing through its loan program) -A.M. Gamby Funeral Home, Lomita, CA (JCG successfully provided financing through its loan program) -Serenity Cemeteries III, LLC, Farmington, NM (JCG Successfully provided financing through its loan program)Testimonials
"We would like you both to know that we truly appreciate your help and assistance with the sale of our funeral home. We came to the little town of Manton when I was 21, fresh out of college and married for only a few weeks. We owned the funeral home for almost 43 years so parting with the business was a very big deal to us. We knew that a funeral director in the area would probably buy the funeral home. We consider all the neighboring funeral homes and funeral directors to be friends and colleagues and not competitors. We didn't want the sale of our business to jeopardize this friendship in any way and Dale did an excellent job of dealing will all interested funeral directors in a professional and friendly way. He was persistent but not demanding and seemed to work tirelessly through may disappointments and setbacks. We would recommend Dale and Johnson Consulting 100% and have told several other funeral directors this when asked how our sale went. Every day we are realizing new possibilities that being not tied down to the phone and responsibilities of a job are offering us. Thank you for your friendship and help to us." - Fred & Elaine Hall, Manton, MI "Please accept this expression of my most sincere appreciation to you and your fine staff for the many hours expended on our behalf involving the sale of our 87 year old family firm, Don Grantham Funeral Home. As a funeral home owner and director my experience has obviously been limited to the operation of our business. It was comforting to know that we entrusted the marketing of our business to an organization that exhibited to us that they cared as much as we did about locating the right purchaser for our business. In the midst of accumulating information, evaluations, screening qualified potential buyers, to compiling all necessary data and most important of all maintaining our desire to locate the right fit for our particular situation, your organization was outstanding in its professionalism our industry strives to achieve. Over the course of our association I never had an unanswered phone call, a question that went unresolved, prompt and prepared responses and a positive, calming attitude that shifted the enormous demands from me to your firm's expertise. Our decision to entrust Johnson Consulting Co. with the sale of our business was by far the best decision we made. I have nothing but the highest admiration and esteem for the services extended to our family by your organization. Thanks for making a "hard decision, easy." - Jim Grantham, Duncan, OK "When my husband, William Ready, died in 2000 I inherited 2/3 of Ready Funeral Services, Inc. and my daughter, Michele, 1/3. The business consisted of three funeral homes and a crematorium. Two years later I built a new state of the art crematorium. Three years ago Michele came to me and said she would like to purchase my shares. I contacted the Johnson Group through the assistance of a good friend, and I was put in touch with Bill Cutter whom I communicated with on a weekly basis by e-mail or telephone. By May of this year Bill had a complete proposal prepared ready to go to market. The end of the story is that my daughter now owns the business and this never would of happened without the hard work of Bill Cutter and the Johnson group. Anyone who would like to talk to me concerning the Johnson group I would be most happy to accommodate." - Jane Ready, Burlington, VT "In January 2010, Fares J. Radel Funeral Homes needed to refinance our funeral home in Cincinnati. The loan amount was over $1.5 million and I found in dealing with traditional banks, they do not fully understand the ebbs and tides of funeral home cash flow. After repeated meetings with many large and small banks we turned to Johnson Consulting, a specialist in funeral home financing and consulting. I contacted Kelly Herdt and he began a search for capitol. Kelly "shopped" banks, credit unions and venture captial groups. In 2010, our country was in a very harsh economic environment (needless to say), Kelly found us financing to refinance the deal. It is nice to deal with people such as Johnson Consulting and their wonderful staff, who are familiar with funeral home owner's needs. Again, thank you for everything." - Fares J. Radel, Cincinnati, OH "Just wanted to let you know what a positive experience it was to have Greg and Al out to St. Louis last week. Greg and Al obviously know their stuff and did a great job explaining to our staff and managers and owners what exactly they were doing there and more importantly sometimes, what they WEREN'T doing there. I know Oliver and I both are excited to move forward in so many aspects and look forward to our next steps. I'm glad we got started early in the year so that we can move forward in 2011 with a fresh start. Thanks again!" - Justin King of Heartland Pet Cremation, St. Louis, MO "Perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned through my journey with JCG is knowledge is important and should be gathered from as many sources as possible and on a continuous basis but timing is king. We were fortunate our relationship with JCG started many years before we seriously considered a sale. Having a business valuation performed by professionals, and unencumbered by circumstances that might dictate a quick sale allowed us the luxury to evaluate and become comfortable with every detail of the valuation and our business. Accordingly, we were able to improve business operation and its value." - Barry Murphy, Oakton, VACemetery Succession and Exit Planning – Tom Johnson
December 5, 2011
Recently, Tom Johnson was asked to "weigh-in" on succession planning at cemeteries. 1. Why is exit planning for cemetery owners important? Succession planning for cemetery owners may be more important than any other type of business for one simple reason; you have a deleting resource. Once a cemetery is full there is nothing to transfer or sell. The only remaining issue is the liability of maintaining the property into perpetuity. Hence the importance of looking at your cemetery and understanding the current and future inventory needs. A Masterplan is essential for this reason. 2. What are some of the problems that cemetery owners might face when planning an exit for their business? The biggest problem is answered in the first question. That is, making sure you have adequate inventory now and in the future so there is value to the enterprise. Most buyers get wary of any property with a future less than forty years. If you have less than ten years, it may be impossible Assuming that inventory is not a problem, the next major issue we see is deferred maintenance. This is primarily true with roads, curbs, lawns, statuary, mausoleums, equipment, fountains, fencing, marker, sunken graves, etc. There are more. Any of these issues would be a deduction to value and in mass may eliminate even the bullish of buyers. Lastly, by its nature, the location of a cemetery never changes. But, the neighborhood around a cemetery certainly can. Changing demographics can drastically affect the value of a cemetery. Owners needs to prepare for these types of changes as clients may very. 3. What are some important tips that you can share with cemetery owners on cemetery succession and cemetery planning? Have a master plan for your cemetery. As basic as this step is, there are many cemeteries that do not have one. You must know and stay abreast of your inventory at all times. It is your most valuable asset. A good master plan will give you the information you need. Have a business plan for your cemetery. I would do it strategically (5 years or more) and also tactically (1 to 2 years). Look at your trends, keep the good ones and fix your problems. Perform a SWOT analysis. Look at your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. You can do it yourself, but it is not a bad idea to have an outside company take a look from time to time. Operate with an annual budget. Many operations do not budget, but with our changing consumer it will become more and more important in the future. Don't take a chance with your cemetery. Create an operation plan and make the financial commitment to that plan by preparing a budget. If remaining inventory is an issue at your cemetery, address it now. If it can be expanded, do so if the demographics warrant such an expansion. If it can't be fixed, call a doctor as it won't be too long before you start feeling ill. Lastly, I would say one of the biggest negatives, if a cemetery hasn't planned for it, is a good accounting system. Be sure you have GOOD reconciled accounting records. This is important for funeral homes and cemeteries alike, but REALLY has a negative impact on cemeteries when this is lacking. Break out AtNeed Sales, break out PreNeed sales (cash received) break out AtNeed and PreNeed receivables, have a good aging report, make sure you have good detail in all of the different types of sales in the preneed sales volume reports as well. (Have sale volume reports handy) have a good tracking of liabilities to be delivered (merchandise and service) and the relevant liabilities, etcStrategic Planning: From Your Budget to Your Facilities to Your Finances – Get Your Year Off to the Right Start – Tom Johnson & Jake Johnson
December 5, 2011
The subject of this article is most interesting for a couple of reasons; one, most funeral directors do little strategic planning and, two, even less prepare an annual budget. I have spoke about this subject for many years but see little progress. The typical modus operandi for most independent operations is to keep things just the way they are. It's worked in the past to some degree. However, it probably will not work in the future. Why? The consumer is continuing to change. We are now beginning to serve the "baby boomers' who, by and large, see less value in the funeral than their parents and grandparents. Many are opting for cremation and those that still desire a funeral with burial are opting for less expensive options. My biggest fear is that if this continues to broaden, the children of the "baby boomers" may truly catapult this trend in a more negative trend for funeral directors around the country. So what do you do? The answer is twofold. One, every funeral director around the country must do the very best they can in providing excellent service to the families they serve. In the words of Alan Wolfelt "create meaningful funeral experiences." Those funeral directors who are practicing this type of service are more than likely going to see the return of the family just serviced. Those who just do the regular funerals of the past stand the chance of losing that family forever. The second piece of the puzzle is that we all must become better business people. That includes the strategic planning and budgeting topics. So what is meant by the words "strategic planning?" There are many formal ways to do this type of planning which you can find in a variety of books. However, I have found that the more simple you make the task, the more likely you will get it done. So here is a process that I have used when performing strategy sessions for the many funeral homes I have owned in the past. Hopefully it can work for funeral directors who are about to embark on their own strategic plan. First you need to remember that there are basically two types of planning, strategic and tactical. The strategic process looks at a longer horizon, five years or more. What would you like to see your company look like in years to come? The Tactical plan is the more immediate future of the company, a one or two year focus. As I believe the nature of this article was to assist funeral directors in the strategy of planning in general, I will focus more on the short term piece of the puzzle. The steps are pretty basic. You need to look at all facets of your operation; levels of service, pricing, merchandising, competition, market share, preneed, cremation, demographics, etc. as well as all the financial components of your business, including but not limited to, average sale per type of service, cost of goods sold, labor costs, facility costs, funeral costs, advertising, promotion, accounts receivable, etc. List all of these items in a formal document, as well as anything else you want to consider, and ask yourself the following questions per listed item. Where have we been in the past? Where are we presently? Where do we want to go in the future? How will we get there? Make a commitment to follow through Review your plan on a regular basis It basically asks you to do a SWOT analysis of your company. That being, take a look at your Strengths, your Weaknesses, your Opportunities and your Threats. Although this sounds rather simple to sit down with your key personnel and go through this process, it takes time and energy to do so. However, once the task is completed, you now have a roadmap for your upcoming year. The hardest part that I have seen for those new to the process is the commitment stage. They go through the exercise of reviewing their firm in detail and put together their plan. However, once things get a little hectic back at the ranch, they put the plan in a file and just do things the way they always have. So where does the budget process fit in? It is basically the financial commitment to achieve your plan. It is a proven fact that businesses that plan and budget do better than those who do not. That is why I am puzzled by the fact that there is so little of this process in funeral service. Regardless, you need to do an annual budget to assure that you can support the plan that you have put together. It should be completed line item by line item in your financial statement. All the costs and all the revenue producing items. Per item, look at where you have been, where you are, where you are headed, make your adjustments for the future and commit the result to your budget. Once completed, you now have the operational plan and the financial plan for your upcoming year. The final step is to then review your plan on a regular basis. I would suggest you have a formal review every 3 months, but be sure to take a look at the end of each month for anything that is peculiar. Don't be rash in adjusting your plan if things get off to a slow start. That can happen in funeral service as we all know. At the same time don't be slow to react if an adjustment is needed. Remember that those companies that plan and budget, no matter how large or small, will do better than those that do not. Therefore it is only logical that you should plan and budget. Yet so many times the Scarlet O'Hara syndrome seems to take place. That is "I'll worry about that tomorrow." Well tomorrow is here. The service and financial landscapes of our profession are being challenged. Become a better business person. It is a great time to do your planning now for 2012. Your future depends on it.Making Predictions in the Funeral Business – Tom Johnson
December 5, 2011
Tom Johnson was recently asked to "weigh-in" on the below trends. Cremation- I think everyone will agree that the cremation rate will continue to increase. But I also think the number of cremations with some sort of service will also increase. That's good news! Many funeral directors around the country are getting better each day in the handling of a cremation family. All funeral directors who handle cremations need to continually improve in this area. Most suppliers and consultants in this business are also willing to assist. Caskets- There has been a lot said in the past few years about Chinese caskets and other alternative supply in our industry. In fact, this caught on rather quickly in some areas but has basically not grown in the past year or so. That being the case how do you buy caskets in the future? My thought is to get with our suppliers and certainly drive the best deal that you can. But the major focus should get back to the value of not only the product you will get but the service that company will provide. Redefine your merchandising plan. Be sure that your employees know the differences of one particular casket over another throughout your entire display. We have gotten away from this practice in my opinion yet families should know the difference in the products they are purchasing. All employees who go into the showroom should be well versed in your merchandising scheme. This gets even more important as less and less families are choosing caskets now days. When you get a family that wants to purchase one, don't take any chances. Service- There is a tendency of today's consumer to see less and less value of a funeral service. This has been going on since I joined the profession in 1976. The recent problems in the economy only exacerbated this issue. We all need to get proactive in this regards and assist families in having a "Meaningful Funeral Experience." I coin this phrase from the work of Alan Wolfelt and urge everyone to get a copy of his articles. He is right on point. Give our clients more than they expect. Pricing- Prices will continue to be pressured at all levels. For years, many experts have been saying that funeral directors should lower their price on caskets and enhance their service pricing where the true cost lies. Some FD's have made this transition and most of those that have are finding increased revenues in the process. It also lessens the dependence as to which casket is purchased by a family. I own three funeral homes, and we have moved to this strategy a few years back. The results were very positive and have supported our clients that have desired this move. Business People - With the trend that is currently taking place in our profession, it becomes more and more important to become a better business person as it relates to the running of your funeral homes. What does this mean? Put together an annual plan (in writing). Get your key people involved in the process. Support that plan with a budget that makes the financial commitment to achieve the plan and then monitor on a regular basis. Too many companies do not do this. It is a proven fact that companies that plan do better than companies that do not. If that is the case, shouldn't we all do this? Accounting- As part of being a better business person it is critical that you have better financial information. Too many funeral directors still do their accounting so that they can get a tax return at year end. That will not get it done in the future. You need to get meaningful financial information on a monthly basis which should tie into the budget that you put together as part of your plan. I can't tell you how important this is, but I know there will be many that read this that will end up doing nothing. What a shame!A Wake-Up Call: Are you a Party Planner or a Creator of Meaningful Funeral Experiences – Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.
December 5, 2011
Perhaps it is time for a "wake-up" call!" There is an undeniable truth that more and more people are saying things like: "When I die, just get rid of me...no muss, no fuss. Maybe you can throw a party, but I sure don't want a funeral!" I believe it is time for those of you committed to the future of funeral service to firmly choose your course - or the relentless drift of events will make decisions for you. How many families have walked through your doors in recent years requesting not a funeral, but a "celebration" or a "party?" Quite a few, if the conversations I regularly have with my friends in funeral service are any indication. Of even more concern, do you think your helping role is to create one of these two options for families? While it is tempting to think your job is to create a celebration or a party when that is what is being requested, I would urge all of us to pause for a moment and consider what's best for families served. We are witnessing, and I suggest even colluding with a powerful trend of movement toward celebrations and parties and away from meaningful funeral experiences. While you may not be consciously participating in this trend, you are at risk for unknowingly collaborating with a culture that is trying to go around their grief instead of through their grief. The difference between "fun parties" and meaningful experiences With such jam-packed, fast-paced lives, people have become accustomed to paying for experiences that they have neither the know-how nor the time to create for themselves. Today, many people are willing to pay someone to provide all aspects of an event. We now have party and wedding planners to take care of the details for finding the venue, sending out invitations, arranging the food and music, setting the mood, decorating, and managing the flow of events. These events are expected to not only entertain, but to delight our five senses as well. Inherent in this trend is the relatively recent emphasis we 20th and 21st century generations place on fun. Not that many decades ago, leisure time was unheard of - or at best the rare privilege of the monied class. Most of humanity spent day in and day out struggling to provide themselves with food, water, and shelter. Today, thanks to industrialization, medical advancements, and better education, many of us have a number of hours each day to relax and have fun. And instead of constantly worrying about where our next meal and month's rent are coming from, we have the discretionary income to pay large admission prices to be swept away in a fantasy of water delights, rides, and shows of amazing feats. I darsay that we as a North American culture have become confused. Many of us now believe that having fun, feeling joy (and surprise), and being entertained are what having an experience is all about. And regretfully, we've transferred this idea onto funerals. To borrow a phrase from the musical group R.E.M., we "shiny, happy people" have forgotten that the purpose of a funeral is to mourn, to actively and outwardly embrace the death of someone we love. We have confused honoring with celebration and celebration with partying. While the Latin word for celebrate is "celebrate" or "to honor," the colloquial definition, according to Webster's New World Dictionary, is to "have a good time." Yet deep down, our true intentions when someone loved dies are to honor him or her, not to have a good time. This is where the confusion lies. Furthermore, Webster defines party as "a gathering for social entertainment." If asked flat out if that is what they want for the funeral, most family members will say no. Therefore, when we simply go along with a family's initial request to create a celebration for the person who died, we are not giving them what they truly, deep-down, want and need. A party...where the guest of honor is missing? With the trend towards funeral celebrations or parties has come an avoidance of the person who died altogether, which explains to some extent the growing popularity of cremation. Many people now say, "I'll just remember them the way they were when they were alive." As Thomas G. Long observed in a recent New York Times article, "...as a society, Americans are no longer sure what to do with their dead...Today, our death rituals have become downsized, inwardly directed, static and, as a result, spiritually and culturally impoverished...at upbeat celebrations of life...the dead...are usually nowhere to be seen. For the first time in history, the actual presence of the dead at their own funerals has become optional, even undesirable, lest the body break the illusion of a cloudless celebration." The tragedy is that often no one helps the family understand that seeing someone dead does not typically become, as they fear it will, their lasting "memory picture." In contrast, it is in seeing someone dead that we truly begin to acknowledge the death and appropriately shift the relationship to one of memory. Seeing the dead body of someone we have loved is often the beginning of a more essential, active grief process. It's the saying of hello on the pathway to goodbye. Yes, meaningful funerals are painful What reinforces this desire for fun, entertainment, and celebration is that mourning is painful, and not something people readily sign up to do. There's a perception that it is easier and better to celebrate than to express the emotions of sadness and hurt. As our society has become increasingly "mourning-avoidant," we have seen this shift toward celebrations. (Sadly, many funeral directors as well as clergy have unknowingly furthered this trend.) Celebrations play well into the idea that people need to be strong and get over it quickly. There's no time to grieve or mourn; rather, families hear such messages as "Carry on," Keep your chin up," "They're in a better place," and "You just need to let go." Celebrations often deny the authentic suffering of the soul, whereas authentic funerals invite an encounter with the mystery. In their attempt to celebrate, families miss the ancient and still essential purpose of funerals, which is to create an invitation to mourn openly and honestly. Historically, funerals honored the need for downward movement-going through grief rather than around it. Authentic mourning demands that we slow down, befriend dark emotions, and seek and accept support. Doing so helps place the loss in a larger, transcendent realm of meaning. Obviously, some people in funeral service have either never learned or have forgotten the WHY of a meaningful funeral. While families may be tempted to make swift, clean breaks from their loss, it does not ultimately service them. When people do not feel their feelings, they become unable to be changed by them. Instead of experiencing movement through their loss, they become stuck. They experience chronic grief that affects all other areas of their lives, sometimes resulting in depression, anxiety, disconnection from others, substance abuse, and fatigue. This "carried grief" results in a muting of one's spirit, or "divine spark." The more people try to "party" in the face of loss, the more they end up grieving and not mourning. Grief is an internal response to loss, where mourning is an outward expression of grief, a shared, social response to loss. The major purpose of a meaningful ceremony is to begin to convert grief into mourning in the loving and supportive company of others who share our grief. In the movement of mourning, grief has the opportunity to be felt, embraced, and healed. A blend of laughter and sadness...and all the other authentic emotions of grief Of course, this is not to say that a meaningful funeral should be totally devoid of celebration and laughter. As you know, funny anecdotes about the person who died and jokes delivered during the eulogy are often a welcome and necessary part of the experience. When someone loved dies, we feel many feelings, including the bittersweet joy of reliving favorite memories. Sharing those memories is part of the journey too - one that gives us moments of relief even as we dose ourselves with the necessary sadness. I also do not mean to downplay the necessity of providing a full funeral experience for the families you serve. In my book Funeral Home Customer Service A-Z, I discuss at length the importance of creating a full-blown experience - not just a perfunctory ceremony. I believe as much as ever that a rich, highly personalized funeral experience has the power to help families profoundly embrace their grief and set the stage for the transformative healing journey to come. What I am emphasizing here is the increasingly essential need to differentiate between funeral experiences that encourage the full range of emotions, from deep sadness to moments of levity, and experiences that families today are calling "parties." Many of these so-called "parties" are intentionally designed to merely skim the surface of our sadness - or ignore it altogether - and instead to focus on the thinking of happy thoughts. Recently a distraught woman came to see me who had been intentionally excluded from the "funeral party" her family was planning for her favorite uncle. As they explained to her, they knew she was close to him and would cry at the funeral; therefore, she would not be allowed to attend. People crave the why So, let's save parties for those events where celebration and fun are supposed to occur-such milestones and transitions as birthdays, weddings, graduations and baby showers. Instead, let's give families what they deeply need - a meaningful ceremony where the person who dies is not only celebrated, but mourned and loved. By all means, create an experience for your families; just make sure the person who dies and the true, full range of feelings that have resulted from the death are at the center. Create an opportunity for families to recognize and embrace all their feelings around their loss. In doing so, you will have truly honored the culmination of life, and the ultimate transition of a death, for the families you are privileged to service. What's more, it's good business to truly serve families in this manner. While they may walk through your doors requesting a "celebration" or "party," if you are willing to dig deep and mentor them in the planning of a truly meaningful, personalized funeral experience, they will walk out your doors profoundly moved and satisfied. As author Simon Sinek has observed, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." If your funeral home's why is to create meaningful funeral experiences for families, your community will see that as a differentiator and seek you out as the provider of such truly transformative experiences. Over time, the families you serve will become educated about the true value of funerals and appreciate the gift you have given them. They will tell everyone they know what a wonderful funeral - not a celebration or party - you helped them create. Lots of people can plan a good party, but only funeral directors have the experience and the understanding to plan a meaningful funeral experience. In doing so, you may just help save your own vocation, which is at risk for becoming extinct. Visit Alan Wolfelt's website at www.centerforloss.com-
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