Funeral Business Training Library
Al Asta
Training is crucial when developing and maintaining a productive workforce. In today’s competitive marketplace, a well trained workforce is a competitive advantage. Johnson Consulting Group offers an extensive library of easy to use and easy to learn funeral industry training programs. Our programs are relevant, highly effective, and designed to:
- Engage, encourage, and energize staff
- Improve leadership and coaching skills
- Keep your staff competitive and your organization marketable
- Improve funeral home effectiveness
Johnson Consulting Group offers three ways to train your staff
- In Person Training – Have one of our experienced educators provide custom training at your location
- Quarterly Training Programs – JCG offers quarterly training at their facility in Scottsdale, Arizona or via web presentations
- Self Paced Training – Like what you see, purchase the entire program and train your staff yourself
Our knowledgeable staff is available to help you develop the proper programs for your training needs. Via phone or email, they can recommend the programs best suited to your audience, your preferred delivery method, and your budget.
Training Programs Options, Modules, and Library:
• Growing Calls through Exceptional Service
• Growing Calls through Community Involvement
• Growing Calls through Facilities Maintenance
• Growing Averages
• Management Development
• Advance Planning
• Full Training Library and Topics
Get a Training Session Quote Today!
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Growing Calls through Exceptional Service – Training Module
This training program will prepare target positions on service expectations of the company.
Target Position: All Staff
Estimated Program Time: 4 hours
Topics:
Staff Appearance – Personal appearance, including dress, grooming and hygiene, reflect the funeral profession’s high standards and the pride in the services we provide. It is an expression of the way we conduct business and helps us establish and maintain a high level of credibility with families.
Value Statements - These are 30 second sound bites of the company and the services provided! Value Statements set the tone for both in person conversations as well as taking a first call. Think of the Value Statement as verbal marketing statement (WE ARE…)
Phone Etiquette and Taking First Calls – Our conduct on the phone greatly impacts the perceived professionalism of the funeral home. The way we conduct ourselves on the phone during the first notification of death greatly impacts how both the funeral home and our services are perceived.
Preparing to go on a First Call – Presentation and cleanliness of equipment is a direct reflection of professionalism and values. The equipment and supplies will be viewed by family and will be in direct contact with the deceased. Neat, clean, and tidy equipment and supplies shows the family what they can expect from our funeral home.
Making a First Call – When we are in the private homes of families, we treat everyone with respect. We take the time to listen and understand their pain. We offer support and guidance throughout the first call visit.
Visiting a Family’s home following the Removal and before the Arrangements – This builds trust with the family and helps prevent errors.
Greeting Families for Arrangements – Visiting the funeral home and cemetery to make arrangements is very difficult for most families. Anything that can be done to comfort them through this process shows the family our focus on their needs.
Greeting Families for the First Viewing – Families come to the funeral home for a visitation with anxiety. This is a very emotional time. Death is visually acknowledged and it has becomes real. A comforting and professional staff member needs to guide families through this “transition.”
Greeting Families and Guests for Visitation – A well prepared Visitation ensures everything is ready for the family and guests. This shows the family that they are our priority and we are committed to looking after their needs. The role of the funeral home staff is to offer support and ease the family into the room, so that their guests can find comfort in the words from clergy, family and friends.
Visitation - Each and every task, no matter the size, is performed for the family. By providing an effortlessly run visitation, we are providing the families peace of mind that we truly care about their needs. Ensuring that the families are taken care of here sets the stage for the balance of the service.
Funeral Services – Ensuring the team is working together to provide a funeral service that exceeds the family’s expectations, guarantees the family will be able to focus on the celebration and not the details.
Committal Services or Farewell – The committal service or as we call it, “The Farewell” is an important part of the funeral ritual. This is a place for the family to say their final goodbye and a place to visit and remember their departed family member.
Growing Calls through Community Involvement – Training Module
This training program will provide target positions with the skills, information, and tools necessary to grow call volume by building relationships and elevating the role and visibility of the funeral home or cemetery in the community.
Target Position: General Managers, Location Managers, and Sales Managers
Estimated Program Time: 4 hours
Topics:
Community (Leadership) Influencers – Use the community leadership program to build relationships with influencers and increase the funeral home or cemetery’s role and visibility in the community.
Community (Leadership) Events – By hosting events for the general public we are building long-term relationships, future prospects, as well as raising the funeral home’s profile within the community.
Community (Leadership) Tools for Events - This portion of the community leadership training focuses on the use of social and media relations to communicate the event to the community.
Community (Leadership) Sponsorship – Sponsorship provides organizations within the community with a financial contribution, a donation, or time. Sponsorship can be an effective way for the funeral home or cemetery to be involved in community without fully participating or organizing the event.
Community (Leadership) Memberships – Membership is a way to create awareness of the funeral home or cemetery. It is an opportunity to network and make personal contact with members of the community by joining and participating in district organizations.
Community (Leadership) Discretionary Spending - Discretionary spending covers unplanned or unexpected opportunities to create awareness of the funeral home or cemetery. Discretionary spending should be used for those “that would be a nice thing to do” opportunities.
Community (Leadership) Community Seminars - Within the community there are numerous opportunities for partnership with community leaders to highlight the funeral home’s services and the benefits of advance planning seminars. This section of your training offers guidelines on how to prepare and follow-up on community seminars.
Growing Calls through Facilities Maintenance – Training Module
This training program will provide target positions with the skills and tools necessary to meet the company facilities management expectations. This module works as a stand alone training module and in conjunction with the Growing Calls program.
Target Position: Location Managers
Estimated Program Time: 1 hour
Topics:
Facilities Maintenance - The appearance of the funeral home and cemeteries is an invitation for customers to visit our facility and showcases our commitment to the community. We are in the memory business! The program is designed so location managers can meet company expectations, using the facilities maintenance checklists on a daily, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
Growing Averages – Training Module
This training program will provide target positions with the skills and tools necessary to meet the company’s arranger performance expectations.
Target Positions: Funeral Directors, Arrangers, Family Service Counselors
Estimated Program Time: 4 hours
Topics:
Arrangement Conference - This section will equip target positions with skills and knowledge required to use the arrangement conference and selection room to help families create complete, meaningful and, personalized tributes to their loved ones.
Product Knowledge – Provide target positions with the knowledge required to explain the features and benefits of all merchandise available.
Collections and Accounts Receivable – This section will provide target positions with ideas on how to approach the family to collect payment for products and services and to adhere to the funeral home’s payment policy in a way that is comfortable for both the funeral director and the family.
Floral Tributes – This section will equip target positions with the skills and knowledge required to provide families with the option of selecting their floral tributes from our funeral homes in one seamless transaction.
Markers and Monuments – This section will equip target positions with the skills and knowledge required to provide families with the option of selecting their memorial from our funeral homes in one seamless transaction.
Management Development – Training Module
This training program will provide target positions with the skills and tools necessary to meet the company’s management expectations.
Target Position: Managers
Estimated Program Time: 4 hours
Topics:
Coaching for Accountability – This section will equip managers with skills and knowledge required to set expectations, provide feedback and coaching to their direct reports to meet the company’s goals and commitments.
Goal Setting and Action Plans - The steps contained in the goals setting and action planning section are the foundation for achieving goals on both a personal and professional level. Learners will be able to write their goals, action plans and prepare action plans to achieve the company objectives.
Recruitment and Selection - This section will equip managers with skills and knowledge required to source, interview, qualify and select suitable employees.
Change Management – The future holds uncertainty! There will be changes at the company that will plunge employees into transition. This transition requires specific techniques for disengaging people from their old ways and provides them with support and assistance for them to adapt.
Respectful Workplace – The most effective way to reduce respectful workplace violations is to ensure that the company’s managers and employees know what is expected in order to create a workplace free of harassment.
Advance Planning – Training Module
This training program will prepare the target positions on the sales program and service expectations for the funeral home.
Target Position: Sales Professionals
Estimated Program Time: 4 hours
Topics:
Staff Appearance – Personal appearance, including dress, grooming and hygiene, reflect the funeral industries high standards and the pride in the services we provide. It is an expression of the way we conduct business and helps us establish and maintain a high level of credibility with families.
Value Statements – These are 30 second sound bites of the Company and the services provided! Value statements set the tone for both in person conversations as well as taking a first call. Think of the value statement as verbal marketing statement (WE ARE…)
Phone Etiquette and Taking First Calls – Our conduct on the phone greatly impacts the perceived professionalism of the funeral home. The way we conduct ourselves, on the phone, during the first notification of death greatly impacts how both the funeral home and our services are perceived.
Greeting Families and Guests – Visiting the funeral home and cemetery to make arrangements is very difficult for most families. Anything that can be done to comfort them through this process shows the family we are organized and focused on their needs. Guest arriving at our location should always be treated equally, whether they are there for an arrangement conference, visitation, funeral, meeting, or just dropping something off.
The Selling Model - This section will train sales professionals on the Selling Model, including the sales and purchase processes.
Product Knowledge – This section will provide sales professionals with the knowledge required to explain the features and benefits of the merchandise offered during a pre-need arrangement.
Lead Generation – Learners will discover the steps necessary to build a lead generation system which fits the funeral home’s values and provides qualified leads.
After Care – We are provided access to potential customers by the families we serve. They believe in our product and services because we have established a long-term trusting relationship with them on behalf of the company.
Coaching for Accountability – This section will equip sales managers with the skills and knowledge required to set expectations, provide feedback, and coach their direct reports to meet company goals and commitments.
Full Training Library and Topics
Johnson Consulting Group’s extensive library of funeral business training programs includes the following topics:
Customer Service
Staff Appearance
Phone Etiquette and Taking First Calls
Making a First Call
Greeting Families and Guests
Visitation
Funeral Services
Facilities Maintenance
Best Practices
Service Standards
Embalming Techniques
History and Value of Embalming
Cosmetics and Proper Posing
Pre-embalming Considerations
Infectious Diseases (OSHA, Blood Borne Pathogens)
Personal Protection
After Care Program
Exceeding your Clients Expectations
Funeral Services Ethics
Why are We In this Profession
Conducting Meaningful Cremation Services
Workplace
Organizational Structure
Clear Job Descriptions
Employee Manual
Employee Evaluations
Incentive Programs
Employee Recognition Programs
Improve Communications
How to Plan and Run Effective Staff Meetings
How to improve Morale
Respectful Workplace
OSHA Safety and Compliance
Crematory Compliance Plan
Marketplace
Master Marketing Plan
Business Source Tracking
Market Share Reporting
SWOT Analysis
Community Outreach Programs
Newsletters
Hospice Seminars
How to Series:
– Start a Community Advisory Committee
– Organize an open House
– Military Events
– Scholarship Programs
– Clergy Seminars
– Start an Insight Program and Give Tours
Holiday Remembrance Programs
What to do with Discounters
What Sets Us Apart
Why Choose our Funeral Home
Continuous Contact – Anniversary Cards etc
Financial Management
Value Added Programs
Client Centered Arrangements Training
Cremation Arranger Training
Goods and Services Training
Best Collection Practices
Accounts Receivable Plan
Pricing Strategies
Merchandise Plan
Understanding Call Mix and Call Type
What are my Financial Statements Telling Me
Benchmarking
Budgeting 101
Why a Quality Accounting Program is Paramount
Get a Training Session Quote Today!
Click here to get started!
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