May 22, 2025
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025
Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025Written by Alan D. Wolfelt PhD As you know, there are many families out there who are more difficult to satisfy than in the past. Some observers have noted that today’s consumers are “never satisfied customers.” Many of the families you serve are not familiar with the value of funerals. In addition, we now live in a culture that is convenience and efficiency oriented. These are only two of the many factors that have influenced why some families consider holding “parties” as opposed to meaningful funeral ceremonies. In the face of these challenges, it seems those of you committed to the future of funeral service confront an important choice. On the one hand, you can decide to give up and project that it is the difficult family’s problem. On the other hand, you could work to really listen to the […]
May 22, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025
Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025Written by Bruce I. Wiener, Managing Partner of Akerman LLP’s Tallahassee, Florida Office Thoughts of a sale or succession planning may be top of mind or beginning to percolate for some death-care professionals. At the same time, allocating time for these matters and tending to real estate housekeeping tasks can be challenging as your days are filled with serving families and your communities. These tasks can pile up over time, making the outlook on completing them formidable. So, if a sale is on the agenda, time should be set aside to fully assess your real estate assets to structure and plan for a potential transaction ahead. Once a purchase and sale agreement has been entered into, the transaction can move very quickly. But the transaction can fail just as quickly if issues arise during the due diligence process and the […]
May 22, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025
Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025Written by Welton Hong, Ring Ring Marketing Every year, I travel throughout the country to help funeral home owners make their phone ring and boost market share. Call me a nerd, but I love seeing business owners succeed, especially when it comes to assisting family members in honoring lost loved ones or planning ahead. On Thursday, Sept. 11, I’ll be joining Chris Cruger, the CEO of The Foresight Companies, and other experts as a speaker at “Mastermind: Elevating Your Funeral Service Business to New Heights,” which is approved by Ohio for 5.5 hours of continuing education. The event will be at the Live! Casino & Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In this article, I’ll highlight some of the main items I’ll be highlighting at our Mastermind event. If you focus on these action items as you move toward 2026, you’ll be […]
May 22, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025
Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025Written by Taylor Weber This month, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 NFDA Professional Women’s Conference, an experience that left me inspired and better equipped to support my clients with a deeper sense of empathy, strategy, and clarity. One attendee posed a question that stood out to me: “How can we consistently add value to our services without reinforcing the stereotype that we’re upselling families at their most vulnerable, especially when budgets are tight?” Reflecting on these candid discussions and collaborative exchanges made one thing clear: delivering high-value service doesn’t always mean families need to spend more—it means providing thoughtful, personalized gestures that resonate deeply. One director shared how she crafts small, meaningful mementos that reflect the deceased’s favorite hobby or brainstorms different ideas to tie in their personality to the service. Small acts with significant emotional impact. […]
May 22, 2025
Published by 
Chris Cruger on May 22, 2025
Chris Cruger on May 22, 2025New data spells out what consumers want from funeral service, but are practitioners listening? Every year, The Foresight Companies takes a hard look at how consumer attitudes and behaviors have evolved regarding funeral service. Unfailingly, we uncover both new insights and repeat challenges. Foresight’s 2025 Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study is no different. The data is rich. The insights are clear. The message is urgent: The consumer is changing, but are funeral service practitioners? This year’s study gathered feedback from more than 5,000 consumers and nearly 500 funeral service professionals. This gives us a 90% degree of confidence in the information we gathered, straight from the mouths of consumers and funeral service professionals. The data tells a story of a profession somewhat stuck in neutral while the world around it continues to shift. Consumers are more digital, price-conscious and […]