- Call Us Today!
- 800-426-0165
Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study
January 22, 2021
Published by 
John McQueen on January 22, 2021
John McQueen on January 22, 2021When thinking about succession planning, I am reminded of the musical legend Kenny Rogers and his famous song entitled “The Gambler.” The most iconic words of the song are “If you’re gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right. You got to know when to hold ‘em; know when to fold ‘em; know when to walk away; know when to run. You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table, there’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.” The sage advice that gambler gave the young man aboard the train one night is also sound advice when considering succession planning. Succession planning can be a real gamble if it is not done properly. With proper planning, “every hand’s a winner”, but without it, “every hand’s a loser.” According to the recent 2020 […]
December 22, 2020
Published by 
Chris Cruger on December 22, 2020
Chris Cruger on December 22, 2020 Simply put, succession planning is the strategy of passing on leadership roles, and often ownership of a company, to an employee or group of employees. Sounds simple, right? So why is this so difficult to do? – Its because there often isn’t the depth of leadership or skills within a small, often family-run funeral or cemetery business. It is also because many of us have problems letting go! Not long ago, the NFDA and Foundation Partners Group published a study called “2020 Funeral Business Planning Survey” about the state of Succession Planning in the Funeral and Cemetery Industry. The study showed that more than 50% of Owners plan to retire within the next five years (25% within the next 24 months) and more than 50% of those have little or no plan! In a profession where we preach preparedness and […]
December 21, 2020
Published by 
Gabriel Ngo on December 21, 2020
Gabriel Ngo on December 21, 2020“Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition, and myth frame our response.” – Arthur M. Schlesinger (Historian) As always, I like to begin with a quote…firstly, to hopefully whet the brain’s appetite a little for the reader, and secondly, to provide somewhat of a theme for what I am about to write. In our recent Foresight Focus White Paper entitled Five Ways Technology Is Changing The Profession, we highlighted certain findings from our 2020 Foresight Funeral & Cemetery Consumer Behavior (FFCCB) Study on how the pandemic had changed consumer behaviors and forced our profession to adopt technology in order to continue serving families. Those five highlights included the following: Investing in and embracing technology. Becoming comfortable with virtual communication. Being transparent with online information. Making it simple for consumers to interact with you. Failure is an option. For […]
December 21, 2020
Published by John McQueen on December 21, 2020
John McQueen on December 21, 2020The late Winston Churchill said it best when he said, “Fear is a reaction; Courage is a decision.” As we usher in a new year and what appears to be a new administration in power at the federal level, there is one certainty on the horizon…change! Some changes many hope to see include the eradication of the COVID-19 virus, elimination of masks and other restrictions, and the return of freedoms we all enjoy. Other changes bring worry and anxiety over the strong likelihood of increased income tax rates, including capital gain hikes, the effects of the rising minimum wage, and the potential for sweeping legislative changes that may negatively impact your business. Although we may not be able to alter the course of history moving forward, we do have the ability to choose whether to react with fear or to […]
December 21, 2020
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on December 21, 2020
Nicole Vullo on December 21, 2020We want to continue to provide you with insight and guidance on Pricing. For this month’s column, we spoke with Doug Gober again as he answers more popular pricing questions. Continue reading below as we provide information on competitor pricing and package pricing! Question: Should I match my competitors’ prices? Doug Gober: The critical element of pricing should be how you want to be seen in the marketplace. Because the market is so segmented, it is challenging for a funeral home to be all things to all people. It would be beneficial to define who you want to be in the marketplace rather than who and how your competitors are. This idea of determining your position is certainly more important than seeing what your competitors in the market are doing. In some cases, you may not be at the same […]