April 20, 2017
Published by 
Stephanie Ramsey on April 20, 2017
Stephanie Ramsey on April 20, 2017HR Reality Check: Yep, the Stories are True! By Stephanie Ramsey HR Case Study #5 Scenario: Millennial Funeral Services, owned by Mark and Margaret Millennial, is a funeral business in a Midwestern state that recognizes at-will employment. Including the two owners, they have 15 employees. While neither of Mark and Margaret’s children is active in the business, they do have a quality key employee, John James. In fact, they have spoken to John about how the business could potentially transfer to him when Mark and Margaret are ready to retire in about 10 years. About two years ago, John began dating a woman and they were married within six months. Mark and Margaret were happy for John and still interested in selling him the business. However, last year they hit a snag in their plans. It started simply with John […]
March 17, 2017
Published by 
Dan Isard on March 17, 2017
Dan Isard on March 17, 2017The world of funeral service requires financial conservatism in its approach to business. This world, inhabited by multigenerational audiences of providers and customers, also requires authenticity and is in dire need of concise and clear communication. Finally, in the funeral world in which we exist, relationships come first. If you agree that these viewpoints are on target, can we embrace, with our technology environment, the consequences of socially evolving? Although I am not a legend in the profession, I have memories of funeral services from my childhood on my father’s side of the family. For the small South Carolina town, where 11 generations of my relatives rest in a church cemetery, a funeral was indeed a social event. A front porch light left on at the local funeral home was a signal to the community that a body “was in […]
March 17, 2017
Published by Dan Isard on March 17, 2017
Dan Isard on March 17, 2017Consider the many variables that come into play when making this decision for your firm. Dear Dan, I have a new funeral home and am ready to decide between two preneed insurers. Each has its own marketing company that will do the local selling for me. One gave me a good pitch that focuses on the strength of its financial assets. The other told me that all insurers are the same but that they have a better marketing plan. So, if it were you, which would you choose – strong financials or the ability to put more business on the books? Signed, Preneed Dependent in Portland Dear PDP, You have narrowed down your search to two very candid and easily differentiated third-party marketing (TPM) companies. If one is going to focus on more sales, that will help you build your […]
March 15, 2017
Published by Dan Isard on March 15, 2017
Dan Isard on March 15, 2017How do you decide what merchandise to stock for cremation? Clue: Don’t rely solely on your casket sales rep. Dear Dan, My casket company salesperson has been a trusted adviser of mine for 30 years. He helps me with everything from merchandising to pricing, even hiring. He keeps me informed on industry news more than most of the industry periodicals. However, with my profits declining for the past three decades, I’m wondering if maybe I need another perspective. My cremation rate is increasing, and my rep recently introduced me to a new line of “cremation caskets.” He says families like them for cremation services and buy them more often than rental caskets. According to my rep, families don’t want the reusable outer shell with the replacement liner. My intuition is that the rental casket is much cheaper and therefore will […]