May 28, 2026
Published by 
Gabriel Ngo on May 28, 2026
Gabriel Ngo on May 28, 2026Arranging the story, not just the service, ahead of time. “Begin with the end in mind.” – Stephen Covey, American leadership expert and author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People I am friends with a retired funeral home owner and operator in Illinois. He ran an incredibly effective aftercare program that families loved. This gentleman, whom I greatly admire, employed a full-time licensed grief counselor and offered free grief counseling up to one year after a loved one’s passing. This aftercare program generated a multitude of leads for preplanning and prearrangement, but it also became a competitive advantage. He was providing the highest level of high-touch service, so he was able to justify higher prices than his competitors. Many thought leaders have written about how well designed aftercare programs can help owner-operators boost preneed business. And many others […]
April 23, 2026
Published by 
Foresight on April 23, 2026
Foresight on April 23, 2026Written By Jen Graziano, Licensed Funeral Director, Attorney, Founder: RememBar Collection As the saying goes, “you only have one chance to make a first impression”. How true these words are and the death care realm offers no exception. As professionals in this sacred space, we are tasked with selling our services, our funeral homes, our memorial products, ultimately even ourselves, in those critical moments of the “first call”. The “first call”, or the initial encounter is more than securing a client or sale. Often we are speaking to an emotional caller, one who was reticent to even make the call, or one who likely wishes they were calling any other place but a funeral home or a cemetery. Some may call with preconceived notions that we, collectively, are scammers looking to take advantage of the most vulnerable or that we […]
April 23, 2026
Published by 
Welton Hong on April 23, 2026
Welton Hong on April 23, 2026By Welton Hong, founder and CEO, Ring Ring Marketing On a quiet Thursday morning, the owner of a multi-location funeral home sat down with her office manager to review their LinkedIn company page analytics. “Good news,” the manager said. “We had 1,800 post impressions this week.” The owner nodded, then hesitated. “Is that … meaningful?” The question lingered longer than the numbers. Like many funeral professionals, she wasn’t lacking data. LinkedIn offered a steady stream of it, including impressions, page visitors, search appearances and follower growth. But it was unclear to her if the firm’s activity on LinkedIn was establishing trust or real connections with potential customers. The Metric Trap in Funeral Service Funeral service, like so many areas of deathcare, is fundamentally about trust built over time. Families rarely make immediate decisions. They observe. They remember. They take note […]
April 23, 2026
Published by 
Luke Potter on April 23, 2026
Luke Potter on April 23, 2026Deal fatigue is a phenomenon that occurs during lengthy or complex business transactions, most commonly in mergers and acquisitions where one or both parties experience a gradual erosion of enthusiasm, focus, and motivation to see the deal through to closing. It typically sets in after prolonged periods of negotiation, due diligence, and back-and-forth communication that stretch well beyond the originally anticipated timeline. As weeks turn into months, the cumulative weight of information requests and unresolved sticking points can wear down even the most seasoned dealmakers, causing minor issues and setbacks to become an expensive and drawn-out thorn in the side. The causes of deal fatigue often come down to a lack of organization and a failure to maintain urgency throughout the process. Sellers who are slow to upload requested documents, delayed in responding to questions, or simply unprepared for the […]
April 23, 2026
Published by 
Matt Blackwell on April 23, 2026
Matt Blackwell on April 23, 2026When a business goes to market, many owners think of due diligence as a checklist. It’s not. Due diligence is where buyers validate everything they’ve been told and uncover what they haven’t. More importantly, it’s where they assign value to risk. That process ultimately answers three questions: What am I buying? What could go wrong? And what is that worth? For sellers, this is the moment where preparation either protects value—or erodes it. Not All Buyers Approach Diligence the Same Way One of the most overlooked realities in a transaction is that the buyer determines the process. A first-time or individual buyer may take a more informal approach, with fewer requests and slower pacing. A private equity-backed group, on the other hand, will run a structured, high-intensity process with dedicated teams, third-party financial reviews, and constant information flow. The implication […]