March 2018

Page A4 MARCH 2018 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A A New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping Did you promise yourself to begin a job search in 2018, only to keep pushing the task to the bottom of your “to do” list? We understand. It’s challenging to search while working most of your waking hours. We’re here to help. Global Recruiters enables funeral service professionals to take that next career step--to a better work environment, a new city or a management position. And we’ll partner with you on a confidential basis at no cost to you. Our service fees are always paid by the hiring funeral homes. Take a life changing step toward a new career today with a call or email to Mark Jorgensen (mjorgensen@grncincinnati.com ) or Bob Heidlage (bheidlage@grncincinnati.com ) at 812-932-1290. IN THE DEATH CARE INDUSTRY Dedicated and focused, Bill’s knowledge and experience of the death care industry provides you with value added services in connection with audited financial statements, trust fund compliance audits, multi-state taxation and much more. Bill Newman, CPA Partner withum.com By Nancy Weil I Walked Right By It was my first day back at work after a week away cruising. I had gone into a meeting with my boss and emerged with my head swirling of the list of things that needed my attention that day. I had to find a file and I was trying to remember the person’s name so I could begin my search. I tell you all of this not as an excuse, but so that you understand what my mindset was when I learned a valuable lesson. As I emerged from his office into the reception area there was an older woman and her son standing around. I smiled at them and began to walk by deter- mined to locate that file. That is when it happened. My boss, Jim Rudolph, walked out of his office and greeted them. He asked them if they were being taken care of (they were) and what had brought them to our office. She answered that she was picking up her husband’s cremated remains. Overhearing that I stopped in my tracks. Here I was the Director of Grief Support and I Random Musings had walked by the opportunity to introduce myself and offer some comforting words at this difficult time…be- cause I had to find a file. I immediately turned to them and we began to talk. “This is really hard,” she said as she began to tear up. “I know and that is why we offer grief support for you so that you don’t go through it alone.” We continued to talk for a moment until my colleague came to bring her and her son into a room where they could receive her hus- band’s cremains back. When did I become the person I never thought I would be? When did I get so distracted and busy with my list of “things to do” that I forgot about the person in front of me? Be honest, has it happened to you? How did you feel about it? We work in an environment where the tasks never end. One phone call leads to an extra hour or two of work. Another call brings in a family planning their loved one’s funeral and the afternoon is gone. Someone walks in and we spend an hour taking care of their needs while our work patiently waits for us to return to our desk. On and on it goes until suddenly your mind focuses on the wrong area of priority and a widow waits with her son unattend- ed because you had to go find a file. I am embarrassed to even share this story with you, but I trust that some of you can relate to it. I never thought it would happen to me. I was always the customer service guru. The Disney magic moment making girl. The go be- yond their expectations and “wow” them wonder wom- an. I guess I am not always that which I strive for. Yet I will remember this woman long after I have faded from her memory (which has likely already happened) and I will stop and greet whoever comes into my path at the of- fice. I will introduce myself and ask if they are taken care of and see if I can do anything for them or offer them a tasty beverage. I will vow to put the human in front of the tasks. I hope you will do the same. WithcertificationsasaGriefServicesProviderandGriefManagement Specialist, Funeral Celebrant, as well as Laughter Leader, Nancy Weil is uniquely qualified to bring new perspectives into how to best meet the needs of the families you serve. A professional speaker, Nancy travels the country bringing effective tools to reduce stress, combat compassion fatigue and handle grief to companies, associations and conferences large and small. With a passionate interest in the healing qualities of laughter, she is known for her energetic, entertaining and content rich programs. In addition to talks geared to the general public, she has also been brought in by funeral directors to offer (CEU) programs to funeral staff, nurses, chaplains and social work- ers in their communities. Nancy has developed the most comprehensive aftercare program of any cemetery or funeral home in the country and is currently di- recting aftercare programs, community outreach and marketing at Veterans Funeral Care. She consults with industry professionals in how they can develop or grow their own grief support program in order to maintain contact with the families they serve and develop stronger relationships within their community. Her book, If Stress Doesn’t Kill You, Your Family Might , is filled with tools that work to reduce stress and find your “inner happy.” For more information on how Nancy can help you and your business grow, visit her website: www.TheLaughAcademy.com or by email at: Nancy@TheLaughAcademy.com . www.nomispublications.com Funeral Home & Cemetery News Contributors share insights and exchange ideas. B logs Should Your Funeral Home Be Better at Selling? By Mark E. Bowser Mark E. Bowser Should your funeral home be better at selling? Let me put it simply and em- phatically, yes! How can I say that so enthusiastical- ly? Because I grew up in the funeral in- dustry and I know there can be unfor- tunately a stigma to positioning your firm to obtain more business. That stig- ma must be overcome if we are going to serve our communities more effectively. My family owns the Bright Corpora- tion. We are in our fourth generation now in running this family business. My grandfather, William H. Bowser, pur- chased the company in 1945 and we have run it ever since. Besides my duties as vice president of sales at Bright, I also travel the country presenting business seminars. I have helped many companies and many industries improve their busi- ness development and I believe that it is vital that we do the same thing in our own industry. Some of you, are probably still doubt- ing, whether we should focus on sales in the funeral industry. Well, let me give you a few reasons that I think will curve that doubt. For one thing, your firm must be better at selling for self-preservation. If your funeral home doesn’t have any cus- tomers then you will eventually have to shut your doors. That is blunt, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Another reason is that those families you serve need you in their community. The local funeral home can be a stabiliz- ing factor for a grieving family when they feel like their emotional boat is capsizing. If you believe in what you do — and most of us do — then you will want to spread that influence to a greater sphere because of the good that is created. The challenge comes be- cause most funeral direc- tors were never trained on how to sell more effective- ly. So, what can we do? Well, I believe there are three things that we can do to improve our positioning and business development. One, funeral directors need to quit being embar- rassed about selling and advertising. As mentioned earlier, there is a stigma that seems to hover that says “Don’t sell. Selling is dirty.” That belief is so far from the truth...partially caused by our personal experiences with unethical sales- people. On the other hand, the ethical salesperson is the greatest force for good in our society. Nothing happens until someone sells something. You see, I believe every- thing is selling. It might be as simple as selling your cus- tomer on one register book design over another or as important as selling your teenage son not to try drugs. A great influence on my life was the late Zig Ziglar. I didn’t know him very well, but I consider him one of the greatest mentors I have ever had. Every once in a while someone would come up to Zig and thinking they were complimenting him say something like “I imagine you can sell anything to anyone.” That statement would grieve Zig’s heart and he would respond to them by ex- pressing that what they described was a con artist. Zig believed that the professional salesperson could not and would not sell anything to anyone unless they believed the customer was the big winner in the transaction. Zig Continued on Page A25 Digital Directory Now Available 1-800-321-7479 Only $125.00 Visit www.nomispublications.com Read the Funeral Home & Cemetery News Electronic Version Search the Online Directories