December 2019

Page A28 DECEMBER 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A mymortuarycooler.com Are you state compliant? Bay Memorials 321 S. 15 th St. • Escanaba, MI 49829 • (906) 786-2609 • Fax (906) 786-2692 Zerbel’s www.baymemorialsbabycaskets.com PROPORTIONALLY SIZED FOR MISCARRIED, STILLBORN & NEWBORN BABIES Burial Cradle caskets SM Available in 10”, 20”, 30” allowing you to tastefully care for even the smallest baby with all the compassion every parent desires for as low as $46.00 News Association ContinueD Selected Announces 2020 NextGen Seminar Start 2020 off with a Healthy Sales Vision by Attending Dead Talks DEERFIELD,IL— Selected Independent Funeral Homes’ 2020 NextGen Seminar, sponsored in part by Kelco Supply Company , will be held January 26-30, 2020 at the St. Kitt’s Marriott Resort and The Royal Beach Casino. Selected Independent Funeral Homes created the NextGen program to bring together young funeral pro- fessionals, as well as those new to the profession. The four-day NextGen Seminar, held annually, offers educa- tional and networking sessions for its participants. This year’s Seminar will feature two dynamic speakers. David Nixon, CMC and consultant to the Se- lected Study Groups, will lead the session “Look on the Business Side,” dem- onstrating the impor- tance for funeral service professionals to focus not only on their service to client families but also to the business side regard- less of title or position at their firms. Participants decide which topic areas to focus on. Dr. Lisa Prosser- Dodds will lead the ses- sion “Conflict Happens! Resolution through Ef- fective Communication,” that will introduce the five styles of resolution. This training will arm participants with a full toolbox to resolve conflict within their teams as well as when working with families. Following both presen- tations, special “Speak- ers Unplugged” sessions will allow ample time for speakers to address questions as well as en- gage in open discus- sion with participants. In addition, participants will have a chance to ad- dress the issues that matter most to them during the “Next Practices Exchange” session facilitated by Next- Gen co-chairs Colin Haskett of Haskett Funeral Homes Ltd., Lucan, ON, Canada and Nicole Mothe of Mothe Funeral Homes, LLC., New Orleans, LA. During the Seminar, Selected also will recognize the recipient of the 2020 NextGen Professional of the Year Award which highlights career achievements, commu- nity/organization involvement and awards/achieve- ments of funeral professionals under the age of 50. “The most inspiring and educational seminar that you could ever attend in our practice,” said Scott Minnich Jr., Minnich Funeral Home in Hagerstown, MD, about the NextGen Seminar. “The locations are a mere bonus.” Visit www.selectedfuneralhomes.org for complete in- formation on the 2020 NextGen Seminar, including available continuing education credits for all funeral service professionals. STERLING,VA— The In- ternational Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) will host its DEAD Talks Sales Conference on January 15– 17, 2020 at Luxor Las Ve- gas in Las Vegas, NV. “Fo- cus on Success,” the theme of this year’s DEAD Talks, was tailored to help sales people set their goals for the New Year. Based on the popular TEDTalks, attend- ees will hear the best ac- tionable advice in rapid fire 18-minute presentations designed specifically for family service counselors and sales managers working in the deathcare profession. Then following each group of three speakers, there will be Q&A sessions to em- phasize the take-aways. On Thursday, January 16, sales consultant and keynote speaker, Matthew Pollard, will help attend- ees break down their daily business operations to un- derstand where to make improvements that will grow their business and improve their sales in his keynote “Rapid Growth, the Lazy Way.” Matthew will also speak on the sci- ence of storytelling at a lunch session specifically for suppliers on Thursday afternoon. Author and sales trainer, David Hoffeld, will take the stage on Friday, Janu- ary 17, with his keynote “The Science of Selling.” David will show attend- ees ways to boost sales by understanding how client families perceive value and form confident purchasing decisions. “Timely and thought- provoking,” “all had rele- vant, usable stuff I can take home and put into action right away,” and “easy-to- implement tips” were just some of the comments from 2019 DEAD Talk at- tendees. This year’s DEAD Talks will feature sales top- ics such as digital prospect- ing, presenting cremation options, managing objec- tions, closing and staying connected through after- care. In addition to the DEAD Talks, attendees will learn from sales legend Gary O’Sullivan during his tra- ditional Fireside Chat, as well as be able to take ad- vantage of numerous net- working opportunities throughout the confer- ence. The ICCFA will also host Celebrant training on Jan- uary 13–15. Also hosted at Luxor Las Vegas, this two- and-a-half-day course will teach attendees how to cre- ate thoughtful, personal- ized funeral ceremonies that focus on the life of the individual rather than their religious affiliation. Complete program, ho- tel and registration infor- mation is available at www. iccfasales.com. Early bird rates apply through De- cember 10, 2019.