Page A30 september 2023 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Section A Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice www.apfsp.org Credentialed. Confident. Connected. Show your dedication to your profession and set yourself apart! WHO WE ARE The Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, founded in 1975, is committed to life-long learning and excellence among funeral service professionals. Our members have a passion for personal and professional development in funeral service. WHAT WE DO The Academy’s voluntary certification program provides you the opportunity to earn the Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) designation. CFSP, the first, and still the most highly regarded, voluntary designation awarded in the industry. Visit with us at NFDA! BOOTH #1824 2023 NFDA International Convention & Expo Pre-Convention Highlights 1:15 P.M. – 2:15 P.M. (1 CE HOUR) Let’s Talk: Serving Today’s Families Effie Anolik, Co-Founder & CEO | Afterword The generational transition is happening with baby boomers approaching 75. Millennials are moving into the primary planner role, and they make purchasing decisions differently than their parents. Unlike previous generations, they’re forming an opinion before stepping foot into your funeral home: from visiting your website, reading Google reviews, and scanning your social media profiles. Your funeral home is perfectly curated to create a welcoming and safe environment, but without the proper online presence, you may never be given the opportunity to show the next generation of planners what makes you unique. When a Child Dies: Creating a Community of Care Betsy Hawley, Executive Director | Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition Buffy Peters, Director | Hamilton’s Academy of Grief & Loss Vicki Jay, Chief Executive Officer | National Alliance for Grieving Children When a child dies, the need for support for both the family and the community is overwhelming. It does, however, provide an opportunity for funeral service to shine in a way that will be remembered forever. Join us as we discuss creative and innovative ways that your funeral home can reach out to community partners such as hospices, healthcare systems, schools, grief centers to create awareness and provide support following the death of a child. How Do You Drive a Tesla Without a Battery? Danny Jefferson, Managing Leader | Pierce-Jefferson Funeral & Cremation Services Alan Creedy, Owner | Creedy & Associates Danny will take the audience to a place of laughter, reflection, and learning as he works the audience to participate in the session. Using a question and answer “live interview” format with selected audience members, Danny and Alan will facilitate a discussion on a variety of topics, including recruitment and retention, tips to increase sales volume and cash flow, merchandising, caseloads and staffing, and motivational leadership. Our role as leaders is not to provide information…it is to facilitate transformation. Stop by Booth 1757 Join the Celebration NOMIS PUBLICATIONS, INC. CELEBRATING OUR FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY YOUR REAL SOURCE. ANYWHERE. ANYTIME. WORKSHOPS Sunday, September 10 11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. (1 CE HOUR) Succession Planning and Investing in Key Employees Bryan Evans, Founding Partner | Evans & Davis Stewart Van Duzer, First Vice President Director of Special Projects – Risk Management | Federated Insurance Every business has long-term goals. To achieve those goals, two things need to happen: retain your key employees and have an exit strategy. Entrepreneurs have built their businesses through hard work and sacrifice. These owners deserve a great exit package, and a great exit package means knowing what your business is worth. This presentation will focus on rewarding key employees as well as price and common business valuation mistakes. Don’t Fear Transparency with Online Pricing Marty Ludlum, Professor of Business Law | University of Central Oklahoma Kara Gray Ludlum, CPA and Funeral Director | Osiris Funeral Software Prepare your firm for online pricing, the new normal. Learn how to implement online pricing and what benefits transparency has to your firm. Explore how you can compete in areas other than just price. If you aren’t listing your prices online now, join us to learn why it’s an essential business benefit. Improv for Funeral Directors Joseph Thomas, CFSP, Funeral Director | Shackelford Funeral Directors For decades, improv comedy theatres like Second City, The Groundlings, and The Upright Citizens Brigade have offered training on how the principles of improv can relate to, and improve, business performance and customer service. Learn how you can take the basics of improv comedy and adapt them to the various scenarios funeral directors often encounter to enhance customer service, improve funeral plan execution, and help navigate unforeseen circumstances. Delivering Phenomenal Preneed Experiences Tyler Anderson, Vice President, Business Development | Precoa Have you noticed a growing number of families don’t automatically value funeral service? Building on the latest research and data, learn why consumer norms are shifting and how preneed is the best way to innovate the customer journey. With a focus on proactively educating and connecting with families, find out how to increase your reach and build lasting brand awareness with preneed experiences that are nothing short of remarkable. You’ll discover why consistently engaging today’s customers will transform how they start experiencing your funeral home. Foundations for Trust in Funeral Service Melissa Posey Loose, MA, LFD, CCO, Training and Development Manager | NFDA Helping families feel comfortable with the idea of interacting with a funeral service professional begins with that professional’s ability to connect. The need to ease anxiety and discover what each family values and how family members want to honor the life of their loved one can only be met through first building trust. When a high level of trust is achieved, that connection will open the doors for understanding bereaved families’ unique needs and desires for providing care and memorialization for their deceased loved one. This workshop reinforces how to understand what families need from funeral service professionals, how to better build trust with families, and what can be done to develop a customized approach for relating to families. Professional Women’s Conference Re-Connect SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 | 4 P.M. – 5 P.M. HILTON RESORTS WORLD, ROSE TERRACE This will be a gathering of past and future Professional Women’s Conference attendees to “re-connect” with friends and colleagues.
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