Page A4 september 2023 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Section A R&S MARKERS FREE Sample Upon Request CREATE CUSTOM TEMPORARY GRAVE MARKERS FOR AS LOW AS $5.25 EACH PHONE: 561.963.4732 EMAIL: INFO@RSMARKERS.COM WWW.RSMARKERS.COM 331.229.8981 Allow your customers to remember the one who has passed with a tangible imprint that captures the unique impression every life makes. Offered in a variety of keepsakes: pendants, cremation keepsakes, earrings, armed services style dog tags, rings, tie tacs, charms, and keychains as well as custom requests. Available in Sterling Silver as well as in 14kt. Yellow, White or Rose Gold with genuine birthstones. For a Free Display Kit contact us at: 1-800-774-0306 www.pmkeepsakes.com | pmkeepsakes@aol.com HANDCRAFTED IN THE USA A Keepsake of Love PMI008-5x4 AD 04-2023.indd 1 4/5/23 7:55 PM By Nancy Weil In most businesses when sales slack and customers aren’t coming in their door, they run a promotion. BOGO (Buy one, get one free) at shoe stores. Coupons for money off at clothing stores. Free appetizer at a restaurant. Sales promotion banners in their front window to entice you inside. But what if your business is in deathcare? Running a promotion can be a bit trickier when someone’s death is involved. Even with pre-need we are still reminding people of their own mortality and this requires a delicate balance between marketing and compassion. Add to this the unpredictability of when a death will occur. Unlike other businesses we cannot lure a “customer” in until they actually die. This is also a once and done business model – no repeat customers come in our doors. We are not Starbucks where consumers visit us daily and use their app to pay over and over again. So, what can be done when bills are mounting and sales are slow? The first thing that I advise is that when no one is coming in your door, that is the time for you to go out yours and raise community awareness of your business. Make new relationships or deepen old ones with those who work in senior care. There are two approaches to this method. One is to get in front of seniors who may be in need of your services either through pre-planning their funeral and burial or as an at-need client at some point in the future. The other approach is to get in front of caregivers – the staff who work at senior living apartments, senior centers or hospices. Think of the places in your town that have an activities director. These folks are always looking for programs to fill their calendar. Next think of what hobby or interest you or a staff member or even a Random Musings Serving as Member Resources Director at the International Order of the Golden Rule, Nancy Weil brings her years of experience working in the funeral industry to funeral directors across the globe. Her professional experience includes serving as Director of Grief Support and Community Outreach at Veterans Funeral Care in Clearwater, FL and at eleven cemeteries in Western New York. Nancy travels throughout the country offering presentations on how to reduce stress, combat compassion fatigue and offer support for those who are grieving through her company, The Laugh Academy. With certifications as a Grief Services Provider and Grief Management Specialist, Funeral Celebrant, Soul Injury Ambassador and Laughter Leader, Nancy is uniquely qualified to bring new perspectives into how to best meet the needs of the families you serve. For more information on how Nancy can help you and your company grow, visit her website: www.TheLaughAcademy.com or email Nancy@ TheLaughAcademy.com. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.NomisPublications.com Monthly Columnsonline at that then they would die. I addressed this by offering one of five “life adventures” if they preplanned: winery tour, golf lessons, spa gift card and more were options given and gratefully accepted. The pandemic created premature deaths that may now be impacting the number of cases you handle this year. However, that does not mean that you are powerless to take control of your business and how you market. No matter what you decide to do, remember that you too can “Make Your Plan, Then Live Your Life.” Do You Have a Coupon? friend has that could make a great program to offer. Then contact the activities director and book your presentation. This ensures that your funeral home or cemetery name will be advertised to everyone who lives in or uses that facility. Even if they don’t attend, you will still receive the benefit of this free publicity. At your event be sure to bring business cards, planning guides or other promotional materials. A point to remember: No hard sales tactics here. This is not a free lunch to learn about preplanning where the pressure is on to make an appointment. Your presentation is about providing a service, creating relationships and reminding them about your company. Additionally, seek out staff and find out what you can do for them. Senior care living and hospice staff are understaffed, overworked, and tired. Just like funeral directors they love what they do and the people they serve, but trying to keep up leaves them stressed and overwhelmed. Reach out and ask how you can support them. Maybe they could use a sponsor to bring in food for their staff meetings. Perhaps they would enjoy an ice cream truck pulling into their parking lot and offering a tasty treat on a hot day. Some may be looking for educational programs that will help them provide better information to those they serve. Just remember that many of these facilities run 24/7. Don’t neglect the second and third (overnight) shifts. There is nothing worse than coming into work and seeing the remnants of a cookie tray or a pizza box with a thank you note taped to the top sitting empty in the trash can. Finally, get creative. I have seen cemeteries run the BOGO type of sale on graves. I personally ran a preneed marketing campaign that I called: Make Your Plan, Then Live Your Life. I based this on the number of times people told me that they did not want to plan their funeral or burial because they were afraid David John Cook’s New Novel takes Readers on a Journey of Life and Death David John Cook KANSAS CITY,MO— David John Cook has announced the release of his newest novel, Sending People to Heaven – The Undertaker. “This book opens the door to more understanding of the death care industry – and those that work within it,” says Cook. Sending People To Heaven – The Undertaker pulls back the curtain on the extraordinary life of John, a licensed mortician working within the unseen world of caring for the dead...and the living. Go behind the scenes and experience the profoundly serious and, at times, amusing interactions John has with his staff as they unite in handling the preparation of the dead, and serving the grieving families left behind. Woven within the chapters are tender stories of tragic grief and loss, often heart-wrenching and shocking as families face the raw reality of death. David is a licensed funeral director and embalmer and has worked in the death care industry for over thirty years. He has written both magazine and newspaper articles on the subjects of death, grieving and healing after loss. He is also a public speaker and has shared his educational insights on the industry, death, dying and moving forward from the loss of a loved one. He graduated from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science and also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications from The University of Utah. David and his wife reside in the Midwest. They have seven children and four grandchildren. Throughout David’s experiences as a mortician, he has learned to treasure living as a tremendous gift of adventure, growth and self discovery. Sending People To Heaven- The Undertaker will take you on a journey of life and death, shock and denial, anger and guilt, bargaining and acceptance ... and finally, remembering. According to Cook, the book has become an educational experience for many and is now available at most major bookstores including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, and Target. Learn more at www.davidjohncookauthor.com. Like @Nomis.Publications Booth #1507
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