Why is it that families choose cremation more often than they choose traditional funeral services? This – it’s the question of the decade, isn’t it? At ICCFA 2018, Doug Gober, president and owner of Gober Strategic Capital, believes he might have a hunch on why. According to Doug, this choice points to a larger dilemma […] The post What Cremation Families Really Want (And How to Offer It) appeared first on funeralOne Blog. What Cremation Families Really Want (And How to Offer It) published first on YouTube via Tumblr What Cremation Families Really Want (And How to Offer It)
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We’re going to Las Vegas baby!! The ICCFA Convention is the kick off to the funeral professions convention season. Follow our team to Las Vegas as we talk with funeral directors about the changing landscape of the deathcare profession. We talk about grief content on Facebook, custom apps for obituaries, we watch street performs and we get an inspirational spoken word from my man Keith Charles – evolve or dissolve. You gotta know the uppertaker and the undertaker. The post EVOLVE OR DISSOLVE | FUNERAL hustle 020 appeared first on Connecting Directors. EVOLVE OR DISSOLVE | FUNERAL hustle 020 published first on YouTube via Tumblr EVOLVE OR DISSOLVE | FUNERAL hustle 020 ATLANTA, GA- Halcyon Deathcare Management Solutions continues to innovate the deathcare industry as the first management solution to utilize voice recognition. You may now enter case data and other information simply by clicking a button to activate voice input and speaking. Recent studies have shown that voice data entry is now several times faster than typing even when any necessary spelling corrections are factored in. “We are very excited to offer voice data entry and we think people will be surprised to learn that the voice recognition feature is included in Halcyon Platinum at no additional cost and without the need to purchase any additional hardware,” said Sara Gard, President & CEO of Halcyon DCMS. “We see so much potential for this feature. Users may find this feature particularly useful during an arrangement conference. In the past making arrangements on a computer in front of the family was seen as impersonal; however, as technology continues to become a part of our everyday lives people across all generations often expect to interact with a computer. Adding a large screen to the arrangement room will allow the family to see and validate the accuracy of the information as it is entered into the Halcyon management system. Voice data entry is a powerful tool that will allow funeral directors to enter the data much faster, especially for those funeral directors who use the two-finger hunt and peck method of data entry. Voice recognition allows the funeral director to spend less time typing on the keyboard and more time interacting directly with the family.” To see voice data entry in action please visit www.halcyondcms.com/news.htm for a short video. ABOUT HALCYON Want to learn more about Halcyon Platinum? Request a demo via [email protected] or visit www.halcyondcms.com. The post Halcyon Deathcare Management Solutions Debuts Voice Data Entry appeared first on Connecting Directors. Halcyon Deathcare Management Solutions Debuts Voice Data Entry published first on YouTube via Tumblr Halcyon Deathcare Management Solutions Debuts Voice Data Entry This Pickles cartoon is a Death Cartoon, in that it brings up the topic of what photo to use on the cover of a funeral/memorial serice program. Earl has Opal where he wants her in the battle over future visits to the fabric store. The power of the preferred photo prevails! via Tumblr Death Cartoon: The Perfect Program Photo It’s back to the cemetery for a memorial marker lesson in this Non Sequitur cartoon. The headstone reads, “Motto: Learn and Live.” The widow tells the assembled mourners, “I kept telling him he had it backwards. Needless to say, he was a pretty slow learner.” If your learning lags, your living drags. And vice versa. Personally, I […] via Tumblr Death Cartoon: Lessons from Humorous Headstones How we shop has changed more in the last 20 years than in the entire previous century. Millennials are now buying their toilet paper on Amazon instead of stopping at the drug store on their way home from class. Is this because they are lazy? No – It’s because it just makes more sense. You could take 10 minutes to go to a store, pick out your TP, and carry it home… or you can order it on Amazon and have a higher quality product delivered to your door in 2-days for less money. In physical stores we determine quality based on a variety of variables like price, shelf placement, description, and packaging, but online we make decisions based on reviews. A 2014 study conducted by Power of Reviews found that 86% of consumers said reviews are an essential resource when making purchase decisions. This applies to the funeral industry in a big way because it is easy to compare a handful of funeral home’s reviews side-by-side on Google.
If you are comparable to your competitor online, or worse… you wouldn’t choose your home based on reviews – don’t panic – your ratings can be improved with a little knowledge and work. The good news is that 68% of consumers asked to leave a review by a business actually take the time to leave one – they just need a little encouragement! Why Should I Care About Reviews?Online Reviews Increase ConversionsWe’ve already covered the importance of reviews and the decision making influence they have on customers, but this point cannot be over emphasized in the digital age of ecommerce. According to a 2017 survey by Bright Local, 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. In an industry where businesses over the last century were built and destroyed on factors related to trust – this is an crucial statistic. Referrals still rule funeral home traffic, they just look a lot different than they did in the 90’s. Product Reviews Increase TrafficThe goal of Google’s search algorithm is to identify the most relevant websites for search terms (like “funeral home”) and to make sure that the websites they show are going to satisfy the people searching. One of the best ways for google to measure if a person will be satisfied with a website is by directly measuring the customer ratings. The higher your ratings, the higher google will put your funeral home in search results (I oversimplified Google’s process, but you get the idea). If you can show up before competitors on Google then you will receive more traffic to your website and capture more new customers. Feedback Helps Create Better ProductsThere aren’t many things more motivating than public accountability. Look closely at your positive reviews to identify repeated compliments. You can use this data to emphasize what people love about your business to further improve your service. As much as negative reviews are painful, each one needs to be seriously considered. If there are repeated complaints about a certain aspect of your service you should invest in solving the problem in order to make customers happier… and because too many negative reviews could cost you thousands of dollars in lost customers. How to Get More Positive Reviews1. Claim and Set Up Your Online Review AccountsIf you have not already set up your accounts for 1.Yelp, 2. Facebook, and 3.Google – this is the first step. The latter order of online review platforms is also the order of importance to customers. It is important for you to either “claim” your business profile or create a new one altogether in order to control your band image, copy, photographs, and website link. It will make you appear professional and encourage more positive reviews while building trust with potential customers. To take the first steps, you can set up your Facebook Page here, claim your Google Business here, and claim your Yelp Profile here. 2. Encourage Customers to Write Reviews With Post-Purchase EmailsFollow up emails with previous customers are a huge opportunity for funeral homes that is rarely taken advantage of. A couple weeks after a service, send a personal email to the customer to check-in and offer them tips on community grief-help resources. In the email, ask for a review of their experience and link them to the review website of your choice. You may even include some simple instructions explaining how to navigate the site to leave the review. 3. Design and Share Reviews on Social MediaIf a customer has a great experience with your funeral home – they probably want to leave you a review, but they dont know how or they didn’t think to do it. By sharing fancy graphics of your previous reviews, it will build trust from new customers online and inspire previous customers to leave public reviews about their experience. I created the image below for Berardinelli Funeral Home using the free program called Canva.com in less than 10 minutes. This is quick-to-generate quality content to share on social media and in online advertising. 4. Respond to ReviewersOn most review sites you have the ability to respond to reviews that are posted about your funeral home. This is an incredible opportunity to show the attention to detail and personability of your services. Respond to every review with a warm personal message and it will be noticed by future customers deciding which funeral home to work with. Unfortunately, you will get negative reviews. DONT PANIC. This is totally fine and as long as you respond to each one with compassion and keep them to a minimum they will not effect customers decisions. In fact, there is research to suggest that customers specifically look for negative reviews to prove the reviews they are reading are actually from real customers. 5. Incentivize Customers to Write ReviewsA great strategy to increase your number of reviews fast is to offer an incentive to previous families to leave a review of their experience. Incentives can include a free gift, tickets to a local event, an eBook about grief, or a discount to your memorial product showroom. You can include this offer in your personal follow up email. * Remember, although you can offer incentives for reviews, you cannot make the offer contingent on a positive review. 6. Get Help Improving Your ReviewsWe know that funeral directors have no time in their busy profession that requires them to know everything from how to operate a crematory to soothing grieving families. Sometimes there is just no capacity to take on additional responsibilities. There are professionals you can hire hire to help improve your online presence. Our sister company DISRUPT Media can help you increase revenue by improving your online reviews and engaging new customers on social media before they go to your competitors. Click Here to Learn How We Can Increase Revenue For Your Business Using Positive Reviews and Social Media MarketingThe post Don’t Suffer From Bad Reviews: Learn 6 Tips to Get More Positive Reviews Online appeared first on Connecting Directors. Don’t Suffer From Bad Reviews: Learn 6 Tips to Get More Positive Reviews Online published first on YouTube via Tumblr Don’t Suffer From Bad Reviews: Learn 6 Tips to Get More Positive Reviews Online Funeral potatoes? Yep, this is a real thing and most of us have tried this tasty dish but most likely did not call them ‘funeral potatoes’. In my family, we referred to this dish as ‘Potato Casserole’. They are one of my favorite side dishes! And I know many wonderful church ladies who delivery these on a daily basis to many grieving families. This is what Walmart’s website says about the dish:
What are Funeral Potatoes? Having originated in the West this delightful dish is anything but grim. In various parts of the USA, it’s also known as Potato Casserole, Party Potatoes, Cheesy Potatoes, and Mormon Potatoes. Commonly served at funerals and social gatherings. So good they’re to die for! This isn’t Walmart’s first funeral Product Back in 2009, Walmart began selling caskets online through Walmart.com. This sent funeral directors into a ruckus and start conversations about Walmart planting its flag in the funeral arena. However, little has come of this and in all honesty, it hasn’t really hurt the profession as a whole. Although, in some isolates areas it has been an issue. Walmart also carries many cremation urns and now funeral potatoes!! What if Walmart is planning to take on other areas of the funeral planning process? What if they launched an online preplanning site? They could sell the casket, urn or plastic vault (no sign of this yet) and now the reception or comfort food. Ok, that is a stretch and really isn’t going to happen, or could it? The post Walmart Takes One More Step Into The Funeral Industry With Funeral Potatoes appeared first on Connecting Directors. Walmart Takes One More Step Into The Funeral Industry With Funeral Potatoes published first on YouTube via Tumblr Walmart Takes One More Step Into The Funeral Industry With Funeral Potatoes One thing we’re always excited for when the ICCFA convention rolls around is the opportunity to seek new inspiration, learn and grow. This year, #1 bestselling author, Erik Qualman’s session, “Socialnomics: Winning Customers’ Hearts, Minds & Wallets in a Wi-Fi World” was one we couldn’t miss! Read on for our key insights. In this digital-age […] The post Socialnomics – Winning Customers’ Hearts, Minds & Wallets in a Wi-Fi World appeared first on funeralOne Blog. Socialnomics – Winning Customers’ Hearts, Minds & Wallets in a Wi-Fi World published first on YouTube via Tumblr Socialnomics – Winning Customers’ Hearts, Minds & Wallets in a Wi-Fi World If you’re looking for a final resting place that makes a big statement, look no further than The Great American Pyramid. This new exhibitor made a big splash at the expo of the 2018 International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) convention in Las Vegas. This structure will be huge: 600 feet tall and and […] via Tumblr Why not Spend Eternity in a Great American Pyramid? So much to see at the 2018 International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) convention and expo! This year’s theme was “All In.” Even with three days to visit the expo, I still didn’t get to see everything. But the new exhibitors I interviewed have some interesting offerings you’ll see in my YouTube videos in […] via Tumblr Fun Photos from the ICCFA Funeral Convention |
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