Elevating Funeral Service

DNA testing has become popular the last few years with promotion from companies that offer in-home testing and the possibility of discovering information about someone that otherwise wouldn't be accessible.  For families who have lost a loved one, but never had their DNA tested, the last opportunity to do so would be at the funeral home, prior to final disposition.  On this episode, we talk with the team at DNA Memorial about what DNA preservation is, why it's important, how it works, and most importantly, how it can help your funeral home by offering this service to families.  This is a great episode with an interesting topic.  We'd love to hear your feedback. 

Do funeral consumers see your funeral home as being friendly to members of the LGBTQ+ community? Do prospective employees (or current) view your funeral home as a place that is inclusive and welcoming? On this episode, we talk with Timothy McLoone, a funeral director from Fluehr Funeral Home, and Dr. Sara Murphy, a death educator and faculty member at the University of Rhode Island, about why this topic is so important and how the right or wrong approach can impact your business.

When you work "in" your funeral home, you make it run. When you work "on" your funeral home, you make it grow. In this episode, we talk about working "on" your funeral home, and the first step in doing that is taking a snapshot of where things are now. A SWOT analysis is merely reviewing the landscape and examining your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats. An honest assessment of where you stand in each area is the starting point to growing your funeral home.

Funeral home owners will face increased competition in 2021 and it's critical to have the right strategy. On this episode, we discuss three things owners should focus on to win more calls and increase their market share.

Do you have defined goals for growing your at-need calls, preneed, or your profitability in 2021? Have you analyzed what you've done so far in 2021 and what you need to do differently heading into the next year? The Peter Drucker quote "you can't manage what you don't measure" is absolutely true, and on this episode, we discuss how successful funeral home operators think about their business and why goal setting is critical to their success. Ellery and Welton share insights on: 1. When you should start setting goals for the new year 2. What goals you should be setting 3. Why call volume alone is not a good measure of success#elevatingfuneralservice

If you're a funeral home owner, at some point, you're going to exit the business, and hopefully, that is through a successful acquisition. Whether an interested party has approached you or you've put it on the market, the offer(s) you receive, and eventual selling price, can be significantly impacted by a few key metrics that you may not even realize. On this episode, we talk with Jake Johnson about what acquirers look at when purchasing a funeral home or cemetery and why this should matter to owners, even if they have no plans to sell. We dive deep into the following:1. What makes a funeral home or cemetery attractive to an acquirer?2. What key metrics have the most significant impact on valuation?3. What an owner can start doing today to prepare for an eventual sale #elevatingfuneralservice

Not having the right phone skills or strategy can cost a funeral home a lot of money in lost business, which often goes unnoticed. When a person calls for a price, do you give them a direct cremation price, or do you display empathy and build rapport with the person? That subtle difference can make or break your opportunity. On this episode, we talk with Nicole Weideman from Dead Ringers, who explains the right and wrong way to answer the phone and why training is critical. We’ll learn the following: 1. The cost of not showing empathy when talking with families on the phone 2. How to build rapport with price shoppers 3. Easy ways to follow up with families after that initial phone call to increase your chance of winning their business. BONUS*** Listen to actual recordings from funeral homes and learn what NOT to do when taking a call.

Hospice organizations are involved with more deaths today than most funeral homes realize, and that number will continue to increase. This reality means that more and more families will listen to and take the hospice staff's recommendation on what funeral home to use. On this episode, we talk with Greg Grabowski from Hospice Advisors on what funeral homes can do to become the #1 recommended funeral home in your area. The answer isn't as simple as buying lunch or dropping off donuts. This episode is packed with knowledge and answers these questions. 1.) How to get more referrals from hospice2.) The very first thing you should do to start a relationship with your local hospice2.) How you can add value by making the hospice staff's job easier #elevatingfuneralservice

The biggest convention in funeral service is going virtual this year and we asked Anthony Kaniuk and Troy Blewett to give us an overview of the convention and what we can expect. Surprisingly, other than the obvious fact that it's virtual, the same opportunities exist for education, CE credits, networking, and, of course, the exhibit hall. The staff at NFDA have put a lot of work into making this a great experience for the attendees and exhibitors and we are all looking forward to it. On this episode we talk about:1.) What to expect from a virtual convention2.) How to get your CE hours3.) Getting the most value by including your staff that otherwise might not attend an in-person event#elevatingfuneralservice

Many funeral home owners are considering opening a discount cremation brand to defend their market share from aggressive competitors. Seems like an obvious idea, but is it the smart thing to do?That depends. On this episode, we talk with John McQueen, a successful funeral home operator who simultaneously grew brands at the high and low ends of the market. John shares his expertise as we dive into three important questions. How to decide if you should (or should not) open a discount cremation businessHow to avoid cannibalizing your traditional business How to create differentiation between the brands to show value and support pricing

One of the most important assets a funeral home owns is their domain name, and if not protected properly, it can unknowingly be at risk. A few common problems we see are the funeral homes not actually owning their domain names, or domain names expire and are lost because they weren't renewed on time. Another problem we see is when a funeral home wants to change website providers, they face roadblocks as they try to transfer the domain name to the new company. These problems can quickly turn into nightmares for your funeral home or cemetery. The good news is that these issues are preventable. On this episode, learn how:1. Find out who owns your domain name2. Learn how to make sure you have control over your domain name3. Learn how to protect domain name from scammers

If your phone isn't ringing as much as you'd like, there are a few things you can do to change that. Before a consumer calls your funeral home they've likely done some research on your site, your competitor's sites and more. What they're doing is to getting their questions answered, they are arming themselves with as much information as possible, and they're making a judgement about your value proposition. If you provide the answers, information, and value they are seeking, your phone will start ringing. You have to pass those tests before the consumer will call you. On this episode, we talk about ways to get more consumers dialing your phone. 1. How to immediately show differentiation online2. How your website needs to be the guide3. How to call the consumer to action.

Think of a blog like the game of Jeopardy. On that game, the answer is given and the contestant must state the question to win. A blog is similar in that you're going to write articles that are the "answer" to a person's search query before they ask. When a user searches for something, Google matches that query to your content. In short, if you don't have content that answers a searcher's question, Google will never send them to your site. On this episode you will learn why a blog is an overlooked, and nearly free, tool to help position you as the industry leader and give Google a reason to send traffic to your site. Also learn:1. What types of articles you should write2. How to get someone to write the articles for you3. Tips on how to succeed with a blog.

Have you considered outsourcing some areas of your business like accounting, aftercare, HR, social media, digital marketing, preneed, or answering your own phone? Running a funeral home or cemetery is hard, but it can be even harder if you try to wear all the hats yourself. Successful companies understand that outsourcing actually makes them more successful. On this episode we discuss:1.) How outsourcing frees you up to focus on your core mission2.) Outsourcing is about finding a partner, not giving up control3.) The seven areas of your business where outsourcing might makes sense

If you are not surveying families after the service is over, you are missing a HUGE opportunity. Surveys aren't just about rating how pleasant your staff was, or how smoothly everything went, you probably already know that. Surveys provide hidden gems like unique insights, patterns, and data that provide you with a literal checklist of what is needed to continually improve your service levels.On this episode, Ellery and Welton discuss family follow-up surveys in detail, including: 1. Why surveying families is necessary2. What questions you should ask3. How to get a high response rate#elevatingfuneralservice

If a funeral home wants to convert more website visitors to customers, adding the right videos to their website is the quickest way. Videos add a lot of value, create a better experience, and help the consumer make a confident choice. Understandably, creating videos can seem expensive if hiring someone, or difficult if trying to create in-house, but neither is true. In this episode, you will learn how to quickly get the videos you need to stand out from the competition. In this episode, we discuss: 1. The five videos you should have on your funeral home website 2. Tips on how to make great videos yourself 3. How to find professional videographers inexpensively.

There has been a lot of confusion the last two months on how funeral homes can have their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiven. On June 5, 2020, a revision was passed that changed the rules in a positive way and made it easier to qualify for forgiveness. On this episode, we invited Tim Bridgers from Live Oak bank to explain the most recent changes, why they were necessary, and how funeral homes can position themselves. What changes were madeWhy the changes were necessary and how they benefit funeral homes. How you can prepare for loan forgiveness

Most General Prices Lists are confusing, poorly designed, and do very little to show the value you provide to families. The FTC mandates that you have it and give it out, but there is a missed opportunity by thinking about it only as a compliance tool and not as a marketing opportunity. On this episode, we discuss ways to elevate your GPL that are low cost but have a big impact. 1. How to make it less confusing 2. Why you should hire a designer to create it 3. How creating a companion video to explain it builds trust#elevatingfuneralservice

Do you text with the families you are serving today? Do you have a way price shoppers can text a question? Are you following up with families after the service is over with text messaging? Texting families may initially seem impersonal given the nature of death care, but funeral homes that are doing it are sharing how much families appreciate it and how it elevates the level of the service they provide. On this episode, Ellery and Welton are joined by Craig Meehan from ASD and discuss the following.1. Examples of how texting is benefiting families and funeral homes2. How to use texting to win more price shopper calls3. Ideas on using group texting to provide updates to families

Funeral directors are typically uncomfortable asking families to leave an online review, which is understandable because of the delicate nature of the service provided. The problem is your funeral home is being judged every day based on the reviews others have left, and if you don't have very many, it's going to impact your calls negatively. On this episode, we discuss answers to the following: 1. Which families you ask to leave a review 2. The best time to ask the family for a review3. The best way to ask a family to write a review

If your funeral home gets a negative online review, there is a RIGHT way and a WRONG way to handle it. If you handle it the right way, you can turn a negative into a positive. If you handle it the wrong way, you will amplify the problem. On this episode you will learn..1.) The first thing you must do if you get a negative review2.) How to publicly respond to the person who left the review3.) How to get fake reviews removed #elevatingfuneralservice

Think about online reviews like a bunch of people standing in front of your funeral home holding up signs for people to see as they drive by. The signs declare how awesome you are or how poorly you treat customers. The signs are invitations or warnings. When consumers Google your name, or "funeral home near me," these metaphorical signs are displayed like people on a picket line. They're hard to miss. Would you stop at a business if every sign being held up was negative? Would you feel confident if every sign was positive? What if there were lots of positive signs and one negative one way in the back? Would that one even matter?On this episode, learn why reviews are critical to having a successful funeral home today.1.) Why online reviews matter even if a family has been recommended to you.2.) Why Yelp matters even if you believe people in your market don't use it. 3.) How reviews affect your search ranking.

If a potential family in your market was faced with an at-need situation or was considering preplanning, what questions would they have? Does your funeral home website specifically answer those questions? The hard truth is they're probably not going to call you for the answer. They will look elsewhere and may end up on a competitor's website. In any business, confidence is needed for consumers to take the next step and on this episode you will learn how adding a well-designed FAQ section to your website can do more to convert customers than any other page. Top three things an FAQ section can do for you. 1. Give consumers confidence to do business with you 2. Save time by answering questions ahead of time3. Improve your search ranking by having more FAQs

If you're going to post your funeral prices online, there is a right way and a not-so-right way of doing it. On this episode, we talk about the four ways to show prices online. 1. Posting your GPL2. Showing price ranges3. Package prices4. Using a quote builder or cost estimator. If done properly, posting your prices can be an effective way to differentiate you from your competitor, demonstrate value, and give families something to compare other than price. With today's consumer, funeral homes must get this part right or risk losing families to competitors that do a better job of communicating the value they provide.

HOT TOPIC ALERT! Funeral consumers want to see pricing online. We all know that's true, so if you're not posting your prices then your website is, by definition, not customer-centric. On this episode (Part 1,) Ellery and Welton make a case as to why funeral homes should post their prices, and how that can actually help them win MORE calls.

Every funeral home website should include the ability to plan and pay for services online. On this episode we go into detail about three things. 1. Why we think it's critical for funeral homes to make that available.2. What some concerns are from the funeral home. 3. Best practices using empathy as the designer of the experience.

The Payroll Protection Program is part of the CARES act stimulus package designed to help prevent small businesses from laying people off during the COVID-19 crisis. This is important tool for funeral homes and on this episode Ellery and Welton share how and why funeral homes should be applying for this immediately.

Funeral homes shouldn't assume families know they are open during this pandemic. Many families may be wondering if you're open, is it safe to come in, how can funeral takes place now, etc. On this episode, learn easy ways to show families you are open and ready to serve them, despite what's going on with the virus.

Funeral homes across the country are facing more competition than ever before and many struggle with how to differentiate themselves. The result is they feel pressured to compete on price. On this podcast, the hosts show proven ways to stand out from the competition by adding more value for families and improving the customer experience.

With a ban on gatherings due to the Coronavirus, funeral homes need a way to make arrangements over video and stream funeral services online. On this episode, Ellery and Welton discuss how Zoom works and why they think it's a good solution.