44 American Funeral Director • September 2020

T he Funeral Service Business PlanConference has built a reputationas one of the funeral profession’s

most intimate and worthwhile events… and not even a pandemic can stop it.This year, the event comes to

Nashville, Tennessee, Dec. 3-4 on theheels of the Cremation StrategiesConference at the RenaissanceNashville Hotel. “The smaller nature of this event

allows us to move forward despiteCOVID-19,” said Allison Sullivan, thelongtime publisher of Kates-BoylstonPublications. “We heard from somany people who urged us to hold theconference, and we decided that withsome adjustments, we’d be able toprovide this valuable educational andnetworking opportunity for all the

funeral professionals who want toreconnect and move forward.”Those “adjustments” will mean

hand sanitizer stations and spreadout seating. Masks won’t just bewelcome but encouraged.The event is sponsored by Implant

Recycling, Precoa, Ring RingMarketing, Funeral Services Inc. andExpress Funeral Funding and will beheld in the heart of Music City. “If you haven’t been a part of this

event before, you’ve missed out on anincredible learning opportunity,” saidMark Jorgensen, president andowner of Global Recruiters ofCincinnati. “Certainly, the presenta-tions are topically diverse andinsightful. But as is so often the case,much of the ‘value added’ is the

interaction with so many progressiveowners from around the country, asthey interact during the sessions, andless formally, before and after eachday’s program.”

Building the Best TeamJorgensen will kick the conference

off with a talk titled “Building andRetaining Your Team: The RightHire Is Only the Start.”“Not surprisingly, demand for our

recruiting and search work in 2020,before and during the pandemic, hasremained high and the supply ofquality talent remains low,”Jorgensen said. “Many are exitingthe profession annually, putting evenmore pressure on an already shortsupply.”

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45American Funeral Director • September 2020

Jorgensen hopes that the pandemicwill stimulate more dialogue withinthe profession and – in terms ofstaffing – shift the focus to whatreally matters. “In some states, onecan be a funeral director only; inothers an arranger only,” heobserved. “Many of these peopleenter funeral service from othercaregiving professions – health care,education or ministry. They’ll neverembalm, but they’ll be ideal formeeting and serving your families attheir times of greatest need. Alternateand additional licensing options areworth exploring.”

Asked about the biggest mistake hesees firms make when hiring,Jorgensen said, “Don’t become infat-uated with any candidate during thefirst conversation or interview.” Heexplained, “I hear stories of experi-enced directors (and even apprentices)

interviewing and being offered a jobon the spot. Career changes are amongour biggest life decisions and hiringdecisions are among an owner’s mostconsequential. So that instant decisionto hire may mean employment asenduring as some surprise weekendmarriages at Las Vegas weddingchapels.”

As to the most common firingmistake, Jorgensen said too manyfirms make the move without evercommunicating performance con-cerns – verbally, in writing, andbefore the termination occurs. “If noobjective standards of performancewere established during hiring andonboarding, your employee maybelieve all is well and be unaware ofspecific performance deficiencies thatrise to a level warranting that end ofemployment conversation,” he said.

The TruthDan Isard, managing partner of

The Foresight Companies, willdeliver a talk titled “The Truth aboutSelling and Buying a Business.”

The number one error in this areais a “do it myself” mentality, Isardsaid. “People think they can do itthemselves because maybe they did it

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American Funeral Director • September 202046

that way when they bought thebusiness,” he said. “Or maybe it is afrugality, saving the fees of thebroker. I get both arguments.However, they focus on thecompletion of the act – not theprocess of the act.”For example, if you want to close a

deal but don’t know a firm’s truevalue and fail to take steps to get thebest financing and best terms, thenyou may still close the deal – but at agreat cost, Isard said. “A goodbroker for a buyer or seller does theexact same thing, except from adifferent perspective depending upontheir client,” he said.During his years advising clients,

Isard has seen it all. “I have repre-sented sellers where the buyerrepresented themselves,” he said.“Their lawyer produced a purchasedocument that omitted many keycomponents. In one case, the lawyerhad no reference to preneed. The wordor concept was not mentioned. Herethey were buying a business withalmost $10 million in preneed accountsand their lawyer omitted the entireconcept! The client could haveabsconded with the money and thebuyer would have had no recourse.”Isard has also represented buyers

where the seller heard at a conferencethat “funeral homes sell for betweensix to eight times revenue” – astatement that astounded him. “No,they sell for a multiple of earningsbefore interest, taxes, depreciationand amortization,” he said. “Thisguy thought his $500,000 revenuebusiness was worth between $3million and $4 million.”Another big mistake is a “trust the

buyer” mentality,” Isard said. “Theacquisition companies are filled withgreat people,” Isard said. “Thesecorporate development people andthe seller will have many friends incommon. So, the seller will speak toone buyer at a time. They will trustthey will give them the highest valueas they are their friend. Thesetrusting souls do not understand,‘buy low, sell high.’” As to how the coronavirus has

changed the transition of firms,relationships are no longer aseffective as they used to be, he said.“We used to begin this relationship(or enhance it if they knew eachother) with a dinner as part of theprocess. Now we are ‘Zooming.’ Wecan’t get on planes as easily or effec-tively as a few months ago. In somecases, the closings have beenadversely affected as some court-houses that hold or register deeds arenot open or have limitations onoutsiders coming in. They may alsobe short staffed. So, there areobstacles but not impediments.”

Leveraging the InternetReturning to the program by

popular demand is secret seven-figureweapon Welton Hong, the founderof Ring Ring Marketing, who saidmost of his clients have heeded hisadvice to tweak how they’re commu-nicating with families amid theCOVID-19 pandemic.That has meant including a pop-up

on their websites to let visitors knowthey are open for business whiledemonstrating they are taking COVID-19 protocols and procedures seriously.“It’s a critical communication tool

that also conveys trustworthiness andauthority,” Hong said. “For many ofthem, we provided copy that was thencustomized to each particular clientfor their preferences and branding,such as using their logos andmatching their branding colors andstyles. Many also added specific pagesregarding their COVID-19 responseand what families could expect.”Additionally, a significant number

of Hong’s clients have begun to holdregular videoconferences withfamilies as well as virtual seminarsfor preneed sales. Hong will sharewhat he and his clients have learnedwhile navigating the pandemic – aswell as everyday marketing bestpractices – during his talk titled“Turning Clicks into Dollars.”Firms that have chosen to ignore

the pandemic are making a costlymistake, Hong said. “Even now that we’re arguably in

the recovery phase, people want toknow they’ll be safe,” he said. “Theywant to know exactly which servicesyou’re permitted to provide and whatlimitations remain. Funeral homes whofail to communicate that right up frontare missing a golden opportunity.”As to some of the takeaways from

his talk, Hong said he hopes firmswill walk away knowing that socialmedia does not generate many at-need calls – something he thinks is awidespread myth in the profession.“It just isn’t true,” he said. “Socialmedia can be great for branding andpreneed, but for significant at-needgeneration, you absolutely must useintent marketing. In this case, thatmeans focusing on search.”Preneed is where to focus on social

media, Hong said. “Social mediaworks well for this because you cancommunicate information about whypeople need to preplan, all thebenefits of doing so, etc.,” he said.

Straight Talk from HeffnerErnie Heffner, president of Heffner

Funeral Chapel & Crematory inYork, Pennsylvania, and the 2019winner of the International Cemetery,Cremation and Funeral AssociationEducational Foundation’s LastingImpact Award, will share why

Dan Isard

Welton Hong

offering celebrant services has been agame changer for families – and hisbusiness – during a talk titled,“Celebrant Services: A Commitmentthat Appreciates Year after Year.”“I believe celebrants are one of

three primary keys for success in the21st century,” Heffner said. “Ourprofession was built on traditions ofreligious ceremony followed byburial. Without meaningful, relevantceremony, our profession will be in afinancial death spiral, regardless ofburial or cremation stats.”According to a Christian

ministers’ organization, PastoralCare, each year about 7,000 U.S.churches close their doors andabout 3,500 people a day leave thechurch, Heffner said. The “Nones”– or those without any religiousaffiliation, continue to grow innumber – and more of them arechoosing to honor a loved onewithout any help from a funeralhome. But celebrants can helpchange that, he said.“For more than 10 years since we

first began offering celebrantceremonies, I have been witnessingthe positive emotional consequencesand tracking the financial impactresulting from my associates creatingand performing celebrant cer-emonies,” Heffner said. “Unequi-vocally, certified celebrants enhancethe ceremony experience both forclient families and their attendingguests while negating any relevanceof burial or cremation rates. In mypresentation, I will share our real-world statistics along with what wefound to be true and what I wasoriginally mistaken about.”

Countless positive comments fromclients and ceremony attendees havebeen sent to Heffner and his staff,which has reaffirmed why celebrantcertification is so important. “Bottomline of what I’ve witnessed:Celebrants get hugs, clergy not somuch,” he said.In Nashville, Heffner will share

how to offer celebrant services,including how to select and educatestaff – as well as who not to consider.He’ll also share pictures of servicesinfluenced by celebrants, how toeducate the public via advertising andhow to price and word celebrantoptions on the general price list.

Due Diligence for Deals Wendy Russell Wiener, managing

member of WRW Legal; and BillWilliams, president, CEO and vicechairman of Funeral Services Inc., willdeliver a talk titled “Due Diligence forBuyers and Sellers.”“Our presentation will focus on

the due diligence necessary for aneffective transaction whether for thebuyer or seller of a business,” RussellWiener and Williams said. As an example, Russell Wiener and

Williams shared the story of a recentbuyer they worked with who learnedthat the seller failed to withdrawfunds related to fulfilled and canceledcontracts from trust for a period ofyears. “The seller unintentionally leftbehind, for the benefit of the buyer,multiple six figures in trust,” theyshared. “The necessary due diligenceregarding trust would have revealedthis information for the seller.”During their talk, the duo will

highlight the failure to:

• Utilize an industry specificchecklist for due diligence.• Examine the regulatory history

of the target.• Examine and reconcile all trusts

prior to placing the business up for sale.• Select transaction counsel with

death-care specific expertise.Attendees will walk away with a

robust understanding of how toconduct due diligence, an industryspecific checklist and insights on howto evaluate the condition of trustsassociated with a business, they said.

Turbocharging Your WebsiteCourtney Gould Miller, chief

strategy officer, legal counsel andhead of digital at MKJ Marketing,will deliver a talk titled “What Makesa Website Productive?”Having a robust presence online has

proved more critical than ever duringthe global pandemic, she said. “Now,the website is really the center of thebusiness … many people are nevercoming into the funeral home,” she said.Even if there are no more

lockdowns, many people will remainhesitant to walk into a funeral homebecause of health concerns, she said.“They are interested in virtualplanning,” she said. MKJ has beenworking with its clients on pop-ups,safety precautions and more so thatclients can feel safe – and so thefuneral home can be seen as anexpert, she said.“We have also been working with

our funeral estimator with clients,which allows clients to get anestimate of overall price of theservices they’re interested in,”Gould Miller said. “We have been

47American Funeral Director • September 2020

Ernie Heffner

Bill Williams

WendyRussell Wiener

told it is really intuitive and easy touse – and that is exactly whatpeople want. They don’t want abelabored process.”In most places, lockdowns have

lasted long enough to promptconsumers to expect virtual optionsfrom now on, Gould Miller said.“We have seen a major change inconsumer behavior,” she said. “Ifthis had been a two-week thing, Ithink we could have gone back topre-pandemic consumer behaviors… but we are not going back now.People are going to expect virtualfor the foreseeable future.”

Working with HospiceDanny Funchess, director of opera-

tions in North Carolina for ParkLawn Corp., will highlight how todevelop strong relationships withhospice care organizations – an areahe has expertise in as both a hospicenurse and funeral director.Funeral homes and hospice have a

complicated relationship, which isoften the result of misguided attemptsfrom each side to communicate valuesand goals, he said. “As death-careprofessionals, we often do not take thetime nor make the effort to under-stand hospice, their organization, theirlanguage, or the extent to which theyare invested in patients and theirfamilies,” he said. “On the otherhand, hospice professionals do notunderstand what motivates funeraldirectors and the extent to which weare engaged with families during thepost-death experience. To put itbluntly, most funeral directors fear thepropensity of hospice workers to move

families toward low-cost funeralinitiatives; on the other-hand it is notuncommon for hospice workers tostereotype funeral directors as onlyconcerned about money and profits.”Beyond misunderstandings

between the two parties, Funchesswill explore how the pandemic haschanged the dynamic betweenfuneral homes, hospice and hospitals.“Since most COVID-19 deathsoccur in ICUs or institutions, thehandling of such deaths is notcentered on the usual home-deathscenario,” he said. “However, it isimportant to reach out to hospiceand to initiate the conversation ofwhat-ifs and to address the need forproper precautions if a COVID-19death occurs at a home. Hospicewants to know that we have plansthat will protect their staff, thefamily, and ourselves and that we areaddressing all possible scenarios.”Attendees who listen to his talk will

walk away knowing the history ofhospice, its values, its language and theimportant role it plays and willcontinue to play in death care,Funchess said. They will also learnhow to begin and maintain a conver-sation with hospice to form apartnership and serve families together– as well as ways to communicatevalues to hospice care organizations.

Serving the FamousCarolyn Whigham, president and

owner of Whigham Funeral Home inNewark, New Jersey, will sharelessons learned serving high-profilepeople in a presentation called“High-Profile Funerals: The Good,the Bad and the Ugly.”

Whigham has presided over thefunerals of Whitney Houston andjazz singer Sarah Vaughan plusfamily members of jazz trumpeterWoody Shaw, former basketballplayer Shaquille O’Neal and others.

“There are two valuable lessons Ihave learned from serving high-profile funerals. The first, as in allfuneral services – the details matter,”Whigham said. “Understanding andlistening to the needs, concerns, andthe things that are most important toeach family, allow me to make everyfuneral feel personal and unique.”The second lesson, she said, is to

anticipate the unique factors thatsurround a high-profile funeral.“Although the basic conceptremains the same, small variableswill change depending on thefamily being served,” she said. “Asa funeral director working withsuch families, I deal with thingsthat are uncommonly found in aday-to-day funeral service, which iswhy I must think outside that boxto be prepared accordingly.”When serving a high-profile family,

mistakes are going to happen,Whigham said. “There are just toomany moving parts to get it 100%right all the time,” she said. “As afuneral director, there are times weenvision plans and executables that,for whatever reason, things do not goas planned. So, is that a mistake orpar for the course? My take on thismatter is to simply overcome theobstacle and find a way to success-fully reach my goal, which is toexecute an excellent service for the

48 American Funeral Director • September 2020

CarolynWhigham

Danny Funchess

Courtney Gould Miller

family and keep the family’s needsabove all others. I am not hired toserve the politician who asked me toadd them to the program at the lastminute or cater to the reporter whodid not get the vantage point thatthey wanted, or to the onlookerswho wanted a program or amemorial card. The thing or thingsthat I have learned is to execute theessential details of the service suchas, the request the family tells methat are non-negotiable.”You can’t get caught up in what is

beyond your control: the focus mustbe on executing the service to thebest of your ability, she said.

Getting Preneed Right Tyler Anderson, vice president of

business development at Precoa, willdeliver a presentation he calls, “DoesAnybody Still Care about FuneralService?” His talk will focus on thepreneed value proposition, which hesaid is the best way for firms to grow.“Some firms dismiss it, thinking

preneed is not a critical piece of theirbusiness,” he said. “The truth is, aproactive program expands marketshare, builds brand recognition and

awareness in the community, andincreases at-need case volume. So,the mistake for many firms comesfrom not making this source ofgrowth a priority.”However, simply using total sales

to judge the success or failure of aprogram means you miss out onother valuable metrics, he said. “Forone, measuring appointment set ratesgives you a clear indication of howeffective your marketing is,” he said.“For another, appointment holdrates show you how effective yourappointment setting process is.”Other critical measures include

service and disposition types, averagefuneral value, and the ratio betweenpreneed and at-need, he said. “Thelatter is a fairly simple leadingindicator to evaluate how much newpreneed volume you’re gaining,” hesaid. “And beyond all of these, thereis a wealth of other data you can useto learn how to evaluate and improveyour program. Understanding whateach measurement can tell you soyou can refine and adjust yourpreneed strategy is what makes thedifference between sustained growthand stagnation.”

At the conference, Anderson willalso delve into the impact that thecoronavirus has had on preneed. Ithas been downright drastic, he said.Anderson hopes to see a large

turnout at the conference, noting, “TheFuneral Service Business PlanConference will be a great opportunityto gather with other funeral profes-sionals and to learn from awell-rounded group of thought leadersand experts.” He added, “Theconference is designed so thatattendees come away with effectivetools and strategies they can use tostrengthen their businesses.” •

Tyler Anderson

When you register for the Funeral Service Business PlanConference by Sept. 30, you’ll save $100 off your registration. You’llalso get the chance to arrive early and learn even more by signing upfor the Cremation Strategies Conference Dec. 2 at the same hotel.Attendees who book their room at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel

in the heart of Music City will pay just $204 per night when reservinga hotel room via the conference website. You must book your roomby Nov. 10 to get the special rate.Visit www.katesboylston/events to learn about the Funeral

Service Business Plan Conference and Cremation StrategiesConference or email event coordinator Thomas Parmalee attparmalee@kbpublications.com.

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