What are your atmospheric conditions?

Rich Darby,
Chief Operating Officer

Have you been paying attention to the atmospheric conditions surrounding your business? And, I am not referring to the weather outside. I am talking about the conditions that effect the customer experiences inside or outside of your facility.

Are your facilities warm and inviting? Is your cemetery entrance well lit? Often times we over look these things and don't realize their importance. Families want to do business with companies that invest in the customer experience and are constantly improving their facilities. They want to do business with a first-class operation.

Some families might not care about the cosmetic side of a facility or the lighting at a cemetery, and that is alright. But many do care. So, you may ask yourself, what type of customer do I want to attract? I know that I want the families we serve to have the ultimate experience. I want them to be comfortable and feel special while visiting us.

I challenge each of you to study your building or cemetery grounds, and find something to help enhance the customer experience. I would love to hear your success stories. You can reach me at RichD@trigard.com.

This article originally appeared in Modern Memorialization, Trigard Memorials' weekly electronic newsletter featuring information for the funeral industry. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.trigard.com/thursdays.

Is your preparation really paying off?

Jason Murphy,
Director of Family Services,
Sunset Memorial Park

When your cemetery staff gets ready for a meeting with a family, how do they prepare? Do they just gather all of the necessary materials and paperwork to complete a sale? Or do they go a step further and do their research?

Instead of robotically presenting your entire memorial design collection to a family and letting them decide which is right for them, teach your team how to research the family coming in to design a memorial. Even before the appointment, how much can they learn about the person's passions, hobbies or interests? If they were a piano teacher, flag the music-related emblems in our emblem catalog. If they spent every summer at the beach, flag the ocean Collage background.

Instead of asking the family to decipher all of the options, train your staff to think creatively and guide the family toward their best options. When you are able to bring a families attention to their true passions in life, they tend to focus less on the price and more on the value of the memorial.

The key is to make sure you are putting in the time and effort that it takes to be fully prepared. It can truly pay off for both your cemetery staff and the families you serve.


This article originally appeared in Modern Memorialization, Trigard Memorials' weekly electronic newsletter featuring information for the funeral industry. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.trigard.com/thursdays.

Are you helping create a lost generation?

Linda Darby,
Chief Executive Officer

In the fast paced world that we live in, many people want everything done quick and easy, including memorialization. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the long term effects of quick and easy memorialization can be very unhealthy. Not just for families, but for an entire generation.

It is important now more than ever to educate the families we serve on the importance of memorializing their loved ones. Let's say 50 years down the road, their descendants want to learn a little about their family. While public records can be a resource, memorials in a cemetery are vital for anyone doing genealogical research. So, what happens when we stop memorializing? We can end up with a lost and forgotten generation.

I encourage you to be a resource for families. Educate yourself about the newest memorialization options. Go to conventions, read industry publications and ask your suppliers for more ideas. Be an asset to this industry and help every generation be remembered. 

This article originally appeared in Modern Memorialization, Trigard Memorials' weekly electronic newsletter featuring information for the funeral industry. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.trigard.com/thursdays.

Tactic or strategy? What's the difference?

Stuart McDaniels,
Materials Manager

Are you working tactically or strategically? Do you know the difference? A strategy is an overall plan, which is achieved by several tactics or actions.

A simple comparison that we can all relate to is the family vacation. We decide on where we want to go and then utilize a map to plan our route. The overall decision on where to go is the strategy, and the steps to get there are the tactics. We can also decide on what attractions to visit, what hotels to stay a
where to stay and where to dine. These are all tactics that are part of the larger strategy.

Let's say for a minute that you decided to leave for vacation but didn't decide on where to go or how to get there. Without a strategy, you would end up driving around aimlessly burning a lot of fuel and putting unnecessary wear and tear on your vehicle. Also, think of your family and how frustrated they might become because you failed to plan. If they knew where you were going they could have helped you navigate more effectively to reach your destination. This is an example of working tactically and not strategically.

Do you have a strategy? Do your tactics support your strategy? Do you know where you want to end up, or are you just driving around? If you find yourself wandering aimlessly, do yourself a favor and pull over. Decide where it is you want to go, and then decide on how you get there. Work strategically before working tactically and it will help focus your efforts so that you are better able to achieve your plan.

This article originally appeared in Modern Memorialization, Trigard Memorials' weekly electronic newsletter featuring information for the funeral industry. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.trigard.com/thursdays.