Cremation rates are rising. What do we do?

Rich Darby,
Chief Operating Officer

Lately, I have seen a lot of cremation studies that have extremely vital information and data that helps in assessing a road map for a funeral business’s future. The big number that is always discussed is the one that is predicting what the funeral industry will be like fifteen to twenty years down the road. According to a few recent studies I have read, cremation will be 70 to 75% of our business. YIKES!!! That makes you want to close up shop and run for the hills, doesn’t it?
 
How do we prepare for an industry that is overwhelmingly controlled by cremation? We start by educating ourselves and coming up with tools to show the consumer that every life lived deserves to be memorialized.

My sister, Linda, is the current President at FAMIC and they head the “Have the Talk of a Lifetime.” The goal of this campaign is to get consumers talking about what matters most in their lives and how they want to be remembered. I love this campaign and I believe our industry needs to continue to embrace and support it, but I also believe it’s just the beginning. I truly believe there is a lot of good funeral service ahead of us. The definition of traditional may change, but I truly feel that the one common denominator in most families is the person that has passed was deeply loved.

Don’t be afraid of the numbers. Let’s embrace them. Let’s understand them. Let’s digest them. Let’s come together as an industry and build an educational system that works.
 

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.

Cremation memorials gain momentum at NFDA

Julia Sullivan,
Creative Director

Our team was in Nashville last week, excited to talk with funeral professionals from across the country during the 2014 NFDA Convention and Expo. We go to national conventions to connect with existing customers, attract new customers and get feedback about our products and services. The single and companion Cremation Memorials attracted a lot of interest. Funeral directors and cemeterians were impressed by the detailed design, small footprint and rubberized gasket that helps seal the memorial. Many said that it would help demonstrate the value of memorialization to the families they serve who choose cremation.

It’s only been a week since we packed up and left Nashville, so now is the perfect time to reach out to your customers and the families you serve about Cremation Memorials. Build on the momentum created at the national convention by taking them to your local market. Download the literature or place an order for a sample. If you haven’t seen the Cremation Memorials in person, give our Customer Service team a call at 800.798.4900. They will walk you through how it works, all of the design options and pricing.

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.

Happy fall to you all

Linda Darby,
Chief Executive Officer

Isn't fall one of the best seasons of the year? I love the colorful hues in the trees, the different shapes and sizes of all the pumpkins and the beautiful cloud free skies. There are so many things to enjoy during the fall, such as apple cider, pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin rolls. In my opinion, there is absolutely nothing better than the smell of the seasoned wood burning while sitting outside around a fire.

When you live in a world that is constantly in a whirlwind, you have to take the time to stop and enjoy your surroundings. You have to enjoy the changing of the seasons and all the beauty that comes with it. If anyone knows how short life truly is, it's those who work in the funeral industry. Take a time out to enjoy your family and the falling leaves before the winter months blanket us with snow. Enjoy the here and now with the ones you love the most. Create fond memories and take them with you into the winter months. I wish you all a happy fall.


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.

Do you know the ROI of a memorial?

Stuart McDaniels,
Materials Manager

In the business world, and often in our personal lives as well, we are programmed to think in terms of ROI or “return on investment." Every investment we make should be weighed against the possible return. If we spend money on a new piece of equipment, we should have an expectation of what the return of that investment will be back to our business. If we invest time in a project, we should expect a return on the time spent. It’s a data driven process to help us make important decisions.

How does ROI factor into the families choosing a memorial?  Memorialization is typically an emotional decision, not driven by data. I would argue, however, that families can apply ROI to memorialization and that a memorial done well will have an infinite return. An investment in a memorial will pay back in ways that are not measureable in terms of dollars and cents. Psychologically speaking, memorialization is for the living. Memorialization helps families move forward beyond a difficult time and brings great comfort. It assures the living that a life will never be forgotten.

How do you put a price tag on that? The benefits of memorialization are worth any amount of investment and the return is immeasurable - infinite ROI. That’s something I can believe in. 
 

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.