Are pictures really worth a thousand words?

Erin Brodbeck, LCSW, CT, 

Director of Grief Services,

Sunset Funeral Home

There is a saying, “A picture’s worth a thousand words,” and I would most definitely agree. Whether you are posting a photo on Instagram, sharing photos of your kids on Facebook or even printing a photo to put in a frame, you are using photos to share your thoughts and stories.

My daughter is turning one-year-old at the end of this month. While I was digging through the hundreds of pictures we’ve taken throughout the last year, I began thinking about how important pictures are when memorializing a loved one.

Displaying family photos at a visitation, making a photo collage or creating a bronze memorial with your loved ones' pictures are all great ways to reflect on their life and keep their legacy alive. Those pictures are some of the only visual mementos that you have left of your loved one, so why not make them center stage while you celebrate their life? I would encourage the families that you serve to pull out those family photos and search their online albums for pictures that can tell their story. The story of a life that will never be forgotten.

Looking for some more ideas on how to use pictures in memorialization? Email me at erinb@sunsetfuneralhome.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.

Do you offer more than a price?

Ross Darby,
Director of Business
Development

Have you ever been so impressed with a company’s products or services that money is not an issue? In my opinion, there is more than one way of selling people on your product before even mentioning the price. By excelling and perfecting all the “little” things that you do, you are setting yourself apart from the competition.

Today, many companies are so worried about battling the price war that they forget about everything else. You’ve worked hard to create a business built on value, don’t sacrifice that and devalue your products and services. Show potential customers your worth by:

• Offering great customer service
•  Providing high-quality products or services
• Establishing good payment terms
• Offering a better warranty than your competitor

When you begin slashing prices to compete with the companies who are low balling their value, you end up sacrificing revenue. Stick to your guns, and stay true to your brand. Believing in what you do is the first step. And, when you believe in your company, your true value will shine through.

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 believe in what you sell?

Drew Edwards,
General Manager,
Sunset Funeral Homes

At Sunset Funeral Homes, we often times meet with cremation families that want to host a gathering or memorial service without the help of the funeral home. Many times, they go this route in hopes of saving some money. Although their intentions are great, they almost always end up adding a lot of stress to an already stressful situation, and at the same time end up with a sub-par service of remembrance. But, since we provided the cremation services, our name gets tacked onto their memorial celebration anyway. 

How do we overcome situations like this? Simply put, we are the professionals and we have to make sure our families know that. After all, we do this every day. We know the logistics, seating and printed materials like the back of our hand. Can you imagine how good a mechanic would be if every time a vehicle broke down he asked the customer to do the diagnostics?

No matter if we are selling a bronze memorial, an upright granite memorial or a memorial service at a church, we have to remember to continue to educate the families we serve and provide them with options. We have to remember that we are the professionals and we know what they need to begin a journey to healthy healing. Believe in what you sell, and you will find that both you and the families you serve will benefit in the end. 

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.

Whose book are you writing today?

John Albers,
Plant Manager

When I was a young boy, I grew up in a small, traditional town with only one cemetery. A majority of the burials were traditional and the headstones or memorials were as well. Occasionally, a family would include a small photo of their loved one under glass, embedded in the stone. Those were the memorials that really caught my eye when visiting family or friends. The photo helped tell the story of the person’s life. It gave visitors a glimpse of who they were.

Since joining the Trigard team, I have learned so much about the importance of permanent memorialization. When we combine the family’s love and our designer’s talents with our unique process of transferring 3D images onto bronze, we help family’s tell their loved one’s story and continue their legacy.

I see dozens of finished memorials, plaques and signs each day, and the impact our product has still amazes me. I encourage you to continue helping families heal by creating permanent memorials. When we help them tell their stories and think back on their memories, we help carry them through some tough times. And, when we create a custom memorial for a family, it becomes more than a piece of bronze, it becomes their storybook.

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.

Have you noticed something different?

Ethan Darby,
Director of Business
Development

At Trigard, we care about the products that we sell and the families that we serve. We value your input and we look to you for “real-life results” on our products and enjoy the feedback you can provide us. That is why as a goal of continuous improvement, we recently changed the clear coat that we use on our bronze products.

Throughout history, bronze has always been a material that can withstand the test of time. And, the clear coat of a memorial is one of the most vital components of its durability and strength. At Trigard, we are always striving to give you the best in the industry and we worked hard searching for a clear coat formulation that will last. We found one that gracefully changes with your bronze memorial as it goes through the many seasons that bronze faces during its aging process.

Have you noticed your recent orders have been a bit “glossier” than you're used to? We are now using a new clear coat that is much stronger and thicker called “marine-grade” clear coat. It is used for many different applications, including equipment that is submerged into the ocean for days at a time. Doesn’t that sound durable? We believe this new clear coat will not only give our bronze memorials an extra shine, but also protect the beauty of a loved one’s permanent memorial.

If you have any feedback or questions about this new clear coat, please email us at orders@trigard.com or call us at 800.798.4900.

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.

Merry Christmas!

Jason Murphy,
Director of Family Services,
Sunset Funeral Home

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Or as we say in the cemetery, Happy Memorial Day!

It really is our biggest season, isn't it?  

We all spend a lot of time, money and effort during Memorial Day weekend, which is why it is important to track and analyze your return on investment after the weekend is complete.

Have a staff wrap-up meeting with everyone who worked the cemetery during Memorial Day. Gather a list of things that worked and things that didn’t quite go to plan. Fix anything that needs immediate attention, and put the list in a safe place for next year. You’ll already be a step ahead when planning for 2016.

Did you create a sales goal for Memorial Day leads? First, figure out if you reached the short term goal that was set and reward your staff accordingly. In fact, you should reward them in some way no matter if they reached the goal or not. They did work the entire holiday weekend for you! For the leads that haven’t been closed, make sure to game plan on how these leads will be followed up within a timely manner. Discuss possible scripting that may help your sales staff get the leads back in the door. Follow up is extremely important as most of the sales will come from leads obtained over the weekend and not sales made during the weekend. 

Lastly, make sure to share your results from the weekend with the rest of the staff. Acknowledge all of the hard work from your staff members and get the other staff engaged and interested in what the cemetery staff does for Memorial Day. Communicating what worked and some sales numbers will spark conversation and interest from all of the employees.

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.

To memorialize, or not to memorialize?

Karen Darby-Ritz,
Advance Planning Manager,
Camino del Sol Funeral
Chapel & Cremation Center

To memorialize, or not memorialize; that is the question. I'm taking some liberty with a quote from Shakespeare, but this question is definitely on many people’s minds.

I’m located in Arizona, where our projected cremation rate is nearly 67 percent this year. When I’m out in our community, people often ask me, “Why does memorialization matter?” Instead of being discouraged, I light up. I know that memorialization matters, and now I have an opportunity to share my passion and educate.

So what do I say?

First, memorialization gives us an opportunity to share our legacy. It’s important for future generations to know each of us existed. We have a rich history, and a cemetery or memorial park is where our history is permanently and publicly recorded.

Second, memorialization will help your family heal. When you give your family and friends a place to visit, share stories and acknowledge special dates and holidays, their healing process can continue in a healthy way.

Also, there are so many modern memorialization options. Your permanent memorial can be traditional or include color photographs that capture milestones from your life. It can be a in the ground or up on a niche tower; on a memorial rock or as part of a private estate monument.

Lastly, you matter! Deep down inside we all want to feel as if we had an impact on the world; if not the world at large, OUR world. We want to feel as though we’ve made a difference in someone’s life. Permanent memorialization is a way to leave your mark and remember that you mattered to so many special people.

So, to memorialize, or not to memorialize? There’s no question in my mind. The answer is a resounding, "YES!"

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.

Tips for a profitable Memorial Day

Jason Murphy,
Director of Family Services,
Sunset Funeral Home
and Memorial Park

Memorial Day is quickly approaching. Is your cemetery or memorial park ready? Here are some things that consistently work for us during the biggest weekend of the year.

Special Memorial Day visitor discounts. Every year, we offer exceptional savings to anyone who visits our memorial park during the holiday weekend. We include them in a newsletter that is distributed at our gates. Don’t forget to include an expiration date on your coupons to create a sense of urgency and drive sales during the summer months.

Walk the grounds. Send your sales staff out to walk your grounds to identify markers that need to be refinished, could be upgraded with a medallion or should be placed on granite. That list can be an incredible source for leads. Send letters to next of kin about the applicable offers you’re offering during Memorial Day. These aren’t huge sales, but they add up and can potentially lead to larger sales and pre-planning contracts once you get them in your office.

Get your gear ready. It seems obvious, but make sure you have all of your tools and equipment ready in advance. We make sure we have golf carts ready to transport our staff or help a visitor explore the cemetery. In the carts, we have gentle cleaning supplies to help people make their loved one’s markers shine. We also have plenty of cemetery maps. Even if a counselor is helping someone identify a grave space, any face to face interaction increases your chance for future sales.

This year, make Memorial Day extra special. You have the opportunity to show off your beautiful grounds and to impress the families that visit. Make it count!
 
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.

Will families really pay more for personalization?

Drew Edwards,
General Manager,
Sunset Funeral Home

Cemeteries and funeral homes are always looking for better ways to serve our client families. We always want to provide services and products that rise above their expectations.

At Sunset Funeral Home, we recently swapped out a couple of caskets in our selection room. These new caskets had more features that allowed for more personalization than our standard line of caskets. These caskets had all the bells and whistles, but also a larger price tag. In order for us to hold our margin, we had to price these caskets higher than other caskets made of the same material.

At first, I wasn't sure if we would ever sell one of these new caskets. Would families be willing to pay $400 - 500 more, even though the basic casket was same as others? Would they be willing to pay more to personalize?

To my surprise, the answer was yes. This leads me to believe that whether selling caskets or beautiful bronze memorials, we need to offer as many products with as much personalization as we can. We have to set our own preferences and assumptions to the side and give families options. After all, if we don’t offer it to them, someone else will.

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.

Top 3 most requested resources

We often receive requests from our customers for different resources, so we decided to compile a list of the "Top 3 most requested resources."

1. Order forms are a big part of the communication process between you and our graphic designers. Every year, we update our order forms to enhance your ordering experience. You can find the most recent version of our order forms in the dealer resources section of our website.

2. How do you explain the options and styles of memorials you offer the families you serve? Our product literature clearly spells out options, styles, fonts and so much more. Call to request copies of our product literature.

3. Are you designing a new website? Call Customer Service at 800.798.4900 to order a CD of images to help enhance the look of your website.

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.

How are we doing?

Julia Sullivan,
Creative Director

This week we decided to dig into our archives. And, we found a great article that asks you to get involved.

During the past year, this weekly newsletter has undergone some changes. It hasn't been drastic, but my team is always refining the messages we send you. The goal of Modern Memorialization is to keep you updated, inspired and educated - all in a short newsletter you can read in just a few minutes.

In each newsletter you'll find a:

• Feature article: We give the metaphorical microphone to our owners and members of our management team each week to demonstrate how the team of professionals behind the scenes at Trigard Memorials works together to serve you, our customers.
• Product spotlight: With so many innovative products and solutions, this space gives us the opportunity to focus on our products one at a time. We hope these spotlights either tell you something you don't know about a product you use regularly or entice you to expand your product offerings.
• Design tip of the week: These small ideas from our memorials designers and customer service team can help your ordering process go even smoother.
• Promotions and events section: These appear in the left-hand column to let you know about where we'll be exhibiting and the national campaigns, like Have the Talk of a Lifetime, that we're passionate about.

So how are we doing? I can see lots of data about the number of people who open the newsletters and which links are clicked on most often, but that's only part of the story. If you see something in the newsletter you really like, please email us at marketing@trigard.com. And if you have an idea about how to make it even more useful, absolutely let us know. There's no suggestion too wacky to at least discuss.

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.

Get personal with a memorial

As I walk through the memorials' production area in our plant, I often catch myself wondering what

Beth VadeBonCoeur,
Accountant

kind of memorial I would design for my loved ones. My family is full of different personalities, and I'm sure yours is as well. Have you ever thought about how you would tell the story of their life with a memorial?

When I think about the people in my family, I think about their passions and their strengths. My father is a hardworking man who loves talking with other people. He isn’t a big fan of taking pictures, but when you do snap his photo, he usually has a goofy grin. I feel like his personality best shows with one of our Classique memorials. On the other hand, my husband has a great interest and passion for restoring and flying World War II airplanes. I think our Collage memorial would allow me to design something around this passion.  

We encourage you to get to know the families you serve and the loved ones they lost. By talking with them, we believe the style of memorial that best fits will become apparent. Let your imagination go wild and let us help create a truly “one of a kind” memorial for the families you serve.

At Trigard Memorials, we have a number of different memorials for the many different personalities of the individuals that we honor. We believe they truly capture the person’s passion and personality. Give our Customer Service team a call at 800.798.4900 for pricing and details.



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.

It all began when two people fell in love

This article originally appeared in Catholic Cemetery magazine.

As the fourth generation of a family in funeral service, I started thinking about my final wishes at an earlier age than most people. As my fiancé and I get ready to be married this summer, I especially appreciate the need to make these plans as a couple. When you find that special someone to spend your life with, it is magical. You do everything together, from getting married and buying a house to having children and traveling the world. You experience the important things together and you make the important decisions together.

As cremation trends rise, so do the number of married couples who choose cremation. When they come to you asking questions, do you have the answers? Unless you educate the couples you serve about their memorialization options, many may choose lower-end products that don’t provide lasting value and won’t help their families begin to heal. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding companion cremation memorialization – and strategies for responding.

I want a traditional burial and my wife wants to be cremated. To be together, do we have to choose the same thing?

Many married couples have different desires for their final disposition, but they still want to be interred near their spouse. Most cemeteries can accommodate this request by placing the cremated remains in an urn vault. Be sure to double check with your state laws and acquire the proper documentation to place their cremated remains in a grave with another individual. Educate couples about the options in their cemetery of choice, and make sure to provide urn vault options with dimensions that will fit in the space available. 

Do we have to put our remains in a cemetery?

A memorial marks a place for family and friends to share memories and honor the life of their loved one. Where that memorial is placed is the family’s choice. You can explain to a couple that when you memorialize your loved one in a cemetery, you mark a public place for people to come and visit. It also helps record your loved one’s history for years to come. However, if you’d also like a private place to share memories and keep a portion of the cremated remains, many companies have created cremation alternatives that can be placed in a garden or in a beautifully landscaped yard, including memorial rocks, memorial benches or bird baths.

If we don’t want to be buried, our family needs to take the urn home or scatter our remains, right?

Scattering seems like a simple solution, but what is a beautiful field now could easily become a supermarket or gas station tomorrow. Many couples simply don’t know their options beyond scattering.

Maybe they have never seen a memorial bench or memorial rock. Take them on a tour of their cemetery of choice to see their options in person. It’s one thing to look at a picture of a memorial rock in a booklet, but another thing to touch and feel one nestled under a tree in a beautifully landscaped cemetery.

All of the bronze memorials I have seen are brown and generic. Do you have anything more personal?

As technology has evolved, the options for bronze memorial personalization have skyrocketed. Many companies are still using the traditional bronze casting to create traditional memorials, but there are an increasing number of more detailed options, including direct-to-metal technology. With this technology, memorial craftsmen can create exact replicas of images in solid bronze, capturing every important detail.

And to add another dimension, families can add color to their bronze memorials. Companies are using state-of-the-art color imaging equipment capable of capturing the exact color of their loved one’s hair or their perfect shade of lipstick.

If we both choose to be cremated, will our remains be together or separate?

Do you explain to couples about comingling remains? Some companion memorialization products include separate chambers for each person, while others have a single chamber. This can be an important distinction for a couple.

Much like a book, a memorial can tell a story of someone’s life. When it is shared with someone you love, it makes it even more special. I encourage you to be a resource for families looking into cremation. Educate yourself about the newest companion cremation options. Go to conventions, read industry publications and ask your suppliers for more ideas. And the next time you’re with a couple interested in cremation, be bold enough to tell them what they need to know.

Ethan Darby is the Director of Business Development for Trigard Memorials and is a member of the Darby family’s fourth generation. His family owns Trigard, Trigard Memorials, a memorial park and seven funeral homes across Illinois, Indiana and Arizona.

Top questions to get more from your supplier

This article originally appeared in Catholic Cemetery magazine.

Are you overwhelmed by the ever changing bronze memorial options that you see in magazines and at conventions? Does it feel easier to stick with what you’ve always done? It is important to stay informed about what is happening in the industry and adapt to the changes, but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Your first step is to start asking more from your supplier. To help deepen your relationship, we have compiled a list of the top questions we think every supplier partner should be able to answer and why you should be asking them.

How are you adapting to the needs and wants of consumers?

With today’s technology, bronze memorial suppliers are constantly coming up with new, innovative ways to tell the story of a life well lived. From adding color to interactive elements and tribute sites, memorialization is continuously changing. Ask your supplier how they can satisfy the needs of today’s consumer. 

What are your most popular cremation memorial products?

Cremation has skyrocketed in popularity. And with this rise in popularity, so has the need to educate our families on cremation memorialization. Memorial companies should be changing and adapting their cremation product selection. It is important to ask your supplier partners about these products so you can offer the best to the families you serve.

How much can families be involved in the design process?

Thanks to computers and smartphones, consumers are used to creating full-color images on their own electronic devices. They expect to be able to have that type of hands on experience with memorials as well. Today, families want even more control and input in the design of bronze memorials. Each family wants their loved one’s memorial to have character, passion and personality.

While interactive design software can be exciting for families to use, I think it’s even more important that the actual layout of the memorial is flexible. If a family can only choose from a library of emblems and borders, how much personalization are you really offering? 

What are you plans for the future?

While many suppliers are great order-takers, to continue to grow, you want a partner focused on the future as well. A great supplier wants to see our industry grow and adapt. The best supplier partners understand your need to grow as well - and are ready to help.

If I have a special rush order, can you handle that?

Your supplier’s answer to this question should be yes. You can learn a lot about a company when they are put into a high pressure, fast turn-around situation. If they are still able to do their best work, you know you are working with a good partner.

Are any members of your company involved with any industry organizations? If so, which ones?

It’s easy to work in a silo, only focused on your own business. Great supplier partners are connected to many organizations in our industry and connect you to the resources and expertise available.

If I have a problem, can I talk to an owner?

In the corporate atmosphere, it can be impossible to talk to an actual owner on the telephone. Some companies have a board of directors and are owned by stockholders. Others have layers of bureaucracy. A smaller company is often more nimble and more focused on your success as a customer. And the owners are often more involved in the day-to-day operations.

What experience do you have beyond memorials?

Of course you want your supplier to be an expert in manufacturing processes and efficiencies. Most suppliers will also give you supplemental information about sales strategies or memorial maintenance. But how much do they really understand about what you do every day? If you can find a supplier who has direct experience serving families, you can feel confident that the tools they share will work for you. If a supplier has experience on the same level as you, you know they are knowledgeable about the cemetery grounds that you work in every day. 

If your current supplier is continuously educating you and supplying you with new information, you are in a great position. But, if you think you need to start asking more questions, give them a call today. If they are hesitant to learning new things or about giving you what you need, I encourage you to go to conventions to meet other companies that might be great additions to your existing products. There are businesses that thrive on what technology can bring the bronze memorial industry and would love to teach you more about how you can help families bring personalization to their memorials.  

­Ethan Darby is the Director of Business Development for Trigard Memorials and is a member of the Darby family’s fourth generation. His family owns Trigard, Trigard Memorials, a memorial park and seven funeral homes across Illinois, Indiana and Arizona.