3 things every new grounds crew member should know

Patrick Lewis,
Grounds Maintenance,
Sunset Memorial Park

When you add a new person to your cemetery grounds crew, there's a lot to teach. Most of the time they will be coming from another industry. So, where do you start?

I always start training by walking them around the cemetery to allow them to get a feel for where they will be spending most of their work days. It is important that every grounds crew member knows their way around the cemetery and can find the lots and sections.

Obviously, we discuss cemetery maintenance and what to look out for when mowing. I train my team to keep their eyes open for markers that are too high or too low. If the marker is too high and we run it over with the mower, it can damage the marker and our mower. If the marker is too low, the mower wheel can sink down with the marker and scalp the grass.

Lastly, I teach about our culture, insisting that we are always friendly and respectful. We help cemetery visitors who look lost to find their way around. And, when we see someone grieving, we give them their privacy.

What else is on your new staff training list? Email your ideas to marketing@trigard.com. You may see them in a future newsletter.  


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.

3 things every cemetery sales person should know

Jason Murphy,
Director of Family Services,
Sunset Memorial Park

When you add a new member to your cemetery sales team, there's a lot to teach. Most of the time they will be coming from another industry. So, where do you start?

I always start training by emphasizing our cemetery's rules and regulations. It is important that every sales staff member understands these from day one, in order to make sure that they are selling products that fall within the guidelines of the cemetery. 

Obviously, product knowledge is a large part of sales training. This includes everything from the different options you offer to the processes for how each item is produced.

Lastly, you should spend a large amount of training time on the sales presentation. Nothing should ever seem scripted in a presentation, even though training with scripts is a great tool to help new sales staff to learn the verbiage and techniques without sounding like a robot.

What else is on your new staff training list? Email your ideas to marketing@trigard.com. You may seen them in a future newsletter. 


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.