January 2018

Page B11 JANUARY 2018 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on B FDMS ® Launches Two-Way Integration with Answering Service for Directors, FuneralCall and Messenger Stationery Bogati Blog Post Provides Thought Leadership for Urn Sales SCOTTSDALE,AZ— Funeral Director’s Management Software (FDMS®) has announced the launch of a two- way integration with three other companies operating in the funeral services industry: ASD–Answering Service for Directors, FuneralCall and Messenger Stationery. This relationship will assist funeral professionals in im- proving operational efficiency and service to families. “As we continue to develop FDMS Pro®, we are excit- ed about the value created to our customers by integrat- ing with other popular funeral business providers. FDMS Pro® is continually evolving with the needs of the funeral business owner to simplify and expand the funeral pro- cess and options,” said FDMS’s owner Jake Johnson. FDMS Pro® contains tools and features to easily man- age every aspect of the case process, and also utilizes the power of Johnson Consulting Group’s widely used Performance Tracker™ software to provide a deep dive into sales analysis reporting not being offered by any other software company in the funeral industry. It’s like having a business consultant at their fingertips 24/7 providing insight on issues like rising cremation, lower- ing profits and developing staff. And, FDMS Pro® is af- fordable for any size funeral operation with annual fees lower than the cost of an average funeral. Integration between FDMS® and these software compa- nies will eliminate any duplicate data entry into the differ- ent platforms. Any updated information entered into a case in FDMS® will also be transferred over and updated into the identical case in ASD, FuneralCall and Messenger Statio- nery. FDMS® Pro is loaded with case management tools and features that cover every aspect of the case process. FDMS® was first designed in 1981 for funeral homes. It was the industry’s first web hosted funeral home manage- ment software solution. The system is updated automati- cally and backed up every night. With FDMS®, funeral professionals can enter complete information for a case and print forms in less than 15 minutes. For more infor- mation, visit www.webfdms.com or call 480-568-8280. ASD–Answering Service for Directors has been fam- ily owned and operated since 1972. ASD uses state of the art technology combined with an extensive train- ing program to focus on offering families compassionate care. ASD has redefined the role of an answering service for funeral homes. For more information, visit www. myASD.com or call 800-868-9950. FuneralCall has over 27 years as a premier answering service for the funeral home industry. FuneralCall pro- vides industry professionals with the ultimate custom- er service experience, and acts as a virtual extension of their business. FuneralCall only uses live receptionists, no prompts or automation and focuses on a ‘boutique type’ experience. For more information, visi t www.funeralcall. com or call 888-239-0351. With over 100 years of history, Messenger offers the widest selection of stationery products in the industry. Messenger has also formed invaluable partnerships with other leading companies to broaden its product mix in an effort to offer more choices to families. Messenger is committed to provide funeral professionals with the highest quality, innovative products. To learn more, visit www.messengerstationery.com or call 800-827-5151. SARASOTA,FL— Boga- ti Urn Company used to sell its ever-growing line of urns direct to consumers as so many other, so-called urn wholesalers still do to- day. In order to eliminate the competitive landscape this was creating with its industry partners, Bogati began solely selling busi- ness-to-business in 2015. Though Bogati lists their funeral home partners on their website, consumers continue to call the firm direct. These calls prompt- ed the Bogati team to in- vestigate further. The team found that an increasing number of fu- neral homes understand the need for online pur- chasing opportunities, however, there appears to be a disconnect. “We’ve heard from both sides, and we know they want to work with each oth- er,” said Andrea Bogard LeBlanc, owner of Boga- ti. “Given our experience in this industry, we think the answer is to think dif- ferently and react positive- ly to the changing buying habits of families.” Families start their urn search online with third party re-sellers like Ama- zon, Sam’s, eBay, Walmart, and Costco. They may ini- tially intend to purchase at their local funeral home, but an average of 30 per- cent - a number that ap- pears to be climbing - end up purchasing online in- stead. Why? In the often cost-driven, multi-billion dollar online shopping in- dustry, it appears families are simply becoming more and more cost conscience. To offer input on this concept, the Bogati Urns team created a blog post for their industry partners with six detailed ideas: Change your measure- ments to sell more; Make selection part of the pro- cess: display, display, dis- play; Consider price and function; Little things make a difference; and Pay more attention for bet- ter results. The blog post can be found at https:// bogatiurns.com/sell-urns- think-differently/. In addition, Bogati has created a by-request-on- ly section on its website giving their funeral home and cremation service provider partners help and guidance on how to sell on third-party ven- ues and how to be pres- ent when families are first starting their cremation urn search. “We stepped away from direct-to-con- sumer selling to strength- en our relationships with our partners, so we would never attempt to tell them where or for how much to sell our urns,” Bogard LeBlanc said. “But their success is our success. If we can be of help with our unique insights, it’s a win- win for everyone.” Founded in 2004 by An- drea Bogard LeBlanc, Bo- gati Urn Company is head- quartered in Sarasota, FL and is a proud member of several industry organiza- tions, including the Asso- ciation of Independent Fu- neral Directors of Florida; International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral As- sociation; Florida Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Asso- ciation; Cremation Associa- tion of North America; Pet Loss Professionals Alliance; and International Associa- tion of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories. Bogati offers funeral homes and cre- matories unparalleled ser- vice and wholesale pricing on an equally unparalleled variety of urns, scattering tubes and related products. Its original lead crystal line has expanded to feature a diverse and hand-selected product line from trusted manufacturers and skilled artisans worldwide. For more information on Bo- gati Urn Company, please visit www.bogatiurns.com . Those interested in this in- formation should call 941- 351-3382. Sharron Lawson joins Director On Call Sharron Lawson KINGSTON,ON— Director On Call is pleased to welcome Sharron Lawson as vice president of sales and market- ing. Sharron brings with her an extensive background and broad expertise in technology and customer service. Her business acumen, integrity and empathy will only enhance the exceptional client care that Director On Call dem- onstrates on a daily basis. Sharron has already prov- en her dedication and com- mitment as a valuable ex- tension to the team and to clients in the short period she has been with the firm. Established in 1948, Di- rector On Call answered calls for funeral homes in the surrounding areas. Today, they seamlessly represent hundreds of funeral homes across North America. The firm aims for complete transparency and continues to upgrade by adding new tools to assist and streamline their services. Protecting the funeral home’s reputation, the call specialists handle calls in a professional and precise manner while maintaining warmth on every call. Director On Call holds the prestigious 2017 Platinum Award of Excellence from CAM-X for 18 consecutive years of outstanding ser- vice in addition to receiving the coveted ATSI Award of Ex- cellence since 2003. Learn more at www.directoroncall.com . Walnut Cross with Brass Inlays WILLIAMS BAY,WI— Hardworking, handcrafted and from the heart, since 1961 Lovell Mfg., Inc has artfully crafted a tale of American craftsmanship through a dedication to de- sign and standard of quality that stand the test of time. From steel molds and wood crosses to brass rods and nails, every last detail of a Lovell crucifix is sourced and assembled by hand in the United States of America, remaining competi- tive on price while refusing to sacrifice on quality. Family owned and operated for over half-a-century, Lovell Mfg has cast its legacy by hand, right here in the United States, honoring the timeless spirit of honest-to- goodness hard work. The result is a line of products that showcase their commitment to craftsmanship, highlighted by the all new Brass-in-Walnut inlays. For more informa- tion, call 262-245-6527 or visit www.lovellmfginc.com to view their entire line of interior and exterior crosses. Forging a Legacy at Lovell Mfg, Inc JOIN US INTHE MUSIC CITY 2018WINTER SEMINAR MARCH 22-24, 2018 NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE A WEEKEND OF FOOD, MUSIC, & FUN WITH CFSA MEMBERS Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown Hotel booking now open! • Learn more at www.cfsaa.org . 847.295.6630 • info@cfsaa.org CASKET & FUNERAL SUPPLY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA