Page A24 January 2023 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A www.vischerfuneralsupplies.com WilbertEDU, where Funeral Professionals can learn and earn continuing education units at no cost! For information on the wide variety of topics and to register for any, go to wilbert.com/wilbertedu U Treasured Tribute Tools data is not shared and updated in real-time across all the devices. Cloud-Based Software is more popular nowadays. This is software that is hosted by a thirdparty platform and doesn’t necessarily need to be installed to be used. Cloud-based software can be used on any of your devices, as long as you have a stable internet connection and a secure login. Plus, data is shared and updated in real-time across all devices. So, what makes the most sense for funeral homes nowadays? Cloud-based software – and here is why. Instead of having to run to the office to access your local desktop computer every time you get a death call or a question from a client, you can access your funeral management system directly from any mobile device, at any time of the day, from anywhere. As a result, you gain the freedom to change up your daily routine. If you are in a bind with other life events going on, you can easily work from home, access your crucial business info, and still get all of your work done. You Can Hold Families Accountable. Sure, you likely have weekly team meetings to get an up-to-date report from your team and hold each other accountable. But you need to make sure that (to a degree) you’re holding your families accountable too. One study from ASTD found that if you schedule recurring appointments with a partner who holds you accountable, you can increase your chances of success by 95%. While that study doesn’t pertain directly to customers or clients, it still shows one important finding: holding people accountable (respectfully, of course) usually ends up Continued from Page A20 The Right Funeral Management System being a win-win for everyone. If you find the funeral management system that aligns best with your business, you can use it to hold your families accountable and ultimately take stress off of your shoulders. You Can Increase Your Collection Rate. If you’ve worked in the industry for a while, your collection rate is likely not 100%. Due to several different factors such as increasing funeral costs, some families either don’t pay their funeral expenses on time or don’t pay them at all. As a result, your business is left without the necessary funds to sustain itself, and your stress levels likely increase. However, when you collaborate with families directly through a funeral management system, their signed contract and any interactions or tasks they’ve completed will be recorded. As a result, they know that they are committed to you. Instead of running the risk of getting a bad review when you send payment reminders, you’re able to communicate with families through a third-party medium. That way, you’re able to stay closer to the top of your family’s minds and ensure that your team gets paid for the services you provided. You Can Obtain Document Signatures Quicker. Stop playing cat and mouse with your clients and families. Instead of building enormous email threads and scanning documents one by one, you can use a funeral management system to: Quickly create a digital bundle of documents that the family needs to sign; Autofill or auto-populate those documents with unique, identifying information; In one click, send the documents to the family to sign electronically; and Save the finalized documentation to the cloud-based system for your records. Not only can you save an estimated $36 per agreement in printing and paper costs, but you also reduce the chances of error in your service documentation. You Can Worry Less About Your Bottom Line. Being part of a small business offers freedom and exciting moments, but it can also be stressful. At the end of the day, employees and bills have to be paid. For funeral directors and funeral homeowners, revenue is a big stressor, especially when families don’t pay for their services on time or when case volume slows down. By investing in a proper funeral management system, you can essentially take down multiple birds with one stone. You can use a management system to streamline your processes; improve your team’s quality of work, boost your funeral home’s reputation, and bring in more cases per month. You Can Let Your Team Manage Themselves. Factors that go into revenue don’t end there though – at the end of the day, what’s the most important asset to your business? Your people. Think about it – when you’re able to effectively manage your team and provide tools to them that make everyone’s lives easier, you will likely: Offer new development and learning opportunities; Reduce the number of employee complaints; Increase productivity and quality of work and Improve employee retention within your business. Employee retention is no joke for businesses of any size. It’s important to give your employees reasons (and tools like a funeral management system) to keep them happy and make their lives easier. And as research from Legaljobs shows, the implicit risk or reward for funeral homes to lose even a single employee is jaw-dropping. The cost of replacing a trained employee can be more than 200% of their salary. On average, a higher retention rate can maximize a company’s profits up to 4 times. The more you’re able to empower your team to manage themselves, the more you can focus on other strategic aspects of the business. Most importantly, you can feel less burnout from dealing with employee situations. Chase Downs joined Gather in 2022 as the Demand Generation Specialist. He has a depth of experience in digital marketing and business coaching. Based in Boise, ID, Gather offers innovative case management, live streaming, automated aftercare and integrated websites. SEND US YOUR NEWS! PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 1-800-321-7479 info@nomispublications.com Save on Shipping! DIGITAL DIRECTORY Available Download instantly at www.NomisPublications.com This certificate is designed for individuals who are interested in expanding their knowledge in the specific area of funeral directing specifically (not embalming). The online program consists of 30 credit hours and is designed to be completed in two semesters. However, the student can work at their own pace. NEW Funeral Director Certificate Program Ask to speak with Mallory For more information and specific requirements contact CCMS Admissions 513.761.2020
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