April 2019

Page A30 APRI L 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A Time may be only a moment so keep a memory Necklace Urn Pendants for an Everlasting Keepsake. Urns hold a portion of the cremains. Sterling Silver and Gold pieces in stock. orders or catalog : www.cremationkeepsakes.com cremationkeepsakes@comcast.net 877-303-3144 CREMATION KEEPSAKES ® nfda.org/havethetalk Call 800.228.6332 or email orders@nfda.org for special pricing on quantities over 1,000 or to learn about customizing the box with your firm’s brand. Price does not include shipping. Inspire your community to These converstaion cards are perfect for: •Preneed arrangement/post-funeral thank-you gifts •Holiday gifts for the families you serve •Open house or community event giveaways •And so much more! Do you have a favorite book, poem, movie or quote? What about it do you enjoy? Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifeti me.org ® © NFDA What words of wisdom would you pass on to your childhood self? Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA Wh at is the best thing ab out your life right no w? How about 10 y ears ago? 20 years? Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA For what are you most grateful? Learn more about having t he talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime .org ® © NFDA Tell me about a time when you were proud of an accomplishment. Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA Desc ribe the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done. Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA Tell me about a time when you were proud of an accomplishment. Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA What is your favorite genre of music? Band? Song? Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA Is there a story friends and family always tell about you? Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA Do you have a nickname ? Who gave it to you and why? Are you named after anyone? Learn more about having the tal k of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA What is something very few people know about you? Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA Tell me about your faith or spirituality. Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA Tell me three words that you feel best describe you. Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA Do you have a passion you wish you could pursue but h ven’t yet? Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA What was your first job? Why did you choose your profession? Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA What hobby or activity makes you lose track of time? Learn more about having the talk of a lifetime. talkofalifetime.org ® © NFDA $ 5 Members $ 10 No -members Available in Spanish! $ 4 Members $ 8 Non-members Ask about custom boxes! 2019_HTT_Deck of Cards_NOMIS_Ad.indd 1 3/4/19 8:40 AM How can cemeteries serve more cremation families andmove them from personal possession to permanent placement? Moving Cremation Families from Personal Possession to Permanent Placement By Darrell Hill Darrell W. Hill From Personal Possession … to Permanent Placement Direct cremation providers, with rock-bottom prices, offer little coun- seling or education to families As ever, relationships matter and will have to be cultivated more deliberately with funeral homes Partnering withThird Party platforms, many of which leverage tech- nology, is a targeted and cost-effective way to reach cremation families and market specific options available at your cemetery homes with an opportunity for a wide variety of cremation memorial merchandise sales. Are funeral homes swapping family discussions about cemetery interment with family discussions about cremation memorial products? It’s hard to offer a definitive answer, but it is a plausible hypothesis. Why do families take remains home? The answer to this question is complicated and multifaceted. For the family, there are many reasons for them to take personal possession of the cremated remains. • Grief: There may be a desire to keep the remains with them as a part of the grief process. • Cost: For many families, the unexpected and unplanned death of a family member leaves them without the finan- cial resources to pay for the final interment. • Just Don’t Know: Many families simply do not fully under- stand the options available to them when it comes to cre- mated remains, nor the implications of taking the remains home with them. This profession also bears some respon- sibility for the large percentage of cremated remains that go home with families. • Funeral Home Disintermediation: Funeral homes own the customer relationship. Families rely on funeral homes to guide them through the unfamiliar and daunting process tied to the death of a family member. While many funer- al homes offer excellent and informative service to fam- ilies who choose cremation, not enough funeral homes adequately counsel cremation families about i) options for laying to rest cremated remain, or ii) the emotional toll of delaying the interment of the remains. Gary Frey- tag, president and chief executive officer of Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in Cincinnati, OH uses the term “disintermediation” to de scribe the fact that cemeter- ies, largely as a result of cre matio n, have been increasing- ly locked out of the family relationship. While cremation means lower overall sales per family, it does present funeral Cemeterians know better than most – the cremation trend has resulted in far fewer families using cemeteries to inter the remains of their loved ones. While death care experts sug- gest that as much as 60 percent to 70 percent of cremated re- mains go home with families, as a profession, we don’t truly un- derstand where those remains go or where they eventually end up. One thing that is known for sure: the remains do not end up in cemeteries. • 3rd Party Platforms: As cremation becomes ever-more common, and as cremation consumers become ever-more comfortable with technology, several technology and in- ternet-based platforms are emerging that inform and en- gage consumers about end-of-life planning broadly and specifically around topics like cremation or green/natural burial. Does your cemetery offer burial for tree/living urns that contain cremated remains? There are online platforms that market to families with these urns alerting them to locations where the urn and tree can be buried, nurtured and memorialized. Partnering with and being present on platforms like these serve as an extension of a cemetery’s marketing focus, helps to inform consumers about specific options available at your cemetery, and most importantly, generates sales leads and opportunities. The number of cremated remains held in personal posses- sion cannot be accurately calculated but is easily a number in the millions. The ability to reach these families and to educate them on the benefits and need for permanent placement rep- resents a profound service opportunity. How well-positioned is your cemetery to pursue and capitalize on this opportunity? It is undeniable that cremation has created a challenging at- mosphere for cemeteries. However, a path does exist for cem- eteries to grow their awareness in the mind of consumers. This increase in consumer awareness will lead to opportunities to provide meaningful and valuable service to cremation families. Darrell Hill is the founder and CEO of EternityGardens. com, a web platform that allows cremation families to connect with cemeteries where they can lay to rest cremated remains. Email Darrell at darrell@eternitygardens.com. • Direct Cremation: The advent of low- cost, direct crema- tion service pro- viders adds to this phenomenon due to the lack of family service and counsel- ing available at rock- bottom price points. How to Reach Cre- mation Families? Luck- ily, there are several ways for cemeteries to reach cremation families with remains at home. • Community Events: Increasingly cemeteries are opening their doors to area residents to introduce the beauty of their properties without the accompanying grief of a buri- al or interment event. Cemeteries are hosting Death Cafés, small-group discussions, where area residents come together over coffee to share experiences and learn from one anoth- er about end-of-life planning. Cemeteries are hosting mov- ie nights when families can enjoy a movie under the warm summer stars. Finally, cemeteries are hosting scattering days when families can bring in the remains of their loved ones and inter them via a free or low-cost scattering service. • Funeral Home Relationships: As stated earlier: funeral homes own the customer relationship. Leading cemeter- ies strengthen and deepen their relationships with funer- al homes to ensure that directors are equipped with the information they need to counsel to families about what to do with cremated remains. Ever consider a direct-mail campaign to a funeral home’s cremation families that of- fers a perspective on laying to rest the remains of their loved one? If not, the time to do so is now! 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