August 2017

A4 A1-A48 B1-B24

Page A4 AUGUST 2017 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A
Honor Vase,Inc.
1-877-556-5454
Manufacturer of the only Mausoleum Flat Vase
Introduces the
Cremation Flat Vase
Ideal for cremation niches and small
areas where fewer flowers are desired
White polypropylene plastic.
Hangers available in Chrome or
Bronze. Measures 2” x 5”
Lake Charles, LA 70601
ASSIGNMENTS PAID WITHIN 24 HOURS
Yes, it’s that easy!
CALL TODAY FOR YOUR
RISK-FREE CONSULTATION
800-430-7935
• Professional courteous service
• No chargebacks
• Training for you and your staff
• Frequent status updates
• Free overnight check or direct deposit
Contact Michael at
800-430-7935 and find
out how easy it is!
Don’t let assignments be the death of your
business. Beta Capital simplifies the challenge
of collecting on assignments so your business
has the cash it needs... TODAY!
Beta Capital makes it as easy as pie
to eliminate receivables, avoid
risk and increase cash flow.
By Nancy Weil
What’s Your
Plan?
September is typically a time when programs start
back up. Summer vacations have ended. School is back
in session. Clubs begin their membership drives to at-
tract new members. The year is heading towards its
conclusion and the next five months can be critical to
your business. It is all about having a plan…a plan to
get out, bring in and be amazing.
Get Out – The days of people lining up at your door
are over. Unless someone has had a death in the fam-
ily, they think they have no need for you. We know
otherwise, but pre-arranging their funeral and burial is
something people momentarily entertain and then get
busy doing other things. Out of sight, out of mind be-
comes the motto of the day.
To change that thinking, you have to be in their sight
and their mind. The best way to do this is to go out and
present in front of groups. Many are making plans for
their meeting schedules – the women’s groups, the se-
nior living facilities, churches and more have need for
a presenter and one that comes with a no cost price tag
is especially in demand.
While you can offer a pre-need talk, a cremation sem-
inar or a financial planning for the final year’s program,
Random
Musings
these are not often the ones that get me booked. It is the
laughter, the grief, the stress relief, the fun and interest-
ing topics that get me in the door. So who do you have
on your staff with an interesting hobby? An avid golfer
with tips to share? A home crafter who can teach a simple
holiday craft? A history or trivia nut who can teach while
entertaining?
Come up with some topics, make a list of area groups you
want to meet and mail out a flyer letting them know you
are available to come to their meeting or next gathering.
Once there be sure to bring brochures and business
cards, but don’t make it a sales pitch or you will never be
asked back. The best programs are the ones that lead to
ongoing relationships and return bookings.
Bring In – Do you have plans for a Veterans Day event?
A holiday remembrance service? A cremation seminar? A
Soul Injury event? What are you planning that will bring
the public into your building? Most people who come
through your doors are there due to a death of someone
they love. Your exposure to them is limited to taking care
of their immediate needs. When you host an event it al-
lows you to meet people on a more informal level. You
and your staff can get to know people on a different level
and, even better, they can get to know you.
There is also a benefit just to reach out to those you have
served even if they don’t attend. By mailing out an invi-
tation it lets them know you are thinking of them and
reminds them you are still a part of their world. I have
received many phone calls from clients thanking me for
the invitation, but needing to decline. This then leads to
a deeper conversation and a connection that lasts.
I have planned many events over the years, so if you
need help with the details or thinking of ideas, just give
me a call. No excuses, no resistance, in the words of Nike,
“Just do it!”
Be Amazing – None of the above matters if you and
your staff are not amazing at what you do. It won’t mat-
ter what you do if your funeral home or cemetery is out-
dated or dirty. However if you have a place and a staff
you are proud of, then why not show it off? If you are
able to “wow” those you serve, then why not offer an-
other opportunity to dazzle them and make their day
a little better?
It’s August. The next five months will go by and
2017 will give way to 2018 whether you plan some-
thing or not. The choice is yours. I know what I’m
doing, do you?
WithcertificationsasaGriefServicesProviderandGriefManagement
Specialist, Funeral Celebrant, as well as Laughter Leader, Nancy Weil
is uniquely qualified to bring new perspectives into how to best meet
the needs of the families you serve. A professional speaker, Nancy
travels the country bringing effective tools to reduce stress, combat
compassion fatigue and handle grief to companies, associations and
conferences large and small. With a passionate interest in the healing
qualities of laughter, she is known for her energetic, entertaining and
content rich programs. In addition to talks geared to the general
public, she has also been brought in by funeral directors to offer
(CEU) programs to funeral staff, nurses, chaplains and social work-
ers in their communities.
Nancy has developed the most comprehensive aftercare program
of any cemetery or funeral home in the country and is currently di-
recting aftercare programs, community outreach and marketing at
Veterans Funeral Care. She consults with industry professionals in
how they can develop or grow their own grief support program in
order to maintain contact with the families they serve and develop
stronger relationships within their community.
Her book, If Stress Doesn’t Kill You, Your Family Might, is filled with
tools that work to reduce stress and find your “inner happy.” For
more information on how Nancy can help you and your business
grow, visit her website: or by email at:
.
Funeral Home & Cemetery News
Contributors share insights and
exchange ideas. B
Cremation Society of Minnesota Joins
Foundation Partners Group
(L to R) Mark Waterston, Cremation Society of Minnesota; Bob Bukala, President and CEO
of Foundation Partners Group; and Kevin Waterston, President of The Cremation Society
of Minnesota stand outside their Edina MN facility, one of the five locations that joined
Foundation Partners Group.
ORLANDO,FL— Foundation Partners
Group (FPG), a leading provider of in-
novative funeral, cemetery and cremation
experiences and products, has announced
the acquisition of the Cremation Society
of Minnesota and First Memorial Fu-
neral Chapel. The firm’s five operations
are the first Foundation Partners Group
locations in the state of Minnesota.
“We are very excited to welcome the
Cremation Society of Minnesota to the
FPG family,” stated Bob Bukala, FPG
president and CEO. “Kevin Waterston
and his brother, Mark, are recognized
as cremation ‘pioneers’ and have grown
their operation to the point where near-
ly one out of every five cremations in
the state of Minnesota is handled by the
Cremation Society of Minnesota. In ad-
dition, they both have been industry
leaders, given their roles as past presi-
dents of the Cremation Association of
North America. Like Foundation Part-
ners Group, the Waterston family has
truly embraced cremation.”
Leo Waterston founded the Waterston
Funeral Home in 1955 (which subse-
quently became the First Memorial Cha-
pel) at the current Nicollet Avenue loca-
tion in Minneapolis. In the early 1980’s,
with the rising cremation rate in Minne-
sota and across the country, the Water-
ston’s capitalized on this trend and start-
ed the Cremation Society of Minnesota.
Over the next thirty years, the Waterston
family added four additional locations in
Edina, Duluth, St. Paul and the Brooklyn
Park area of Minneapolis.
“When we first began to explore the pos-
sible sale of our business, we wanted to
ensure our partner viewed cremation the
way we do,” commented Kevin Water-
ston, president of the Cremation Society
of Minnesota. “With the cremation rate
in Minnesota now over 60 percent, Foun-
dation Partners Group is clearly the best
option to help take us to the next level in
how we address the needs of our families
that choose cremation. Just as important,
Foundation Partners brings a wealth of re-
sources to our employees in the form of
improved benefits and career opportuni-
ties that we as an independent company
Send Us Your News!PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514
Fax 1-800-321-9040 • Email FUNERAL HOME &
CEMETERY NEWS