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Page A6 SEPTEMBER 2017 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A
By Christopher Kuhnen
There’s More
To It...
Advance
Funeral
Planning
Understand local media habits. Some markets are sim-
ply more wired than others, with a preponderance of
families who are more receptive to internet usage, while
other markets feature customers more receptive to radio,
cable television, newspaper or direct mail. Understand-
ing these habits will help to ensure that your message is
not only appealing to them, but also is in a medium they
routinely use or reply on. This understanding will help
yield better ad campaign results. The good news is there
are technologies and tools available that can help pre-
need professionals gather all this vital information and
truly understand the nuances of their market.
understanding of the area you serve and the Baby Boomers
and Millennials that reside there? Are you serving families
from only a select few areas of town? Are you attracting more
families from outside your customary service area? Are you
reaching out to underserved regions and ethnicities? Con-
stantly mining and analyzing consumer data from your mar-
ket area can show you where there might be untapped sourc-
es of opportunity.
Compare the demographic and psychographic profiles of
the families you serve to those of your competitors. Are you
serving primarily Protestant families and your competitor
Catholic families? If so, why is it the case and how can you
shift things around a bit? Times, relationships and buying
habits change. The attraction and relationship that, at one
time, brought families to your firm and/or your competitors,
today are different. This difference opens new opportunities
for you. Just because something always has been a certain
way, doesn’t mean it must stay that way. Find creative ways to
make small and profound inroads into those family lineages
you have not customarily been serving.
Understand lifestyle decisions. Two families from the exact
same street, church, group, club or organization could vary
deeply in their thoughts about what type of “traditional fu-
neral service” they desire. Traditional services to one family
might mean one night of visitation, followed by a church ser-
vice the following day; while their next-door neighbor might
think that a 5pm-7pm visitation, immediately followed by
a half hour memorial service at the funeral home is a “tra-
ditional funeral service”. Knowing more about individual
lifestyle choices will help in putting together service, mer-
chandise and marketing offerings that speak more directly to
individual’s needs.
Christopher Kuhnen of Edgewood, Kentucky is a 29 year vet-
eran of funeral service. He is perhaps best known as an industry
go-getter and progressive leader. As an insider into excellence,
he is a trustworthy advisor to many funeral home and industry
professionals.
Kuhnen spent a good portion of his career working for a family
owned and operated funeral home and national pre-need sales
and marketing organization. He additionally was the architect and
founder of Funeral Profit Protectors, LLC. Currently he serves as
Vice President of Pre-Need Marketing for the Unity Financial Life
Insurance Company, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Chris is a Kentucky Licensed Funeral Director, Life Insurance
Agent, Certified Pre-Planning Consultant (CPC), Insight Institute
Certified Funeral Celebrant and Certified Marketing Specialist, as
bestowed by the former American Marketing Academy.
Chris can be reached at (859) 307-7223 or
Funeral Home & Cemetery News
Contributors share insights and
exchange ideas. B
The Only Constant in
Pre-Need is Change
“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by
change.” –Jim Rohn
Pre-Need is constantly in a state of change. From new-
fangled ways to obtain sales leads to the explosion of social
media, the one thing that remains constant is the consum-
ers yearning and need to be better and fully informed and
prepared ahead of time.
During any time of change there are a few simple steps
that will help you be proactive and gain significant advan-
tages on your competitors, especially those that keep do-
ing the same things years after year.
Seek to better understand your marketplace. How has
your community changed in the last five years and have
you kept up with the change? Do you have an up to date
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STUART,FL— Following a formal, multi-sector, na-
tion-wide search, the National Alliance for Griev-
ing Children (NAGC) announced that its board of
directors has appointed Vicki Jay as Chief Executive
Officer effective September 1, 2017.
“I am elated to join the NAGC team,” shared Jay.
“I recognize this opportunity as a privilege to serve a
mission that is near and dear to my heart. Being part
of this movement is truly an honor and a blessing,
and I will strive to fulfill the role of CEO and be an
advocate for those we serve.”
Jay brings with her decades of experience in the chil-
dren’s bereavement field, significant subject matter
expertise, and a successful track record as a nonprofit
CEO. She has extensive fundraising experience and is
National Alliance for Grieving Children Announces
Vicki Jay as New CEO
Vicki Jay
known for her ability to
collaborate, bring people
with diverse perspectives
together, and create sus-
tainable impact.
Fueled by a passion for
the field and her dedica-
tion to and enthusiasm
for working with chil-
dren in need, Jay’s experi-
ence, credentials, and en-
ergy are a great match for
what the Alliance needs
to build on the significant
accomplishments of the
past and meet the mile-
stones and opportunities
that await in the future.
Jay most recently served
as the founding execu-
tive director of Midland
Shared Spaces, an orga-
nization that serves as
the nonprofit hub for the
community in Midland,
TX. Her background is in
education with a focus on
child development, spe-
cial education, and ear-
ly childhood. Jay worked
as a classroom teacher and preschool director before
working for Hospice of Midland. Her nineteen-year
career at Hospice of Midland included various roles,
including ten years as founder and executive director
of Rays of Hope Children’s Grief Center.
Jay is a servant leader and strives to be an example for
others. Serving in many leadership roles has given her
the opportunity to sharpen her skill set and to serve as
a mentor to others. She is recognized for her strengths
in public speaking and community education.
Jay has received many honors, awards and recognitions
for her work with nonprofits and in the field of bereave-
ment, including the National Jefferson Award for Com-
munity Service, a prestigious national recognition hon-
oring community and public voluntarism in America.
Recipients are “ordinary people who do extraordinary
things without expectation of recognition.”
A graduate of Texas Tech University, Jay currently re-
sides in Midland, TX. In addition to her professional
and community roles, Jay cherishes her role of wife,
mother, friend and recently, Nana.
Vicki Jay will officially begin her term as CEO on
September 1, 2017. Outgoing CEO, Andy McN-
iel, has agreed to stay on through September 15 and
work closely with Jay over the next 45 days to ensure a
smooth leadership transition.
The National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC)
is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about
the needs of children and teens who are grieving a
death and provides education and resources for any-
one who supports them. Through the collective voice
of our members and partners we educate, advocate and
raise awareness about childhood bereavement.
The NAGC is a nationwide network comprised of
professionals, institutions and volunteers who promote
best practices, educational programming and critical re-
sources to facilitate the mental, emotional and physical
health of grieving children and their families. For more
information, visit