June 2020

Page A18 JUNE 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A By Mark Bowser The Business Linchpin: Can It Destroy Your Funeral Home? In this uncertain time in human history that we have been experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 out- break, many of our businesses have been impacted tre- mendously. But, let’s move the thinking forward a little bit. After the coronavirus is a distant memory, are there other monsters that could impact our industry? Is there a linchpin that could start a domino effect that could devastate your business in the funeral industry? Or, is there a tipping point that could start an avalanche of success like a runaway snowball? Interesting questions, but is there an answer? My wife and I used to love to watch the hit TV show Castle . A few years ago, they had an intriguing two part episode that explored this concept of a linchpin. In the story, an economic linchpin was discovered that if put in motion would destroy the United States economy and start a downward domino effect that would lead the globe to World War III. It was a very entertaining escape from our daily lives and in the story the bad guys only almost succeeded. But, it got me thinking. Is it possible? Could one event so delude human reasoning and magnify emo- tions to the point of utter devastation? I believe that there very well may be a linchpin or a tipping point for your funeral home. Let’s explore the linchpin first. What if you had all your eggs for success The Foundations of Success for Funeral Directors in one basket and you lost the basket? Do you see where I am going with this? Brian Tracy says that “Everything Counts” when it comes to selling. I think that is true of all of business. Every little action you take (or don’t take) is either leading you and your funeral home towards greater success or down to daunting stagnation. For example, let’s say one of your staff drops the ball during a recent service and word of mouth in the com- munity becomes that your funeral home is cold and ap- athetic about people and their needs. Then, rumors get worse. People start to say that all your funeral home is in- terested in is profit. Could you survive that...or would it be your linchpin? As you can see by this example, extraordinary customer service is of upmost importance. No one is perfect and nei- ther is your staff…but we must always be mindful of the results and perceptions of our actions upon the customer. Now, let’s talk about the tipping point. Is there a point where all your marketing, all your sales, all your success- es converge into a place where it spills over to tremen- dous, incredible visibility and success? I believe so. Why do some products go viral? I don’t think we can know the answer with complete certainty...but we know that they do. In fact, this article may go viral, but why this one and not another one? Imagine that the word of mouth in your communi- ty is that your funeral home is the most caring, most understanding business in the entire area. That your staff comforts and takes care of all the needs of a fami- ly during one of the most stressful times in their lives. That could be your tipping point. Your tipping point exists and it will find you...if you continue to practice business success. In fact, do more of it. Supercharge it. What will make your fu- neral home more visible? How can you deliver ex- traordinary service to the families who choose your funeral home for their loved one’s service? Seek the answers to these questions and take action on what you discover and before you know it, your tipping point may find you. To view a video on this topic from one of Mark Bowser’s live sem- inars then go to https://youtu.be/NXRBFB8cLvM Excerpted and adapted from Mark Bowser’s Seminar, The Foundation of Success for Funeral Directors. To schedule Mark Bowser as a speaker for your next event or conference then email mark@BrightCorporation.com or visit www.MarkBowser.com Mark Bowser is the Vice President at one of the funeral industries premier stationary publishers, the Bright Corporation, and one of the top Professional Business Speakers in the United States. He is the au- thor of several books including The 3 Pillars of Success for Funeral Directors and Sales Success with Zig Ziglar. He can be reached at 1-800-428-6424 or email mark@BrightCorporation.com. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at Service Corporation International First Quarter Financial Results, COVID-19 Updates and Quarterly Dividend HOUSTON,TX— Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI) reported re- sults for the first quarter of 2020 and pro- vided updates related to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tom Ryan , the Company’s President, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, had the following remarks: “Currently, the impact of COVID-19 is having a devastat- ing effect on our global health and econo- mies. During this unprecedented time, we remain deeply committed to the health and well-being of our client families, em- ployees, and communities. Through it all, our team of almost 25,000 associates are selflessly putting the needs of others be- fore their own by serving client families during their greatest time of need. I want to thank our associates for rising to the oc- casion and stepping up to serve with cre- ativity, compassion, and courage. Our as- sociates are truly heroes.” Jay Waring , the Company’s Chief Op- erating Officer, commented: “During this time, our dedicated team of associates on the front lines are acting as first respond- ers and providing essential services for the well-being of our client families and com- munities. They are providing care and support in a world of heightened anxiety, and I am grateful and humbled by their enormous courage and resolve. We will continue to take every measure possible to ensure their well-being so they may con- tinue fulfilling their vital role in our com- munities.” “In mid-March, we quickly developed a technology solution by leveraging Face- book Live, which allows extended family and friends to virtually participate in the ceremony alongside the immediate fami- ly. We now have over 1,000 locations of- fering this service and we have trained ap- proximately 1,000 associates in less than a month. In addition, guests are given the opportunity to leave condolences on bal- loons that are tied to chapel chairs so fam- ilies can feel connected to those unable to attend in person and carefully designed outdoor venues are also allowing guests to be present, yet remain at a safe distance. Also, several locations now offer custom- ers the ability to broadcast cemetery ser- vices through radio transmitters. Atneed funeral directors are also using virtual meeting platforms to discuss and plan ser- vice details with client families. Although they may be unable to meet face-to-face, our funeral directors continue to listen, understand, suggest, and plan important details for honoring a loved one’s life. Our preneed sales teams are beginning to overcome social distancing obstacles by further leveraging technology and arrang- ing virtual sales presentations with cus- tomers who currently prefer to participate from their home. Once this crisis is over, we believe we can capitalize on many of the technological solutions that are help- ing us manage through these unprece- dented times.” SCI also announced that its Board of Di- rectors has approved a quarterly cash divi- dend of nineteen cents per share of com- mon stock. The quarterly cash dividend announced is payable on June 30, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of busi- ness on June 15, 2020. Service Corporation International, head- quartered in Houston, is North America’s leading provider of deathcare products and services. At March 31, 2020, the company owned and operated 1,475 funeral homes and 483 cemeteries (of which 296 are combination locations) in 44 states, eight Canadian provinces, the District of Co- lumbia, and Puerto Rico. For more infor- mation and the complete report about Ser- vice Corporation International, visit our website at www.sci -corp.com. United Consumer Financial Services Offers Funeral Financing for Families LAKE GROVE,OR— Unit- ed Consumer Financial Services (UCFS) offers funeral service financing to help families as they plan ceremonies for their loved ones. UCFS’s fi- nancing option allows fu- neral homes to expand their businesses to reach a greater number of people, including some who may otherwise have been un- able to afford the funeral they want. The flexibility of this benefit can allow families to eliminate some of the stress of planning a funeral. Two or more families are able to combine financ- ing with other payments when using UCFS’s fi- nancing services. Bank, credit, or debit card au- topay options are also available for set-it-and- forget-it payments. Ad- ditionally, an online pay- ment portal makes it easy for families to have a com- prehensive breakdown of their contract and financ- ing plan. The application only takes several minutes to complete for businesses al- ready set up with the mer- chant financing program. Because the credit applica- tion decisions have quick turnover, it allows families to plan accordingly from the start of the process. UCFS recommends that funeral homes and cem- eteries register with the merchant financing pro- gram immediately, so when a family is interested in financing, the business is already an established merchant. Credit score is not the sole factor that de- termines credit decisions. There is no recourse pro- gram, so after a contract is final, the business is not li- able for collections. For more information email dave@cascadecom- pany.com or call (503) 869-3373.