It started as a casual conversation between strangers enjoying a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts. I was waiting while my car had an oil change at the shop next door. The couple was there to warm up after helping their children dig out from the historic seven feet of snow we had in our area. Sitting at adjacent tables we exchanged words about the storm. That is when it happened…I mentioned how it had impacted some of our cemeteries. The couple latched onto my cemetery connection and began to tell me that they had family buried in our cemetery. This led to them sharing that they knew they would be buried there as well, but had yet to make any arrangements. They also realized that this was not something to be left for their children to handle and that they were aware how important it was to pre-plan for their funeral and burial. So what was the problem? They knew they had to pre-plan. They knew exactly where they wanted to be buried. They had the finances to cover their funeral service and the purchase of their graves. Sounds like our perfect customer. Right? Wrong! They just could not bring themselves to follow through on it. They felt that it would be a depressing experience and that, somehow, making their plans would lead to an early death. They knew this was illogical, but it was an emotional reaction to a rational decision.

  This is the uphill struggle we face as we preach the benefits of pre-planning. We are appealing to the rational mind, but it is the emotional one that drives the person when it comes to making their funeral and burial arrangements. How do we address this in a way to facilitate action and decisions? Perhaps by focusing on living fully, even after they have met with us. Life, not death, should be the focus of our marketing. Remind them that the point is to live life fully until the moment they die. We all know people who stop living and disengage from the joys of this world, long before their physical death. For those who are physically able, life is to be lived. Each day presents possibilities for service to others, living into our purpose and maybe even a little adventure.

  In April our cemetery will run a pre-plan promotion that focuses on this theme. We will offer a gift certificate for one of six different life experience outings. Golfing, painting class, wineries, spa day, theater tickets or a family photo session are the options from which they can choose. We are focused on creating new memories and chasing the fun, especially after their pre-plans are made. What will the response be? I have no clue, but I do know that it is a fun way to invite people in to meet with us.

  In an industry that is centered around death, it may seem odd to be so focused on life. Yet it is exactly because we know what happens to a family when a death occurs and the grief that follows, that we remain committed to helping those we serve avoid hard decisions at the time when they least need to be making them. Through our experience, we can help them make decisions ahead of time that lead to a peace in their soul, a knowing that they will have their desires carried out, that their family will not be burdened and that they are now free to move forward with their life…a long life. We can wait to carry out their plans, we are in no hurry. As I say to the families that I serve, “Our cemetery has been around for over 150 years and we will be here, so don’t be in a rush to claim your pre-purchased space!”