Conversation Café
Are you a Selected member who is not yet registered for the Annual Meeting?
Tentative Conversation Café Schedule:
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11
11:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.
Funeral Decisions
Monroe
Closing More Phone Shoppers
Wouldn't be great if you could get phone shoppers to come in and sit down for a presentation, thus allowing you to convey your value...instead of just saying the lowest price you can? NowDeck by Funeral Decisions allows you to do just that. Have better conversations with phone shoppers and stay on top of your follow-up to ensure you close more phone shoppers and help more families.
Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions
Ogden
Is Your Selection Room Delivering the Results You Need?
Nearly 50% of all funeral home revenue comes from the sale of funeral merchandise. The new Compass Business Analysis program from Matthews Aurora offers a detailed review of how your selection room is meeting the needs of your families, how funeral directors engage families in their purchase decisions, and the sometimes unexpected financial results for your firm. In this Conversation Café, learn how the free Compass program is creating an advantage for funeral homes to reveal opportunities to better serve families and reach the financial results you expect.
Passare
Randolph
Understanding the New Funeral Consumer
Ever wonder what families really think about preplanning, attending funerals online, burial vs. cremation, and more? In this session, we will share the results of our updated consumer study conducted with Directors Investment Group (parent company of Funeral Directors Life and Passare) and McKee Wallwork + Co. You can use this information to help you make more informed decisions about your business, improve your marketing, and more.
Tukios
State
Who Owns Your Website Data?
Join Curtis in an engaging session as he explores funeral home websites and their data dynamics. Learn the different types of data collected by the industry websites. Discover effective strategies to attract and nurture website traffic and fuel your business growth. You will also explore simple yet critical techniques to safeguard and manage your digital assets.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11
2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Live Oak Bank
Monroe
How to Choose the Right Capital for Your Business
There are many factors to consider when deciding what kind of capital you need to grow your business. In this session, Tim Bridgers, a funeral home financing expert, will cover the variety of lending products available to you, depending on your goals. Additionally, Tim will share the current interest rate environment and how it impacts your business, what you need to know before choosing a lender and your next steps to accessing the capital your business needs.
Private Label Caskets
Ogden
Winning Margin in a Cremation World
While cremation is continuing to grow there are things in our business that we CAN control. We will explore the cost centers where the most revenue can be generated. In this interactive session we’ll discuss the biggest areas for not only creating margin but growing your business in a highly competitive environment. 2024 could look very different for your firm after being part of this session.
Ring Ring Marketing
Randolph
Navigating a Post-Pandemic Decline: Strategizing for Growth in Call Volume
In the wake of the pandemic's "pull-forward" effect, the deathcare profession is experiencing an unprecedented downturn with fewer call volumes. However, a slump doesn't have to mean stagnation. This session will provide attendees with savvy, cost-effective digital marketing strategies to maintain and even expand their market share. We'll delve into the power of platforms like Google and Facebook, equipping participants with the tools they need to thrive during these challenging times.
Tribute Technology
State
AI: Friend, Foe, or the Future of the Profession?
When’s the last time you’ve sat across the table from an actual tech guru? Now’s your chance, as Matt Powell predicts how AI will revolutionize the funeral profession over the next five years (hint: He doesn’t think your job is at stake). Matt will also share practical ways you can use AI to free up your time and help you and your families…while leaving behind the boring tasks that are perfect for robots to handle.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12
9:15 a.m.- 9:45 a.m.
ASD
Monroe
Adapting to Technological Shifts in the Funeral Profession
This discussion-style session will focus on how ASD’s response to a nationwide labor shortage helped the company establish remote training systems and a dedicated Southern team. Join Family-Member Owner, Kevin Czachor, National Sales Manager, Craig Meehan, and Account Manager, Summer Greenwood as they explore how emerging technology solutions have ushered in fresh opportunities for funeral professionals to enhance their level of service, maintain competitiveness in their market, and evolve in the midst of an ever-changing world.
Gather
Ogden
How to Better Meet Families Where They're At in 2024 and Beyond
The death care profession is changing rapidly, between new consumer preferences, new generations of funeral directors, new tech, new regulations, and more. What are you doing to differentiate your business and stand out from your competition? Get expert, no-fluff advice from Nancy Jenner, LFD, from Gather and learn how to make your business sustainable for years to come.
MKJ Marketing
Randolph
Turn Obituary Visits into At-Need Calls
Think of every family’s experience with your firm as a journey with many steps that can be easier or harder based on what you provide — and it all starts with your marketing. Did you know there’s a cost-effective way using automation to make high-quality marketing pieces that can help you build better loyalty within your community and earn more five-star reviews? In this Conversation Café, Courtney Gould Miller will share details on AI and no-touch marketing strategies that firms of all sizes can start using right away.
Parting Stone
State
Learn to Navigate Modern Death Options with Families
New death care options can be confusing for families AND funeral professionals to understand and navigate. Families deserve to know every option available to choose the experience that best suits them - and it is up to us to guide them. Join Stephanie Poirier, Partner Success Manager at Parting Stone and licensed funeral director, to learn how to navigate modern death options with families and effectively present every option during pre-need and at-need arrangements. Each attendee will leave with a free infographic arrangement tool.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12
2:15 p.m.- 2:45 p.m.
Aftercare.com
Monroe
Marketing Aftercare to Win More Families
When undecided families are comparing funeral homes, it's important they can easily see all that you offer. In this presentation, learn the benefits of marketing aftercare as a service you provide and how showcasing how you help families after the death will make you stand out from the competition and win more families.
Cremation Recycling
Ogden
The Keys to a Transparent Recycling Experience
Cremation Recycling will present the best tips for your post-cremation recycling program. Transparency, best ways to process, the fundamentals of recycling and more will be covered.
Funeral Directors Life
Randolph
How Digital Marketing Grows Your Business
To improve brand awareness and drive preneed sales, you need to connect with families online with a complete digital marketing plan. In this conversation, we will share marketing secrets and insights so you can finally start seeing results.
Parting Pro
State
The Perfect Online Cremation Company
After helping hundreds of funeral homes serve over 250,000 families online, Parting Pro has identified many similarities between the businesses that have grown to become successful cremation brands. Whether you're thinking of starting a new side brand, trying to grow your existing cremation business, or want to take your business to the next level, this talk will reveal what the massive cremation companies are all already doing to capture market share and keep it.