Breakout Sessions:
Strategy and Perspective
"Expanding Your Firm’s Footprint"
(In person and virtual)
How to grow your firm is on the minds of many funeral home owners. This is exceptionally important because without a thriving business, no firm is able to serve their client families and communities, which is the top priority of every funeral professional! In this impactful session, Selected members Bill McReavy with Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels, Inc., MN; Robert Nunnaley with Fry & Prickett Funeral Home, NC and Jeff Smith with Smith Family Funeral Homes, AR will share their experiences and insights on how they’ve expanded their firm’s footprint through acquisition, expansion and organic growth. In addition, participants will have ample time for interactive dialogue.
"Backed by Data:
What 9000+ Funeral Home Websites Tell Us About What Families Look for Online + Tips on How You Can Steal the Traffic"
(In person only)
Are you looking to stand out in your community and attract new families to your website? In this data-driven presentation, Charlie Cole with Tribute Technologies can show you how to identify the latest trends in the funeral profession and tap into the unique interests of your local community. By following a few simple steps, funeral professionals will not only have a better understanding of your target audience but also be able to get a minimum of 100 new families to visit your firm’s website. These small steps can be a game changer for your funeral home as you build your online presence and provide the families you serve with the criteria they are searching for to better meet their needs.
"Communication Is Key to Crisis De-escalation"
(In person and virtual)
In the normal course of daily business, funeral professionals demonstrate deft interpersonal skills in serving your client families. But what happens when circumstances are not normal? What happens when an error or miscommunication threatens the reputation and/or bottom line of your firm? In this engaging and interactive session, Rod Hughes, a crisis communications expert and trainer with Kimball Hughes Public Relations, will highlight potential communication mishaps and detail steps every funeral home can take to quickly create appropriate messaging to mitigate any potential damage. Hughes also will provide communications best practices for use in high-profile, heightened situations such as VIP, military and active shooter related funeral services, among others. Participants will leave this session understanding how to employ essential crisis communications tactics to de-escalate volatile circumstances as well as communications protocols to help preemptively avoid those situations.
"The Young and the Restless"
(In person only)
Funeral homes are struggling to hire and retain quality staff. Firms want the Energizer Bunny, while today’s apprentices want work/life harmony, benefits and a living wage. This gap in expectations has made it increasingly difficult to fill critical roles. Even more importantly, this disconnect has caused an exodus of hard-working, dedicated professionals in pursuit of other careers. What can be done to fix this problem? In this engaging session, Leili McMurrough with Worsham College of Mortuary Science will share insight on how to create a funeral home environment that welcomes and retains talent by taking an "employee-centered" perspective. She’ll also share real-world stories from mortuary students, recent graduates, apprentices and first-year funeral directors to hear firsthand why some of the rising stars leave the profession. Participants will walk away armed with information and actionable plans to build your staff team, which in turn, is the foundation for your funeral home to continue to serve your client families and communities to the highest standards.
