Couldn’t make it to Boston for the 2017 NFDA Convention? Or didn’t have time to go to all the workshops? We’ve got you covered with highlights from some of our favorite workshops we attended.
This is part one of a five-part series about some of the informative 2017 NFDA Convention workshops.
Provide Care Through the Grief Journey
This NFDA convention workshop, presented by Jason Troyer, focused on how to help families funeral plan during the grieving process. While funeral planning, families may have unanswered questions and worries. They may feel too embarrassed or emotional to express them, so it’s up to you to ease their minds.
You can do this by acting like a mind reader. Obviously, mind reading isn’t possible. But by answering families’ typical questions and concerns before they ask them, you both impress them and ease their worries. Put yourself in their shoes and determine how to help them funeral plan and provide emotional support.
For example, viewing the body is important to families. It provides both closure and a last goodbye. But it also can be very emotional for some people. As one person may sit with the body for hours, another person may only be in there for a minute.
As funeral directors, you know everyone has different reactions to seeing the body. And how long you view the body doesn’t mean you loved them any more or less. You can help ensure families that everyone reacts differently and it’s okay to get emotional.
Using Digital Marketing to Grow Your Funeral Home and Generate Leads
During this workshop, presented by Zachary Garbow, the focus was on digital marketing for funeral homes. Social media, like Facebook, can help your funeral home find potential client families.
To do this, you need to post frequently, at least daily, and post more than just obituaries. You also need to boost your posts to reach more of your followers and potential followers. Because when you just post something without boosting it, only 5% of your followers will see it.
But that doesn’t mean you should go boosting all of your posts. Only boost the most important posts that may lead to potential client families. This could be a post about attending your holiday remembrance event or learning more about your preplanning resources.
Facebook is a must-have tool for funeral homes, but it alone isn’t enough. Along with being active on Facebook, you should also have an effective email marketing strategy. This way, you can follow up with your potential client families and convert them into leads for your funeral home.
Creating a Life of Legacy
This workshop, presented by Rabbi Daniel Cohen, was about leading a life of legacy. By finding out what’s most important in your life, you can discover your ideal self and how you want to be remembered.
The reading of the poem titled The Dash by Linda Ellis summarized this session beautifully:
“I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash…”
Click here to read the rest of this poem.
Did you attend any of these NFDA Convention workshops? What did you learn from them? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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