For months, the fate of TikTok has been in limbo, as questions have swirled around whether it can continue operating in the United States.

In case you haven’t been following the news, many have expressed concern that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could be forced by the Chinese government to hand over sensitive American user data or even spread propaganda via the app itself.

As a result, if you’re a funeral home owner or even an individual who has heard about the platform but never used it, you’ve probably put the entire idea of creating a TikTok account by the wayside.

But not so fast.

Apparently, there’s a pending deal to transfer TikTok’s U.S. operations to a majority American ownership group, with Oracle overseeing the app’s algorithm.  It’s increasingly looking as though TikTok’s U.S. operations will be overseen by a joint venture with mostly American investors.

With all this said, according to ChatGPT, only about 1 in 400 funeral homes currently have a TikTok channel, which may suggest that your time is better spent elsewhere.

However, we all know that you shouldn’t do something simply because competitors are doing it. I’d argue the corollary is also true: You shouldn’t toss an idea in the garbage simply because not many other funeral homes have a TikTok presence. In fact, that might be one of the very reasons to create an account.

Let’s drill into some of the other reasons a funeral home might want to establish a TikTok account.

In addition to establishing your funeral home as innovative and different, creating a company page on TikTok could help you:

So, am I saying to scoff at the naysayers and create a TikTok account tomorrow?

Not at all.

My personal recommendation would be to focus on making your company Facebook page robust – and then consider other social networks such as LinkedIn, where you can forge valuable connections with the professional community, which can be critical when it comes to making referrals or recommending solid job candidates.

But once you’ve established your funeral home and yourself on those networks, consider others, such as Instagram, X, Bluesky and – yes – even TikTok.

Before dipping your toe into the TikTok water, however, it’s important to be aware of some of the challenges, which include:

Setting up and running a TikTok account is no small matter, so be sure to consider if you can devote the necessary time to doing it.

If you make the plunge, try to have fun while ensuring you make no major gaffes that will impact your brand to the downside. One thing is certain: I promise you will learn new things along the way – and you’ll likely be able to apply some of what you what you learn to other areas of your business.

I’d also recommend:

One of the great things about TikTok is that it is not saturated with funeral homes — so the opportunity to stand out is real.

If your firm has the bandwidth to create tasteful and educational video content, it could pay off in brand awareness and preneed leads, even if the direct local at-need ROI is harder to measure.

If you don’t have that bandwidth, you’re better off doubling down on Facebook to extend your local reach as well as other social networks like YouTube and LinkedIn before focusing on TikTok.

Welton Hong is the founder & CEO of Ring Ring Marketing, which has helped over 600 small businesses grow their revenue through online marketing strategies. He is also the author of “Making Your Phone Ring with Internet Marketing for Funeral Homes.” Visit RingRingmarketing.com and follow the company on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X.

As we entered 2025, you may have set a goal to take better care of yourself, only to find that the excitement of “New Year, New Me” has faded, and your resolution has taken a back seat. This is a common challenge, especially for those in the funeral industry, where the demands of the job can leave little time for personal well-being. The reality is stark: In 2023, the age-adjusted death rate in the United States was 750.5 deaths per 100,000, with a total of 3,090,964 deaths recorded (Murphy et al., 2024). As funeral professionals, we are expected to master emotional labor, which involves managing one’s emotions and expressions when interacting with others. In addition to physical labor, the emotional labor of our work often leads to burnout, compassion fatigue, and a range of stress-related issues.

Funeral directors and embalmers face immense pressure to provide impeccable service and manage personal and financial stress. These pressures can lead to emotional exhaustion, where compassion fatigue manifests as numbness and reduced empathy toward others. This is often a consequence of overuse of compassion skills and lack of self-care.

Likewise, burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged, repeated, and unmanaged stress such as unrealistic time pressures, lack of support, unmanageable workload, unpredictable work schedule, and dealing with heavy grief daily.

The signs of stress in this field are all too familiar: physical and emotional exhaustion, increased anxiety, headaches, stomach issues, anger, irritability, relationship issues, and negative coping behaviors, including drug and alcohol abuse, may emerge along with decreased job satisfaction.

This article will explore simple strategies to reduce stress and incorporate self-care routines that can help restore balance to your life. One such practice is mindfulness—where you connect with your inner awareness to identify stressors, explore healthier coping strategies, and use self-reflection to continuously recommit to your self-care throughout the year, rather than simply setting a goal and forgetting about it.

We’ve all heard about the adverse effects of workplace stress, and a quick online search will show how much it can impact a business. Chronic stress and constant pressure can lead to burnout, with signs like increased tardiness, forgetfulness, low morale, and a toxic work environment. This affects not only team dynamics but also customer interactions and, in the long run, employee turnover (Glomb et al., 2011).

The Cleveland Clinic (2021) points out that when stress becomes a regular part of our lives, it can cause problems like cortisol levels not lowering, leading to adverse effects such as a weakened immune system, headaches, digestive issues, and weight gain. Stress can change how we view things and affect our interactions with coworkers, customers, and competitors. While emotions come and go, our mood and outlook can be more challenging to shift, especially when stress becomes chronic. Recognizing ongoing stress is essential because it can lead to anxiety and depression and impact our ability to adapt to unexpected situations on the job (Centers for Disease Control, 2024).

While stress is a normal part of life, the constant pressure we face at work can make it overwhelming. That’s where practices like mindfulness come in. Taking time for self-care and creating a plan to manage stress can help reduce burnout and improve work performance and personal well-being.

One of the best ways to start a self-care routine is to take some time to engage in mindfulness and find out what your stressors are and what self-care means to you.

Mindfulness is paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, and emotions on purpose and without judgment of what is happening at that moment (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). To practice mindfulness, we can incorporate a more formal routine of activities like meditation, breathing, or yoga to help us become more aware of our thoughts and emotions when we are not engaged in formal meditative activities (Potter, n.d.). When we become more self-aware of how we go about our day, we can become more compassionate with ourselves and care for ourselves like we would our loved ones or families. The care we give ourselves by establishing boundaries for moments to reset helps generate the energy and compassion to continue supporting others (Neff & Dahm, 2017). Here are three ways to use mindfulness, play, and compassion to bring more self-awareness into our lives.

Visualization is a great way to bring a feeling of calm and help you come one step closer to putting some time between stress and work. Start by taking a slow, deep breath through the nose, holding the breath, and slowly letting the air out of your mouth. As a mindful practice, close your eyes and imagine what you see, feel, touch, taste, and hear during a hobby or activity you enjoy. What are some of the things that you find yourself doing to engage in fun or joy?

Once you imagine these activities or ideas, write down statements or affirm that you deserve a few moments of care. Affirm aloud or to yourself with statements like, “I need a 10-minute break so that I can show up the way I want to for myself and my family”, “I’m taking a walk, and the warm sun and a breath of fresh air is what I need right now,” or “Planning time for myself, is just as important as the plans I make for work.” 

Saying these things or writing statements that resonate with you is the second step in moving closer to better self-care and reducing chronic stress. The last part of this is to do what you are affirming. Even if you don’t put these things into practice right away, you might take that break eventually, so try one of those activities you imagined.

The true goal is to have more mindful self-compassion and self-care for yourself which can improve your work life and, hopefully those around you (coworkers, families, clergy, etc). While these ideas are great, they require action and continual commitment because life can become complicated, and we might lose sight of our personal goals. According to the change cycle, slipping out of new practices within the maintenance stage is common and may be frustrating. Setting regular times to reflect on your work-life balance, understanding why you stopped your practice, recommitting, and sharing your experience with a trusted person can ensure that the change becomes a permanent part of your lifestyle (Salerno & Brock, 2008).

Here are a few other mindful activities to explore for your mindful self-compassion and care:

1. Try a yoga session, mindfulness course, or self-compassion training.
2. Write journal entries about what you are grateful for. Or reflect on times you’re hard on yourself and what advice you have given to a friend under stress, and see if that might apply to you.
3. Try breathing practices or guided meditations.
4. Connect with a friend or family member when you’re overwhelmed. Sometimes, they help remind you of the self-care you committed to, or they can listen.
5. Try talk therapy with a mental health counselor if a friend or loved one is not an option.
   

When discussing succession planning, I always like to start by asking: How many of you are actively engaged in succession planning? If the answer is anything less than “everyone,” it’s a missed opportunity. Succession planning isn’t just for business owners; it’s critical for managers, employees, and everyone in between. It’s about fostering redundancy, nurturing talent, and preparing both individuals and organizations for a seamless future. Done effectively, succession planning allows you to focus on the most critical tasks as an owner, manager, or employee.

A successful succession plan begins with a clear vision of the future. Ask yourself:

• What’s your path forward?
• As an owner, when do you envision retiring? Will you step back partially or fully? Will you remain involved in the business in any capacity?
• What’s the future health of your business? What does it look like one year, five years, or ten years from now?
  

Think of your business as a significant relationship. Is the future bright, or are there issues brewing? Here are some key questions to consider:

The answers to these questions can significantly shape your succession plan. Ultimately, your goal is to build equity in your business and ensure its longevity, even if you step away. To assess your progress, consider having a business valuation done along with a business assessment to assist in crafting annual strategic plans. These tools can help you determine whether your business can thrive without you.

When evaluating businesses, I focus on four key areas:

A well-planned succession strategy aligns with periods of high opportunity and low risk, translating to high value. Businesses with strong life expectancy typically attract the best offers during a transfer. Here are two critical metrics that highlight the importance of effective succession planning:

In conclusion, ignorance may feel blissful, but it’s far from strategic. Knowing your business’s value today, yesterday, and tomorrow is crucial. By proactively creating a vision and tenaciously pursuing it, you can dictate your success. Succession planning isn’t just about transferring ownership; it’s about ensuring that your business thrives long after you’ve stepped away.

For additional guidance or questions, reach out to Johnson Consulting.

President & CEO at Johnson Consulting, Jake Johnson began his career at Keystone Group Holdings (now Dignity Memorial Network) as Associate Director, Corporate Development. This job included financial analysis, bank and equity partner presentations, along with accounting and system setup with acquired funeral homes. Jake then went on to work at Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries in Las Vegas, NV, which at the time handled 6,500 funeral home families and over 2,200 cemetery cases out of 6 locations. Here Jake conducted funeral directing, funeral arranging, funeral home management, cemetery operations management, and sat on the executive board. Jake’s ability to problem solve business issues contributes to his success in currently owning a funeral home and cremation center in Sun City, AZ, along with a small-town funeral home in Batesville, IN.

Every funeral home owner has faced it—that uneasy realization that valuable leads are slipping through the cracks. You’ve spent time and money on marketing campaigns, from digital ads to community events, and while you’re reaching the "low-hanging fruit," you still have drawers full of leads who never get a follow-up.

It’s a frustrating cycle. You’re seeing a minimal return on your marketing investment, but it’s not just about lost revenue—it’s about missed opportunities to help families. Each lead represents someone who reached out for guidance and support.

So, how do you break free from this cycle? The answer lies in reimagining preneed not just as a collection of separate tasks but as a fully integrated system that maximizes the quality and potential of every lead.

If you're like many funeral homes, walk-ins and call-ins form the bulk of your preneed business. Most of these families are choosing you for good reason. They’ve often already built a relationship with your brand, and they both know and trust your funeral home.

These are obviously very important families to focus on, and you’re right to nurture them. But the truth is they would have likely chosen your funeral home anyway. To grow and expand your market, it’s important to prearrange new families—those who may not be familiar with your brand or may be undecided about their chosen funeral home.

This is where the shift to proactive preneed becomes so critical. It’s not just about marketing and setting appointments with the people who know and love you. It’s about expanding your reach, building relationships with new families, and giving them the education and clarity they need to choose your funeral home.

Relying on walk-ins and call-ins is like playing defense—it’s safe, but it’s not scalable. To truly grow your business, you need an offense—a proactive system that builds connections with new families and turns them into loyal customers.

Consider this: depending on the size of your market, there are likely hundreds if not thousands of families in your serviceable area who are interested in prearranging a funeral. They may not be quite ready to take the next step and set an appointment, but a proactive approach to preneed allows you to develop a relationship starting today.

In other words, by reaching these families through proactive marketing, personalized follow-ups, and education, you’re creating a bridge from "undecided and unaware" to "excited and eager to act."

As you probably already know, consumer preferences are shifting faster than ever. 29% of the population today are religiously unaffiliated, meaning they no longer identify with a specific religion, and communities are changing as people move away from their hometowns.

It used to be that our profession could rely on our institutions and communities to build the value of a funeral as a meaningful source of ritual, ceremony, and gathering. But today’s shifting preferences have reduced this built-in value. Families still want to honor their loved ones, but they are less aware of their options.

Being proactive allows you to change this. You get to fill the shoes that our institutions and communities once filled. Not only can you help families understand the full range of options available and shift their perspective early on, but you can also share the value of a meaningful funeral experience and its importance in helping their loved ones heal.

A lot of people think active preneed comes down to active marketing—sending out direct mail campaigns, running social ads, and holding community events. But while that is a critical piece of running a healthy program, it’s only part of the equation.

When you generate quality leads through marketing, you see who is interested in learning more. Real growth comes from what happens next—your ability to nurture that interest, keep families engaged, and inspire them to take action.

Without an interconnected system or clear plan of action, it’s easy for these leads to slip away. Maybe one person on your team is doing all the follow-ups, but they’re stretched too thin. Or perhaps everyone is "pitching in" on follow-ups, but no one is 100% accountable.

This "all hands on deck" approach often leads to confusion and missed connections. The ball simply gets dropped. To keep it moving forward and consistently prearrange more families, you need a way to create a next step for every lead—and then a framework for tracking, measuring, and managing each of those steps.

At the heart of preneed should be a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences. Think about how transformative it is for a family to walk into your funeral home after a loved one’s passing and realize that everything has already been taken care of. Stress levels drop, the focus shifts to healing and connection, and your team can focus on providing personalized, compassionate care.

That’s the result of a great preneed experience—and it’s something that can start long before a family’s time of need. By providing a consistent, personalized, and proactive preneed experience, you’re building brand loyalty and creating families who will be fans of your funeral home for years to come.

A proactive approach to preneed ensures that every family, from the moment they first see your marketing message to the moment they finalize their plan, has a seamless and supportive experience.

But this takes a lot more than flipping a switch. Here are a few key steps that will help you unlock your preneed potential. 

To sustain a growing preneed program, it’s important to be proactive and keep everyone accountable. Every lead needs a next step, and each of these steps needs to be measured and tracked.

This was one of the first things we realized when we developed ProActive Preneed®. Our system is designed to connect every piece of your preneed pipeline and give every family a clear path forward.

Being proactive should not only generate more quality leads for your funeral home, but it should also result in more quality preneed appointments, more prearranged families, and strong relationships that last.
Learn more about ProActive Preneed® at precoa.com

Tyler Anderson is senior vice president of business development at Precoa, a preneed company that helps hundreds of funeral homes prearrange more families and grow their markets. Born and raised in the funeral profession, Tyler appreciated the importance of ceremony, ritual, and gathering from an early age. Tyler’s grandfather started his first funeral home in 1944 and the Anderson family continues to own and operate firms in the state of Ohio today. Tyler began his preneed career as an advance planner, then regional sales manager with The Outlook Group, which his father, Charles, founded in 1985. Later, as CEO and President (2010-2016), Tyler helped Outlook Group become one of the nation’s top preneed companies. His unwavering passion to help more families experience a meaningful service fueled his decision to unite with Precoa in 2017. Today he continues to be passionate about sharing a new vision for preneed that helps more families across the country experience a meaningful funeral service. Tyler lives in Portland, OR with his wife, Jana, and daughter, Noemie.

The winter season extends from December through February and will be here before you know it bringing the potential hazards associated with winter with them. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance. So, it is not too early to prepare your business for winter weather events – even if you currently see blue skies and not a snowflake in sight.

“BUT WAIT!” you may think, “Aren’t I on the CANA blog? Why are they talking about the weather?” My response is – to keep your employees safe and your business protected from the cost of safety violations. Because that is what we do at Regulatory Support Services for CANA Members and the funeral profession. We want to remind you to be prepared for the effects of winter, particularly as NOAA predicts some areas of the hemisphere to feel colder and snowier than last year. Read on.

Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have specific standards which cover working in cold temperatures, employers have a responsibility to provide employees with a working environment which is free from recognized hazards, including winter weather related hazards, which are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to them (Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970). Here are 8 ways you can prepare your employees for the winter weather ahead:

Cold stress refers to environmental conditions (e.g., air temperature/humidity, windchill temperature, rain, and inadequate clothing for protection) in which body heat is lost to the environment at a rate that is faster than the body can produce heat. When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries may occur, and permanent tissue damage or even death may result. Examples of cold stress include trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia.

Cold stress and its effects can vary across different areas of the country. In regions that are not used to winter weather, near freezing temperatures are considered factors for “cold stress.” Increased wind speed also causes heat to leave the body more rapidly (wind chill effect). Wetness or dampness, even from body sweat, also facilitates heat loss from the body. OSHA provides a guide – Cold Stress Safety and Health Guide – which expands upon these topics and can assist in the recognition of cold stress and actions that can be taken to address it.

Use the resources made available to you to train your employees to respond effectively to the onset of cold stress including topics outlined below:

• How to recognize the symptoms of cold stress, prevent cold stress injuries and illnesses
• The importance of self-monitoring and monitoring coworkers for symptoms
• First aid and how to call for additional medical assistance in an emergency
• How to select proper clothing for cold, wet, and windy conditions
• How to navigate winter weather related hazards such as slippery roads and surfaces, windy conditions, and downed power lines
  

Safe work practices which can be implemented by employers to protect employees from injuries, illnesses and fatalities include:

• Providing employees with the proper tools and equipment to do their jobs
• Developing work plans that identify potential hazards and the safety measures that will be used to protect employees
• Scheduling maintenance and repair jobs for warmer months
• Scheduling jobs that expose employees to the cold weather in the warmer part of the day
• Avoiding exposure to extremely cold temperatures when possible
• Limiting the amount of time spent outdoors on extremely cold days
• Using relief employees to assign extra employees for long, demanding jobs
• Providing warm areas for use during break periods
• Providing warm liquids to employees
• Monitoring employees who are at risk of cold stress
• Monitoring the weather conditions during a winter storm, having a reliable means of communicating with employees and being able to stop work or evacuate when necessary
• Having a means of communicating with employees, especially in remote areas
• Knowing how the community warns the public about severe weather: outdoor sirens, radio, and television
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides multiple ways to stay informed about winter storms. If you are notified of a winter storm watch, advisory or warning, follow instructions from your local authorities: NOAA Weather Radio
  

Dressing properly is extremely important to preventing cold stress. An employee should wear:

• At least three layers of loose-fitting clothing
• An inner layer of wool, silk or synthetic (polypropylene) to keep moisture away from the body
• A middle layer of wool or synthetic to provide insulation even when wet
• An outer wind and rain protection layer that allows some ventilation to prevent overheating
• A Knit mask to cover face and mouth as is appropriate for the situation
• A Hat that will cover both ears and will help reduce the loss of body heat
• Insulated gloves to protect the hands
• Insulated and waterproof boots to protect the feet
  

Employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE), for example, fall protection, when required by OSHA standards to protect employees’ safety, and health. However, in limited cases specified in the standard, there are exceptions to the requirement for employers to provide PPE to employees. For instance, there is no OSHA requirement for employers to provide employees with ordinary clothing, skin creams, or other items, used solely for protection from weather, such as winter coats, jackets, gloves, parkas, rubber boots, hats, raincoats, ordinary sunglasses, and sunscreen. However, depending on the employee’s assigned responsibilities, many employers provide their employees with winter weather gear such as winter coats/jackets and gloves.

Learn more about PPE requirements and how to design an effective PPE program: Personal Protective Equipment.

This may seem obvious, but it must be mentioned. To prevent slips, trips, and falls, employers should clear walking surfaces of snow and ice, and spread deicer, as quickly as possible after a winter storm. In addition, the following precautions will help reduce the likelihood of injuries:

• Wear proper footwear when walking on snow or ice is unavoidable because it is especially treacherous
• Wear a pair of insulated and water-resistant boots with good rubber treads should be worn for walking during or after a winter storm
• Take short steps and walk at a slower pace to optimize reaction time when it is necessary to quickly respond to a change in traction while walking on an icy or snow-covered walkway
  

OSHA has prepared a guide to safe snow removal. You can find it here: Snow Removal: Know the Hazards (osha.gov)

Regulatory Support Services encourages you, at this time, to review your winter weather plans, assure your employees are properly trained, and determine whether the supplies and equipment needed to protect against winter hazards are available to you and your employees. Contact us if you need assistance in reviewing your winter hazards plan or would like additional information to assist you in enhancing your plan for protection. Stay warm. Stay safe.

Suppose you run a small business that handles personal health information (PHI), personally identifiable information (PII), or payment card information (PCI). In that case, you need to be aware of the cybersecurity risks that you face. Cybercriminals are constantly looking for ways to steal, compromise, or destroy your data, and they often target small businesses that have fewer resources and security measures than larger organizations.

The cost of a data breach for a small to midsize business (SMB) can be substantial. On average, a data breach costs an SMB around $217,000 per incident per the Garter® Top Trends in Cybersecurity for 2024. This figure includes immediate financial impacts such as legal fees, fines, and remediation costs.

However, the hidden costs can be even more significant. For example, the average cost of lost business due to a data breach is $1.52 million. This loss stems from eroded customer trust and the potential exodus of clients, which can be catastrophic for businesses that rely on a loyal customer base.

Additionally, operational disruptions, productivity losses, and data restoration costs add to the financial burden. For instance, downtime can cost SMBs an average of $8,000 per hour.

Given these high stakes, investing in comprehensive cybersecurity measures is crucial for protecting against the costs and disruptions of a cyberattack.

Some of the most common cyber threats that small businesses face are:

To reduce the cybersecurity risk for your small business, you should follow these best practices:

The loss of talent is one of the biggest challenges organizations face. In a competitive job market, managers can help ensure stability by intentionally creating a culture that people will be more likely to stay in. And, contrary to what is often assumed, it does not have to cost a lot of money.

Here are 10 ways managers can create a culture people will want to join and thrive in: 

Denise Reid and Martha Webb-Jones provide consultation on Human Resources policies and processes through Raven Plume Consulting. The mission of Raven Plume is to change the way people think about funeral service by sharing knowledge and expertise with funeral home and crematory professionals, clients, and the public.

With Cremation Strategies & Consulting, part of Raven Plume Consulting, you can get a discount in developing your SOP Manual and reduce liability, improve employee training, and ensure operations are done correctly, efficiently, and consistently. Available free to CANA Members, the Crematory Management Program provides step-by-step instructions to build a Standard Operating Procedures Manual with the help of experts. Not a member? Learn more about why CANA keeps growing!

The death care business and advertising have a tenuous relationship. Part of it is not merely a scarcity mindset, but a scarcity reality: when my ad dollar can’t grow the market and has questionable likelihood of growing market share, I have to wonder if there are better investments. And, especially in an environment where the words “inflation” and “recession” (let alone “post-COVID slowdown”) are inescapable, many firms are looking for places to save a buck or two.

While fearfulness doesn’t make for good management, preparedness does. Business owners are (and should be) thinking about how to batten down the hatches should the need arise. Even if it all comes to nothing, it’s good to have a plan.
​
In my firm’s quarter-century, our clients have frequently been faced with the need to trim their ad budgets during tough economic times. The solution ain’t what it used to be.

There was a time when I coached clients to stay the course. For years I’ve told a story about a friend who owns a local cigar shop. In 2008, during the Great Recession, he invested heavily in his company, moving into a larger location, opening an affiliated lounge, and expanding his inventory. Looking back, he says that if he had taken a defensive stance, his business would have faltered instead of growing as it did. I’ve used that as an illustration of why it’s a good idea to maintain or even increase your marketing budget through recession. But here’s the rub: my friend didn’t invest in promotion. He invested in his place.
Place is an often-neglected pillar of the four Ps of marketing, but it’s as much a part of marketing as the other three. Ad agencies tend to focus on promotion — paid advertising and its cousins — to the exclusion of all else. That’s like tying two arms and a leg behind your back, especially when you’re trying to squeeze every return you can out of limited marketing dollars.

Consider this: would you rather get a thousand people to check out your business, only to discover that it’s run down and outdated, or have ten people engage with it and be instantly impressed by what they see? Advertising has its role, but it’s only one aspect of a well-rounded marketing plan.

This is especially true these days. Place is a high-ROI investment, and in 2023 it goes well beyond the physical. It includes your digital footprint as well, and for most funeral homes that’s a strategy that is far underleveraged.
​
Why? Because we tend to think of marketing as a funnel. Begin at the top, the thinking goes, and cast a wide net to a large number of people, hoping some fraction of them engage with you. Then work to convert some fraction of those people. Then do your best to keep some fraction of those people as repeat customers. Digital strategies that focus too heavily on AdWords and SEO are simply applying this old thinking to new tactics.
But it’s hard to make that math work in our favor.

Our lowest hanging fruit is the customer base we keep (by the way, this applies to staffing, too, which is important to note during a labor crisis). The more we focus on building our offerings around it, the stickier (and more successful) we’ll be. Thus, we should begin at the bottom of the funnel, focusing on retention before all else.

​Only then should we move up a level, to conversion. Is your physical space attractive and conducive to winning new customers? Is your website relevant and effective to those who are unfamiliar with you? Are your products and services priced correctly? These are questions more of strategy than spending (though the one should follow the other). Better to reach fewer people who will all become fans than to reach more people who will be disappointed.

Assuming those two are in order, next up is engagement. This is where the digital-as-place strategy comes fully into play. Say you’re a retailer. People might come into your store ready to spend, or they might just be window shopping, but either way, they’re checking you out and trying to decide if what you offer is what they need. Their behavior in the digital universe is no different. It’s not a place to cut corners, nor is it a place to design around your own tastes, preferences, or ego.

Everything you do to engage prospective customers, online and off, should be carefully calibrated to their interests. Imagine if a retailer managed its storefront the way the average business manages its digital outreach: “I don’t have time to think about it right now,” or “We tried banner advertising five years ago and it didn’t work,” or “Yeah, I don’t understand that stuff, but we hired Kayley to handle it for us. She’s a Millennial.”

Here’s where you should also be wary of impressive-but-vague promises of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) vendors. I’ve had numerous clients tell me they have a vendor who handles SEO for them, but I have yet to hear any of them articulate what’s actually happening or what return they’re getting for their investment. SEO is only one piece of your digital space, alongside UX, Google My Business, content development, social media management, programmatic advertising, and more — in the same way that a physical building is comprised of plumbing and framing and roofing and electrical. Without a general contractor and a blueprint, the specialists won’t give you the space you’re hoping for. In the same way, every component of your digital presence must be coordinated around a unified objective, prospect profile, and brand identity.

Finally, working our way up to the top of the funnel, there’s attraction. If you’re forced to cut advertising in the face of a recession, this is where to do it. The obvious caveat here is if advertising works, a brand that neglects it does so at its peril. But in a moment of austerity, if you have to cut something, it’s better to prioritize, and cut first the places you will feel it last. Still, that doesn’t mean you won’t feel it at all. Cuts to an advertising budget are not without consequence.
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If you are not investing in building awareness and preference for your brand, awareness and preference will decline. This is especially important to remember because the nature of these declines makes it easy to convince yourself they’re not happening. There’s usually a lag of at least one or two years, which is why you will run into people at a coffee shop who tell you they just saw an ad you haven’t run in six months. Eventually, however, the lag catches up with you, and your company will feel the impact. Still, that’s a very different thing from saying you can’t cut spending. Even though there are plenty of reasons not to, cutting your attraction budget might still be the right thing to do if your company is on the ropes.
The most important thing during challenging economic times — at any time, for that matter — is to ensure that your brand’s house is in order. To reference the familiar parable, retention and conversion are “big rocks” that must go into the jar first. And they usually go hand in hand with your place, both digital and physical. Advertising is important, but it’s the sand that goes into the jar last — if you put it in first, you won’t have room for the other investments. Start at the bottom of the funnel and work your way up.

Do you know your clients or customers? Do you know exactly what your brand represents to them? Are you executing with excellence? Are your internal dynamics healthy? If a casual observer visited with your executive team, would they believe that your leadership is aligned and confident? If the answer to any of those questions is “no,” or even “I’m not sure,” that’s the place to start (here’s a  tool  to help you quickly and efficiently find out).

It’s tough to do surgery on yourself. Some of these decisions are best made with the help of professionals. But it’s even tougher to go under the knife of multiple surgeons at once. Marketing is an increasingly fragmented discipline, with dozens or even hundreds of specialists each representing their viewpoint of the world. That’s why having your own viewpoint — and an integrated marketing strategy that delivers on it — is vital. Without it, you will be continually tugged here and there and nothing will have a chance to work.
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Rather than a blanket cutting strategy (10% reductions on every line item), it’s vital to make the right cuts, in the right places, so as to minimize the long-term consequences. Handled properly, the effects of a temporary reduction in your advertising budget can be offset by improvements down the funnel. By prioritizing and aligning your efforts, it’s possible to weather adverse conditions and emerge stronger than ever.

During the multiple heat-related illness cases relating to the United States Postal Service (USPS), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was able to establish extreme heat being a major workplace hazard. However, the agency neglected to provide effective abatement techniques in the case.

Due to this, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Review Commission (OSHRC) supported the decision made by the administrative law judge to vacate citations in all but one case.

These citations were related to seven employees working during the summer of 2016 in five cities. Every letter carrier experienced illness when they were out delivering mail in the extreme heat and had to get medical treatment. OSHA claimed that six of these workers became ill due to excessive heat. Five citations were filed against USPS for these alleged violations.

The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) vacated the five citations after finding that OSHA neglected to prove the workplace conditions were hazardous and that effective and feasible measures were accessible to abate the conditions.

In four cases, the OSHRC agreed the agency established that the extreme heat conditions posed a hazard for the workers under the general duty clause but found the abatement suggestions OSHA made for the hazardous conditions for these cases fell short.

For the fifth one, the OSHRC found that USPS indeed neglected to offer proper heat-related illness training to the supervisors. Therefore, this case was remanded for additional review.

According to OSHA, the USPS was in violation of the general duty clause as it failed to implement a proper program to manage exposure to extreme heat. Thus, OSHA suggested the following measures:

• Rest and work cycles
• Employee monitoring and emergency response plans
• Monitoring USPS data on heat-related illnesses among employees
• Decreasing the outdoor time of employees
• Equipping delivery vehicles with air-conditioning
• Acclimatization
• Providing heat-related illnesses training

However, the USPS proved that it was already following most of these measures or was already in the process of implementing them.

This recent incident highlights the significance of a detailed heat illness prevention plan. Employers must not only have a written plan implemented but also provide sufficient training to their workers. Based on guidance provided by OSHA, supervisors must be trained to:

• Identify heat hazards and control them
• Spot early signs of heat illness or stress
• Provide appropriate first aid
• Quickly initiate emergency medical services

Aside from this, the guidance also recommends employers create a heat illness prevention plan that:

• Those employees returning from a break or new employees are acclimatized and gradually build up to work a full day in the heat
• Temperature and work exertion levels are monitored, classifying levels of physical exertion as heavy, moderate, and low
• Employees are provided easy access to water and have sufficient water to stay hydrated, along with proper breaks to rest
• Shades are installed to ensure employees can rest, or cooling systems or air conditioning is provided if feasible
• The buddy system should be implemented to encourage workers to monitor each other for heat-related illness symptoms
  

Training must be provided to workers to spot stages and signs of heat illness, steps to report them, provide appropriate first aid when needed, and understand how and when to get emergency medical assistance.

Hold onto your smartwatches, folks. Here comes a potentially scandalous statement:
Not everything in our lives benefits from being Uber-ized or given the "there’s an app for that" treatment. Case in point? Deathcare sales.
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Yes, I know. In an age where even our refrigerators have Wi-Fi and Alexa can tell you a joke when you’re feeling down (though, let's be honest, some of her jokes are rather... refrigerated), here I am, diving into a topic that might make some tech enthusiasts raise an eyebrow. "Whoa, is she really about to go there? Bold statement, Altenburg!"

End-of-life planning is far from your average purchase. It's not about snagging a deal during a Black Friday sale or choosing between iPhone models. We’re diving deep into the realms of mortality, legacy, and the deep love we have for those we’ll someday leave behind.

So, before you start building holograms of funeral planners or virtual reality cemetery tours into your business plan, remember: this purchase is driven by raw, unfiltered emotion, not by how snazzy the tech might seem.

Allow me to share a true story of a top-selling Counselor who for years rode the crest of success but this year, got a little too cozy with his tech gadgets. He crunched the numbers and thought, "Why settle for three face-to-face meetings in a day when I can chat with 15 people electronically in the same timeframe?"

He took the plunge. Instead of his usual in-person consultations, he dove into emails, texts, and Facebook messages. From 15 weekly face-to-face presentations, he plummeted to less than five, so that he could focus on his electronic 'presentations', which shot up to over 60 per week.

He was presenting to more people than he had before… So he sold more and earned more, right?

Wrong.

It wasn't a mere dip in sales; it was what I would refer to as a screeching halt. His stellar five-figure contract average came crashing down to below two grand, and his average contracts-written-per-month decreased by 60%.

If you’re a commission-based salesperson, you probably felt the punch in your gut just reading those statistics.

The Counselor wasn’t just broke, he was genuinely perplexed. "These families seem so interested in our emails," he'd lament during our meetings. "Why don’t they finalize things? Why aren’t they following through?"

In his quest for efficiency, our Counselor had become just another blip on the digital radar, another ping among the ceaseless barrage of notifications that his potential clients received daily.
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Gone was the opportunity to really understand them, to discover the stories behind their eyes, or to grasp the weight of their decisions about end-of-life care. In eschewing face-to-face interactions, he'd unknowingly snuffed out the chance for genuine human connection. With this disconnect, the emotional motivation that once drove his clients to act in the best interests of their loved ones evaporated.

With everything from our toasters to our toothbrushes getting smart upgrades, it's certainly easy to be sold on the idea that tech is the magic pill for all industries. And yes, Zoom meetings, e-signatures, and digital brochures have their perks.
But, beware of the digital rabbit hole.

Where a new smartphone, car, or astronaut-designed pair of sneakers might be sold through slick online ads, the intricacies of deathcare sales need a different touch.
Something warmer.

More human.

There's no app that can replicate the comfort of a reassuring hand on the shoulder, the understanding in a compassionate gaze, or the vulnerability shared in a heartfelt story by an end-of-life expert and guide (ahem, that’s you).

Face-to-face discussion is the arena where the magic happens in our field.
These interactions allow for that deep emotional connection; they keep the focus on the very human reasons for end-of-life decision-making, and frankly, we’re short-changing ourselves and the families we serve by utilizing technology as a shortcut around true connection.

Okay, tech aficionados, before you start hurling virtual tomatoes at me, let me be clear: Technology isn't the enemy. Heck, it’s pretty darn useful. And yes, I use it too! Organizing schedules, maintaining client records, sending reminders – these are areas where technology shines. The trick is to ensure that it complements, not replaces, the human touch.

Once clients step out of the cocoon of a heartfelt chat, the digital world with its pings, notifications, and endless scroll can swoop in, shifting their mindset back to cold, hard logic. And we all know that logic isn’t what leads end-of-life decision-making and planning… Emotion is.
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While tech might bring them to our door, it's the face-to-face relationship-building connection that seals the deal. The moment it becomes just a transaction, the essence of what we truly do becomes lost. In fact, logic and end-of-life arrangements can be like oil and water in our shiny-product-focused society.

Amidst the cautionary tales, it's essential to acknowledge technology's transformative potential. While it shouldn't usurp our personal touch, it can, without a doubt, amplify it. The trick? Let technology be the bridge, not the destination.

1. Meeting People Where They Are: An age-old sales mantra reminds us to "meet people where they are". In today's digitized age, that place is, unequivocally, online. However, while our prospecting might begin in the vast digital realm, our endgame shouldn't be a swift, impersonal "ka-ching" sale. Instead, aim for a resonant "ker-plunk" - a genuine sit-down, face-to-face conversation. By shifting our prospecting goal from sale to real conversation, technology becomes a tool to bring us closer to people, rather than an impersonal shortcut around them.
   
   
2. Scheduling Made Simple: Use automated tools to help clients effortlessly book and reschedule appointments, removing barriers and facilitating heartfelt conversations.
   
   
3. Engaging Teasers: Virtual cemetery tours or introductory videos can generate interest and lay the foundation for trust, setting the scene for deeper in-person interactions.
   
   
4. Prompting with Personal Touch: Automated reminders can be peppered with personal anecdotes or notes from prior meetings, reinforcing the human presence behind the tech interface.
   
   
5. Learning and Preparation: Glean clients' preferences and needs beforehand, ensuring that personal interactions are more tailored and impactful.
   
   
6. Digital Workshops and Webinars: Educate a broad audience about end-of-life planning. Such sessions often lead clients to seek personalized discussions for deeper understanding.
   
   
7. Virtual Face-to-Face: In-person meetings are our gold standard, yet sometimes geography intervenes. If a client is a drive away, make that trip. Be it their home, your office, or a quiet café corner. But when miles turn into lightyears, don't resign yourself to mere texts. A virtual face-to-face, courtesy of platforms like Zoom, trumps an impersonal interaction. It's a testament to the adage: "If you can't be there in person, be there in spirit (and on-screen)."

Striking the right balance between tech efficiency and human connection is an art. It's about ensuring that every digital touchpoint leads, not to a sale, but to a genuine human interaction. Because when it comes to deathcare sales, the most potent app on the market is empathy.

And if ever there was an industry that needed a personal touch, it's ours. After all, we’re not peddling sneakers or smart fridges here (although I wouldn’t say no to one that makes ice cream on demand). We’re dealing with the most profound of human experiences. Let’s ensure our approach is equally profound.
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And a final note to the tech gurus that are working so hard to sell their newest AI product as the easy sell: Just as tech conversations can't match the indelible mark of in-person heart-to-hearts, fling a digital tomato my way and you'll see it won't leave quite the same stain as a real one would. So, you'll have to book a face-to-face appointment with me to ensure that red blotch really sets in!