At the 2019 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) convention in Chicago, your humble correspondent saw a number of interesting products and services on display at the expo. Here is part four, the last in a series of videos about new developments. Check out these blog posts with many more NFDA videos: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.
All of these videos are produced by Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®. She attended the 2019 National Funeral Directors Association convention and expo in Chicago as a trade press journalist. Visit this YouTube channel to see all recent videos. While you’re there, “Like,” comment and subscribe!
Closure Path
Matt McGonigle and Dennis Breier with Closure Path talk about their service that helps families shut down estates after a death. They offer tools for comprehensive estate closure as a value added service that funeral homes can offer for free to the families they serve. The services address issues such as probate, real estate, insurance, financial management, and all of the details related to closing down an estate.
And it’s a much-needed service. More than half of the families they contact a week after a funeral will set an appointment on the first call. Many families do not have estate planning in place. The Closure Path service leads to families making estate plans as well as pre-need funeral plans. Learn more at www.ClosurePath.com.
Clear View Caskets
Rangel Fernandez, President of Clear View Caskets, talks about their patented clear acrylic caskets made in the U.S.A. They make it possible to view the deceased while the casket is closed. The company was founded by Andrea Fernandez, and is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Learn more at their website, www.ClearViewCaskets.com.
Love Urns’ New Offerings
Naseem Kahn, founder of Love Urns, talks about their new offerings at NFDA 2019. The company launched their popular line of metal urns, jewelry and cremation keepsakes at the NFDA convention in Chicago on October 25, 2011. This interview was recorded exactly eight years later – October 25, 2019. Learn more at www.LoveUrns.com.
Books from the 2019 NFDA Convention
While attending the convention as a journalist, I picked up several books and have done a short video review highlighting three titles. They are:
This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See
Funeral directors need to keep their marketing skills up to date. Seth Godin, author of This is Marketing, presented one of the keynotes at the NFDA thanks to eFuneral.
President Luke Frieberg said on the bookmark given with the book, “Our primary goal at eFuneral is to help funeral professionals serve consumers where they’re spending most of their time: online. We believe the most successful marketing results from going where consumers are and earning their attention in those spaces.”
Want to get this book? Here’s an Amazon purchase link.
Why Facebook Works for Funeral Homes and Everything Else Doesn’t
In this book by Bill Johnston he tells funeral directors:
- Why Facebook is just as big of a media and advertising platform if not bigger than what your local newspaper was in 2000.
- How advertising works, and how to advertise on Facebook now.
- Facebook loves stories, and because funeral homes have stories to tell, you will finally know what you can say in your advertising.
- The Top 11 topics that resonate with Facebook readers, including easy-to-understand, real-world examples.
Watch this interview with Bill Johnston about his Post and Boost approach to advertising on Facebook. Want to get this book? Here’s an Amazon purchase link.
Lessons from the Dead: Breathing Life into Customer Service
This book by John and Nikki McQueen is not just for funeral directors! Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking for that competitive edge, or a long-time business on a quest to improve performance, Lessons from the Dead provides you with practical, real-life examples and “how to” advice on providing your customers with exceptional service driving both profitability and brand loyalty.
From the stockroom to the boardroom, Lessons from the Dead is designed for anyone who interacts with customers. Through their sharing of stories and actionable steps, written in a simple conversational style, John & Nikki provide solutions for making your business standout from the competition.
Here’s an Amazon purchase link, so you can get this book today!