ICCFA Magazine November 2015

November 2015
MAGAZINE
CEMETERY
CREMATION
FUNERAL
Honoring fallen heroes

Sales & Marketing:
Poul Lemasters explains how your forms

can help or hinder sales
Isards GPS for preneed and advance sales
Glen Eden seeks to be a one-stop resource
How becoming a celebrant can help sales
How your language is inviting potential
customers to say no
Embracing change
All Saints awardwinning green

burial section
2016 SALES OLYMPICS in LAS VEGAS

PRESENTED BY the
ICCFAS
WIDE WORLD OF SALES

CONFERENCE
January 13-15 MONTE CARLO www.iccfa.com

O N E P R O F E S S I O N U N IT E D BY S A L E S
Forethought AD
FULL PAGE
page C2
4-COLOR
Continental AD
FULL PAGE
page 3
4-COLOR
Carriage AD
FULL PAGE
page 4
4-COLOR
MKJ AD
FULL PAGE
page 5
4-COLOR
NOVEMBER 2 0 1 5
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association :
Promoting consumer choices, prearrangement and open competition
Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support
to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide
12 marketing
The Remembering our Fallen traveling

memorial. Story, page 16.
1o Washington Report
ICCFA files comments with
Labor Dept. about overtime
by Robert M. Fells, Esq.
50 Update

54 Cemetery celebrates
trio of local events

56 New FAMIC study
shows differences in how
older, younger adults approach
funeral service
58 Supply Line
68 New Members
68 Calendar

69 Funeral museum begins
food drive, plans patriotic
tributes for November
70 Ad Index
70 Classifieds
Check us out on Facebook!

Like us and friend
ICCFA Staff.
The marketing side of contracts and forms

Documents you use at your funeral home or cemetery should not
simply meet legal requirements. Properly designed, they also
can help you market your products and services.
by Poul Lemasters, Esq.
16 Community outreach
Curlew Hills, Farley Funeral Home sponsor Remembering

Our Fallen It started as a traveling memorial honoring Nebraskans
killed in the war on terror, to make sure their sacrifices are not forgotten.
The moving memorials will soon be available nationwide.
by Tanya Scotece, CFSP, and Keenan Knopke, CCFE
20 Celebrants/preneed marketing
Why I became a celebrant even though I dont work with

families Celebrant training teaches you to create meaningful services
that families value, but can it also help you improve your firms
preneed sales?
by Paul White, LFD, CC
24 preneed marketing/service to families
Cemetery aims to be a one-stop information resource for

families How do you let families know, in an appealing way,
how you, as funeral/cemetery professionals, can help them when
a death occurs? Glen Eden Memorial Parks EdenChoice packages
and markets its services to families in an educational way
that encourages preplanning.
interview of Thomas A. Habitz, CCE, by Susan Loving
28 preneed SALES
Your GPS to preneed funeral and advance cemetery sales

Preneed funeral and advance cemetery sales are important
to many businesses, but how do you know whether your sales
program is taking you where you want to go?
by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS
32 management
n To apply for ICCFA membership:
Download an application at
www.iccfa.com, or
Call 1.800.645.7700
A few thoughts on embracing change and expanding options

What do people picture when they think of funerals? Caskets,
flowers, hearses, processions to the cemetery. How can we change
that picture to one consumers today and in the future will find
appealing?
by Todd Mannix

ICCFA Magazine
to page 8
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
Homesteaders AD
FULL PAGE
page 7
4-COLOR
ICCFA news
63 Celebrate 15 years of KIP awards
by entering outstanding examples
of personalization
Deadline: November 30
63 2016 WWS & ICCFAU
scholarship applications
now available
TABLE OF C ONTENTS
34 preneed SALES SUCCESS
Why are you losing sales? Weve all had the experience of losing
sales and being unsure of why it happened. Maybe its time
to start recording what you say so you can examine the
language you use and change it.
by Neil Carlson
38 Green services
Award-winning green section designed to give families options

For All Saints Cemetery, adding a natural burial area has drawn
interest from families who want a green burial and are preplanning
to make sure they get it. Winning a landscape architecture award
is sure to increase public awareness of The Preserve.
by Susan Loving
63 Insurance, identify theft

protection added
as member benefits
64 Wide World of Sales
Join the movement
to increase sales
65 ICCFA, associations partner
for cremation programs
66 Shuttles, new sponsorship
opportunities available
in New Orleans
66 Thank you to Fall Management
corporate partners
ICCFA calendar
2016 Wide World of Sales
Conference January 13-15
Monte Carlo Resort & Casino,
Las Vegas, Nevada
2016 Annual Convention
& Exposition April 13-16
Ernest N. Morial Convention
Center & Hilton New Orleans
Riverside, New Orleans, Louisiana
Co-Chairs: Jay Dodds, CFSP, and
Lee Longino
2016 ICCFA University
July 22-27 Fogelman Conference
Center, Memphis, Tennessee
Chancellor:Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE
2016 Fall Management
Conference October 5-7
Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah
Island, South Carolina
2017 Annual Convention
& Exposition March 29-April 1
Charlotte Convention Center &
The Westin Charlotte, Charlotte,
North Carolina
8
ICCFA Magazine
www.iccfa.com
Directories
www.iccfa.com/directories
Web Expo directory of suppliers

and professionals
Association directory
Industry event calendar
Cremation Coaching Center
www.iccfa.com/cremation
ICCFA Caf
Links to news and feature stories
from all over the world
Model guidelines
ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs
Committees model guidelines
for state laws and regulations
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NGL AD
FULL PAGE
page 9
4-COLOR
Washington Report
by ICCFA General
Counsel Robert M.
Fells, Esq.
rfells
@iccfa.com
1.800.645.7700,
ext. 1212
direct line:
703.391.8401
Fells is
ICCFA executive director and general counsel, responsible for maintaining
and improving relationships
with federal and state government agencies, the news
media, consumer organizations
and related trade associations.
More from this author

Funeral Radio. ICCFA
General Counsel Robert Fells,
Esq., talks about legal and
legislative issues affecting
funeral, cemetery and
cremation businesses at
www.funeralradio.com.
More resources
Wireless. ICCFA members,
send us your email address and
well send you our bi-weekly
electronic newsletter full of
breaking news.
ICCFA files comments with

Labor Dept. about overtime
he ICCFA has filed comments with

the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
regarding its proposed regulations to
change the eligibility requirements for exemption
from overtime pay. As reported in the AugustSeptember Washington Report, the DOL proposes
to increase the minimum salary requirement for
OT exemption from the current $23,660 annually
to $50,440 annually beginning in 2016. The DOL
also wants to automatically index increases in
the minimum salary requirement to the consumer
price index. An estimated 4.6 million workers, and
probably more, would be affected by the change.
Among the points made in the associations
comments: The ICCFA is concerned that the
DOL proposal to raise the minimum salary
level for the white collar overtime exemptions
would have a proportionally adverse impact on
our members. We understand that the new
amount was selected by DOL by adopting the 40th
percentile of all non-hourly-paid employees in the
United States, which in itself is a questionable if
not controversial decision.
We believe that the current proposal is so large
an increase as to be unprecedented and unhistorical
in the 77-year history of the Fair Labor Standards
Act (FLSA). On average, the annual rate of
increase for the minimum salary level test has been
between 2.8 percent and 5.5 percent. The proposed
amount of $50,440 is an increase of 10.29 percent
per year.
To place this jump into perspective, annual
salaries in general have not increased by over 10
percent in the last decade. As the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce has stated, The DOL has never before

November 2015
VOLUME 75/NUMBER 9
ICCFA officers
Darin B. Drabing, president
Michael Uselton, CCFE, president-elect

Jay D. Dodds, CFSP, vice president
Paul Goldstein, vice president
Christine Toson Hentges, CCE,
vice president
Scott R. Sells, CCFE, vice president
Gary M. Freytag, CCFE, treasurer
Daniel L. Villa, secretary
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
general counsel
Robert Treadway, director of

communications & member services
robt@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224
Katherine Devins, communications assistant
kd@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1218
Magazine staff
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &

publisher
rfells@iccfa.com ; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212
Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

rplatter@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213
Brenda Clough, office administrator

& association liaison
bclough@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700,
ext. 1214
Susan Loving, managing editor

sloving@iccfa.com
10
ICCFA Magazine
doubled the salary levels for exemption in a single

rulemaking, let alone more than doubled the salary
level as has been proposed here.
The question then becomes, what would be
a proper increase of the minimum salary level by
using historical precedent and also by factoring
in inflation? In particular, DOL has never used
the 40th percentile of non-hourly employees
to adjust the minimum salary level. If previous
methodologies were used today, the minimum
salary increase would be significantly lower than
the proposed $50,440.
For example, the data contained in the NPRM
(Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) indicate that
applying the methodology used in the DOLs 1958
rulemaking would result in the minimum salary
amount at $34,167 annually today. Likewise, if
the 2004 DOL methodology were used today
the resulting minimum salary would be $30,000
annually.
The DOL proposed changes to the overtime
exemption will affect American businesses across
the board. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
has been especially critical over the unusual
methodology used by DOL and also by the amount
of the increase in the minimum salary requirement.
The ICCFA concluded its comments by stating,
The ICCFA strongly urges the DOL to reconsider
the proposed minimum salary level for white
collar overtime exemptions due to the extremely
negative impact such an amount would have on
businesses large and small, but especially on the
small businesses that make up at least 85 percent
of the funeral and cemetery industry. Members
r
will be kept undated on developments.
Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

(habla espaol)
danielo@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1215
ICCFA Magazine (ISSN 1936-2099) is published by the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, 107 Carpenter
Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468;
703.391.8400; FAX 703.391.8416;
www.iccfa.com. Published 10 times per year,
with combined issues in March-April and
August-September. Periodicals postage paid
at Sterling, VA, and other offices. Copyright
2015 by the International Cemetery, Cremation

and Funeral Association. Subscription rates: In
the United States, $39.95; in Canada, $45.95;
overseas: $75.95. One subscription is included
in annual membership dues. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to ICCFA Magazine,
107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA
20164-4468. Individual written contributions,
commentary and advertisements appearing in
ICCFA Magazine do not necessarily reflect
either the opinion or the endorsement of the
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral
Association.
iccfa.com/join
Membership That Matters.
by Poul Lemasters, Esq.

MARKETING
Documents you use at your funeral home or cemetery
should not simply meet legal requirements. Properly designed,

they also can help you market your products and services.
The marketing side

of contracts and forms
513.407.8114
poul@lemastersconsulting.com
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight

Lemasters is principal of Lemasters
Consulting, Cincinnati, Ohio.
www.lemastersconsulting.com
He is an attorney and funeral director,

graduated from the Cincinnati College of
Mortuary Science in 1996 and from Northern Kentucky University, Chase College of
Law, in 2003. He is licensed as a funeral
director and embalmer in Ohio and West
Virginia and admitted to practice law in
Ohio and Kentucky.
ICCFA membership benefit
He is the ICCFAs special crema-
tion legal counsel. ICCFA members in

good standing may call him to discuss
cremation-related legal issues for up to 20
minutes at no charge to the member. The
association pays for this service via an
exclusive retainer.
Lemasters also provides, to ICCFA members in good standing, free GPL reviews to
check for Funeral Rule compliance.
o one likes paperwork. OK, maybe

attorneys like paperwork more
than most people. But pretty much
everyone else hates the thought of reading
another form or signing another document.
So, knowing that most people dont want
to read or sign anything you put in front of
them, how do you make the most of your
paperwork?
Enter the marketing side of forms and
contracts. And all this marketing information
isnt just to sell the legal jargon; its meant to
help market and sell anything in a document.
A pretty piece of paper isnt the answer
to getting information and results from
consumers. There is actually some science
behind the marketing side of documents.
Unfortunately, many businesses just put
words on paper without realizing or knowing
that there is a science to the construction of
a form or contract. The result is something
that may contain what you need (and/or are
legally required to have), but that doesnt
work as well as it could. If you understand
some basic principles about this area, your
documents can work better, becoming better
marketing tools.
1 Location, location, location

Go to www.iccfa.com to the Cremation
Coaching Center, where you can post a

question for Lemasters to answer.

Lemasters will be one of the trainers at
the ICCFAs upcoming Crematory Operator Certification workshops, November 13

in Kirkland, Washington, and November
19 in Columbus, Ohio. Register at
www.iccfa.com/events.
Lemasters will be at ICCFAs Wide

World of Sales seminar, January 13-15, in
Las Vegas. www.iccfa.com/events
12
ICCFA Magazine
The placement of information affects how

people react to your document. We want
people to see something that draws them in
when they first look at a document so they
will want to continue reading.
What many people do not realize is that
consumers will look at the top right hand of
a document first, and then will start reading
from the left side.
Why is it important to know that people
look in the right hand corner first? The first
thing the consumer sees can set the tone
and make the first impression about what
you are providing or marketing.
Even more important, the first thing
they see can set an anchor.

Anchoring is when a consumer hears
or sees a number and then bases what they
are prepared to pay on that first number,
the anchor. Its a basic principle in human
decision-making. When we are trying to
decide if a price is good or bad, we compare
it to known values.
If we do not know much about the
purchase, our brain will insert a known
value for the comparison. Lets use the
document on the opposite page as an
example. This example is a good standard
excerpt from a GPL, but is a bad document
in the sense that it does not incorporate all
the best marketing practices.
If, as in the example, your GPL has
direct cremation featuring a low price in
the top right hand corner, thats the number
that could become the consumers anchor,
since its the first thing he or she sees. And
that means during the arrangements, the
consumer will compare all other prices to
this known price.
Anything less than the anchor will be
perceived as a value or good price; anything
more than the anchor will be perceived as
expensive or a bad price. Does anyone want
direct cremation or direct burial to be
the consumers anchor?
Pull out any brochure or sales tool you
have and look to see what is in the top right
corner. Is it something you want people to
remember? Is it possibly setting an anchor?
If so, is it what you want as an anchor? If
not, maybe a redesign is called for.
2 Dont keep it clean
Now think about the construction and

presentation of your document. Do you use
columns so that your document is clean and
easy to read? Columns make it easier for
the consumer to read quickly up and down
but not really pay attention to what is on
MARKETING
each line. So if, as in the example, theres a
list of prices, people will see the prices and
shop by price, scanning down the columns,
and ignore the descriptions youve carefully
written to explain what they get for each
price. This is why its a bad idea to include
columns in documents. You want people to
read everything, and not just scan up and
down.
Compare the document on this page to a
restaurant menu where the items are spread
out. A description for one item may be on
the left with a price to the right; a second
item may be listed in the middle with a
price underneath; there could be other items
that are written off to the other side. By
placing the information in different areas,
and not in columns, readers must search,
which forces them to read the contents, thus
avoiding price shopping and allowing your
form to market your offerings.
3 Contain the good stuff
So, if people automatically glance top right

and then look to the top left when they are
going to start reading a document, where
will their gaze go next? Where your design
tells them to look. You can exercise some
control over where people look so that
theyll notice what you want them to notice.
People look at things designed to attract
their attention. What attracts their attention
in a document? A box.
Putting a box around some information
will draw attention to it. This can be a great
tool, or a completely wasted onethe
example on this page demonstrates the
completely wasted version. To make great
use of this tool, select one or two things that
you really want the consumer to read.
Its unfortunate, but many people use
this tool incorrectly. The power of the box is
amazing, so dont waste it. Many businesses
will make their own forms and then place
a box around the title of the document, or
their logo or even some disclaimer at the
bottom of the page. Is this really what you
want consumers to concentrate on, where
you want to draw their attention?
Instead, why not think about something
amazing that you offer or describe in the
document and box that. Consider a business
that offers a hospitality room, building
or service they wish every family would
choose: Put that information inside a box.
Draw consumers eyes to it so theyll be
sure to see it.
Just dont get carried away. The power
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
Other Preparation and Care of the Deceased

Cosmetizing for Viewing .................................... $0.00
Special Cases - Autopsy, Restoration, Tissue/
Organ Donation (per hour) ............................... $0.00
Washing and Disinfection of Deceased with no
Embalming ...................................................... $0.00
Shelter of Remains (per day after 48 hours) ....... $0.00
Direct Cremation ................................ $0.00 to $0.00

Our charge for a direct cremation (without ceremony) includes:
basic services of funeral director and staff; a proportionate share
of overhead costs; removal of remains; transportation to
crematory; necessary authorizations; and cremation charge.
If you want to arrange a direction cremation, you can use an
alternative container. Alternative containers encase the body
and can be made of materials like fiberboard or composition
materials (with or without an outside covering). The containers
we provide are a cardboard box.
Transfer of Remains to the Funeral Home

(within 75 mile radius)........................................ $0.00
Beyond this radius we charge $0.00 per mile.
Facility, Staff and Services
at our Funeral Home or at Other Facility
Visitation (per day) ............................................. $0.00
Funeral/Memorial Service ................................. $0.00
Graveside Service ............................................... $0.00
(When no other funeral service is provided)
Direct cremation with container provided

by the purchaser .................................................. $0.00
Direct cremation with a Cardboard Box

Container ............................................................ $0.00
Direct cremation with casket provided by
Funeral Home
(in addition to cost of selected casket) .......... $0.00
Automotive Equipment
Hearse .. .............................................................. $0.00
Utility Car ........................................................... $0.00
Immediate burial with laminated

Wood casket ....................................................... $0.00
Caskets ............................................... $0.00 to $0.00

A complete price list will be provided at the funeral home.
Urns ..... ................................................ $0.00 to $0.00

A complete price list will be provided at the funeral home.
Forwarding of Remains to Another

Funeral Home.................................... $0.00
Our charge includes: basic services of funeral director and
staff; a proportionate share of overhead costs; removal of
remains; embalming or other preparation of remains, if
relevant; and local transportation. This charge does not
include any services of our staff or facility for visitation or
ceremony.
Receiving Remains from Another

Funeral Home.................................................... $0.00
Our charge includes: basic services of funeral director and
staff; a proportionate share of overhead costs; care of remains;
transportation of remains to funeral home and to cemetery or
crematory. This charge does not include any services of our
staff or facility for visitation or ceremony.
Immediate Burial ................................ $0.00 to $0.00

Our charge for an immediate burial (without ceremony)
includes: basic services of funeral director and staff; a
proportionate share of overhead costs; removal of remains; and
local transportation to cemetery.
Immediate burial with casket provided
by purchaser........................................................ $0.00
Immediate burial with casket selected from
Funeral Home
(in addition to cost of selected casket) ........... $0.00
Immediate burial with laminated
Wood casket ....................................................... $0.00
Cash Advance Items
Motorcycle Escort .............................................. $0.00
Certified copy of death certificate ...................... $0.00
Honorarium..................................................... $0.00
Vocalist/Pianist ................................................... $0.00
3
of the box is strong, but you cant draw a
box around everything in a document (as
shown above) and expect it to work. Use
the power wisely.
4 No mans land
So if we have all these places where people

are going to look, is there someplace that
people typically never look? Absolutely.
There is an area in a document that most
people never read, and that area is about the
bottom third quarter of the page.
Divide the page into quarters from top to
bottom, and the third quarter, just below the
halfway point and above the bottom quarter,
is dead space.
To say that no one reads this area might
be too strong a way to put it, but this area
definitely is less read than any other part of
a document. Why? Most people start at the
top and read down, and then reach a point
where they stop reading, look down at the
bottom and start skimming back up. This
leaves a gap, the no mans land quarter.
What do you put here? Its simple: this is
where you hide all the legal jargon! No, just

kidding, thats not the placewe can do a
better job of hiding the boring legal jargon!
No mans land is where you should put
information the consumer already knows,
things youre not trying to tell them or
market to them. For example, restaurant
menus typically fill this area with items
consumers order (such as water, soda or
coffee) without even looking at the menu.
So think in terms of information
consumers typically already know, that you
dont have to explain. What you definitely
do not want to put there is something new
or that you know requires clarification.
Your paperwork should not just consist
of documents with blanks to fill in or
information to be read placed in what
appears to be a pretty pattern. Marketing
doesnt consist of adding a splash of color
or your logo to everything.
All of your paperwork offers a chance to
market, educate and promote your business.
Take the time to construct it properly so that
it can do all its capable of doing.
r
November 2015
13
Starmark AD 1 of 2
FULL PAGE
page 14
4-COLOR
Starmark AD 2 of 2
FULL PAGE
page 15
4-COLOR
by Tanya Scotece, CFSP, and

Keenan Knopke, CCFE
tanya@farley
funeralhome.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Scotece is a funeral
director and Certified

Celebrant with Farley
Funeral Homes
& Crematory, Venice,
Florida. The family-owned company
also owns a cemetery, Venice Memorial
Gardens.
C OMMUNITY OUTREA CH
It started as a traveling memorial honoring Nebraskans killed

in the war on terror, to make sure their sacrifices are not forgotten.
The moving memorials will soon be available nationwide.
www.farleyfuneralhome.com
Scotece graduated from mortuary

school in 2005. She then obtained a
bachelors degree in criminal justice and
a masters degree in criminal forensics.
She has completed all of the coursework and qualifying exams for her Ph.D.
and is now a doctoral candidate at the
University of South Florida (Tampa) in
curriculum and instruction with emphasis
on adult education. Her research has
focused on funeral service. She is also a
graduate of ICCFA University.
kknopke@
curlewhills.com
Knopke is president
and CEO of Curlew

Hills Memory Gardens
Inc., Palm Harbor,
Florida
www.curlewhills.com
He is vice-chairman
of the Board of Funeral, Cemetery and
Consumer Services of Florida and past
president of the Florida Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, as well
as five-time president of the Funeral and
Cemetery Alliance of Florida. Knopke
has served several terms on the ICCFA
Board of Directors.
More about this subject
Information on how
to bring the Remem
bering Our Fallen
exhibit to your
location may be
found at
www.remembering
ourfallen.org.
Memorials are
available for more

than 20 states. If a
memorial is not yet available for your state,
the website includes information on how
to contribute to its completion. The hope
is that memorials will be available for all
states in 2016.
16
ICCFA Magazine
A close-up of the Florida traveling Remembering the Fallen memorial

shows one of the many notes left on the memorials, which draw family
members and the general public to honor those killed in the war on terror.
Curlew Hills, Farley Funeral Home

sponsor Remembering Our Fallen
very year, funeral homes across

the country try to come up with
innovative programs to engage
the community. As part of its community
outreach efforts, Farley Funeral Homes &
Crematory in Venice, Florida, has arranged
trips to the national cemetery serving the
area, as well as holiday remembrance
services, including candlelight vigils, and
special events such as bringing in and
displaying Batesvilles replica of Abraham
Lincolns casket.
We recently became aware of a program

called Remembering Our Fallen, created
in the aftermath of the destruction of the
World Trade Towers on September 11,
2001. This program is designed to honor
those who have fallen in our countrys war
on terror.
The memorial was created in November
2010 by Bill and Evonne Williams of
Omaha, Nebraska, to honor the memory of
those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
They hope it provides comfort to friends
FSI AD
FULL PAGE
page 17
4-COLOR
community outreach
The Williamses were inspired to develop this project after reading

a September 2010 story in the Omaha World-Herald about a father whose pain and grief
were even greater four years after his son Joshua died in Iraq because he felt
that his son had been forgottenand the war was not even over yet.
Promotional material for Farley Funeral Homes hosting of the memorial.
and family of the fallen and remind others

of the tremendous cost paid by some.
This memorial is different. It is not
made of brick and mortar. It consists of
individual state memorials designed to
travel so that more people can have the
opportunity to see them and be reminded of
the cost of the freedom we enjoy.
The Williamses were inspired to develop
this project after reading a September 2010
story in the Omaha World-Herald about
18
ICCFA Magazine
a father whose pain and grief were even

greater four years after his son Joshua died
in Iraq because he felt that his son had been
forgottenand the war was not even over
yet.
The Williamses have four sons, all of
whom serve in the military. The article struck
a chord, and the Williamses decided to do
something about it. With the backing of the
Omaha World-Herald and financial support
from several sponsors, the couple created
Remembering Our Fallen, a memorial

which includes photos of Nebraskans who
have died in the war on terror.
The unveiling was attended by more
than 325 family members, some driving as
long as seven hours to be there. Another
750 people attended the public opening
and ceremony, and the memorial has been
traveling weekly throughout Nebraska
since then.
After the unveiling of Nebraskas
memorial, Bellevue University asked the
founders if they would be interested in
replicating this program in other states.
Realizing the impact the display had made
upon both the families and the general
public, the Williamses agreed to extend the
memorial to other states, hoping to lessen
the grief of other families and remind the
public of their losses.
Keenan Knopke, CCFE, of Curlew Hills
Memory Gardens in Palm Harbor, Florida,
met the Williamses through Marilyn
Gould of MKJ, a Florida-based firm. The
Williamses were looking for a Florida
sponsor for the exhibit.
Knopke, active in Florida industry
associations, saw the display and found
it very moving. He was particularly
impressed by the pictures and notes left by
family and friends. When the Williamses
told him associations had been unable
to help with the project because of the
expense involved, Knopke decided to have
Curlew Hills sponsor the exhibit in Florida.
The Remembering Our Fallen
memorial was displayed on March 21 at
Curlew Hills Memory Gardens, the first
organization in Tampa Bay to host the
exhibit. Response from the community
was outstanding, with quiet respect shown
for the fallen and lots of hugs and thank
yous given to the staff for making the
display available.
Because the exhibit was so moving and
well received by the community, Farley
Funeral Home decided to bring it to Venice
and North Port in November. Farleys
managers feel this program is an excellent
way to connect with the community, and
especially with veterans.
Currently, memorials for the following
community outreach
states have been completed: Alabama,
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North
Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,
Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Each individual state memorial includes
military and personal photos of the fallen
who called that state home and died from
physical wounds suffered in the war zone
while wearing our countrys uniform.
The Williamses hope to achieve the goal
of creating a memorial for every state by
2016, when all 50 exhibits will be brought
together for a national tour. Until that time,
the completed memorials will remain in
and travel around their home states.
The programs legacy will be that these
men and women will be remembered, and
their names will be spoken.
Remembering Our Fallen falls under
the auspices of Patriotic Productions, a
non-profit 501(c)(3) organization formed
by the Williamses this year because of
their desire to honor the United States
Visitors to Curlew Hills Memory Gardens view the memorial at the cemetery.
military and share that opportunity with

others. Bringing each states exhibit to the
community is the fundamental goal of the
project.
A typical event might include having the
Patriot Guard riders escort the exhibit into
the community. Memorial team members
are responsible for all logistics, including

transportation and setup of the memorial,
but help from families and friends of the
fallen is encouraged.
Information on how to bring the exhibit
to your funeral home or cemetery may be
found at www.rememberingourfallen.org.r
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November 2015
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by Paul White, LFD, CC

Paul.White@fsitrust.com
1.800.749.1340
C ELEBRANTS / PRENEED MARKETING
Celebrant training teaches you to create meaningful

services that families value, but can it
also help you improve your firms preneed sales?
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
White is vice president
of client development and
marketing for Funeral Services Inc. He is a licensed
funeral director and
certified celebrant who has more than 40
years of industry experience in at-need
and preneed operations.
Funeral Services Inc. (FSI), Tallahas-
see, Florida, is a preneed administration

and contract record-keeping company
that provides trust solutions to funeral
homes, cemeteries, industry associations
and financial institutions.
www.fsitrust.com
How to become a celebrant
Attend ICCFA Universitys College of 21st

Century Services, led by Dean Glenda
Stansbury. ICCFAU 2016 will be held July
22-27 at the University of Memphis Fogelman Executive Center, Memphis, Tennessee. More details will be forthcoming at
www.iccfa.com
Contact Stansbury (glenda@insightbooks.

com) or go to www.insightbooks.com,
the In-Sight Books website, for information
about celebrant training sessions scheduled
around the country.
Why I became a celebrant even

though I dont work with families
everal years ago, I attended Certified

Celebrant training at the request of
Bill Williams, president and CEO of
Funeral Services Inc., my employer. At first,
I was skeptical as to how me becoming a
celebrant would add value to our clients,
as we are a preneed administration and
contract recordkeeping company dealing
with funeral homes, not a funeral home
dealing with the general public.
Nevertheless, I went with an open
mind to Memphis, Tennessee, to attend
ICCFA Universitys College of 21st
Century Services, which offers celebrant
training from Glenda Stansbury and Doug
Manning. At the very least, I would be able
to enjoy some good barbeque.
Celebrant training turned out to be
an enriching experience. (The barbeque
was good, too.) With this training, I have
been able to help clients understand the
significance of celebrant services for both
their business and their families.
In this article, Ill share my experience
of becoming a certified celebrant, what I
learned from this training and the role of
celebrant services in preneed marketing.
The rise of the nones
Since the beginning of the profession,

funeral service has been very closely
linked to religion. Religious rites, prayers
and scripture have always been a common
element in funerals. Many funeral homes
across the land have formal chapels
that would rival any church. For some
religions, a funeral ceremony in a church
is a must. The religious connection will
always be there for some, but not all, death
care professionals.
A recent Pew Research Center Study
found that the number of religiously
unaffiliated millennials is significantly
increasing in the United States. Of
Americans born between 1981 and 1996,
35 percent of adult millennials identify
20
ICCFA Magazine
as nones while only 21 percent identify

as evangelical Protestant, 16 percent
as Catholic and 11 percent as mainline
Protestant. (Michael Likpa, May 12, 2015,
Millennials increasingly are driving the
growth of nones. Pew Research Center.
Retrieved from www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2015/05/12/millennials-increasinglyare-driving-growth-of-nones/)
If funeral homes are to remain relevant,
they must get creative to interest people in
choosing to have a funeral ceremonyand
to have the funeral home involved.
I am not suggesting that religion will
disappear from funeral service, but as
more and more people every year identify
themselves as being unchurched or
identify as nones, more families will
be opting for something less steeped
in a religious tradition and looking
for something more spiritual. Less
formal, more unique. Less somber, more
celebratory.
Preneed sales, marketing and operations
have played a central role in my career.
In my role with FSI, I travel to meet with
clients to discuss preneed products and
services.
During these conversations, its not
unusual for funeral directors to wonder
aloud about where the profession is
headed. They tell me more and more
families are choosing services without
ceremony or merchandise. More people
are opting out of what is offered. And, of
course, cremation rates are rising.
Many of my clients are finding that
their current business model is no longer
working the way it used to. As a provider
of preneed trust solutions, I needed to
learn about a model of services that would
appeal to these opting out families
specifically, celebrant services.
Going back to school
The celebrant course drew about 28

Perfect Memorials AD
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5 tips for using

celebrant services in
preneed marketing
1. Educate clients about their options
dont assume they know what you can do
for them.
Let families know what your firm can
do so they dont think a traditional funeral in the funeral homes chapel is their
only option.
Be prepared to speak to and show a
variety of options. You must be able to
articulate the possibilities.
2. Get personal and have a conversation.
Ask your client to think about what he
wants to be known for. Ask her how she
wants family and friends to remember
her.
Ask about the persons hobbies and
interests.
3. Evoke the day of the service so they
can picture a service that will tell their
story.
Help your client focus on and imagine
the day of his or her
funeral service.
Talk about what he or she wants this
day to look like for family members and
other loved ones.
4. Provide educational and informative
resources for the living.
Share information that clients can pass
along to their families and loved ones.
Show how your organization will take
care of families by creating a meaningful
service and helping them with their grief
journey.
5. Give examples.
Provide examples of the types of celebrant services your firm has provided in
the past.
Share client feedback and testimonies.

Paul White
C ELEBRANTS / PRENEED MARKETING
For people such as myself and others who work

with funeral directors, celebrant training provides insight
into the mindset of todays consumer, the future
of our industry and opportunities for revenue generation.
individuals from across the country; all
but three were funeral directors. As part
of our training, we paired up with another
class member to learn by doing: Each team
was given information about a (fictional)
decedent and told to create a celebrant
service for that person.
From the 86-year-old carpenter who
died after a long battle with Alzheimers
Disease to the 17-year-old high school
football star killed in an auto accident
to the newborn who died after eight
short hours of life, we experienced some
of the most memorable services I can
recall being a part of. These services for
imaginary individuals brought several of
my classmates to tears.
This powerful, moving experience
is what many people are seeking, and
it is time for death-care professionals
to strengthen this weak link in service
offerings by having celebrants on staff or
on call.
While not everyone would make a
good celebrant, this training is something
that everyone in the death-care industry
should experience. Celebrant training will
help your funeral directors grow in their
profession and help them understand how
to market this type of service and how to
work with celebrants, as well as determine
which ones would actually be a good fit in
the celebrant role.
For people such as myself and others
who work with funeral directors, celebrant
training provides insight into the mindset
of todays consumer, the future of our
industry and opportunities for revenue
generation.
The value of ceremony
During celebrant training, my colleagues

and I heard from successful funeral home
operators who are delivering meaningful
services and taking advantage of additional
revenue-generating opportunities while
caring for the dead.
For the funeral firm, these services add
value to the bottom line while leaving a
favorable impression with potential clients
(those who attend the service)the best
form of marketing. For families, celebrant
22
ICCFA Magazine
services offer a meaningful service of

remembrance.
A Houston, Texas, funeral home
operator and former event planner shared
how he incorporated food, hospitality and
travel into his service offerings. He offers
a current model Cadillac funeral coach and
a 1957 restored Cadillac coach. Despite a
$265 premium, the majority of his families
select the restored coach.
A funeral director in Oregon told us
how his staff provides celebrant services
to 70 percent of the families his firm
serves, taking many from no-service direct
cremations to meaningful services of
remembrance.
With studies showing that the number
of people with no religious affiliation is
continuing to grow, individuals may not
feel comfortable having a rent-a-minister
recite the 23rd Psalm and introduce How
Great Thou Art, particularly when they
arent sure who Thou is.
But these individuals with no interest in
a traditional service could well appreciate
and benefit from a service that celebrates
a life lived. Services may be about the
person who died, but they are for the
people who continue to live and need to
process their grief through ceremony.
Deaths without a service often result
in emotional trouble down the road. And
the traditional, one-size-fits-all service
can leave bereaved families feeling just as
emotionally unsatisfied.
Celebrants make the service all about
the person who diedtheir life, their
loves, their quirks and their story. And
celebrants do this by spending time with
the family, sharing stories and talking
about their grief.
There is a need for more people who
can craft and deliver personalized services
honoring the deceased and creating
meaning for the family. Memorable,
meaningful experiences reflect positively
on your firm.
What a lot of people are seeking can
be found in celebrant services. Make sure
youre offering those services so that your
funeral firm is the first and the last place
r
they look.
The Foresight AD
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interview by ICCFA Magazine

Managing Editor Susan Loving
sloving@iccfa.com
ICCFA Magazine
subject spotlight
Thomas A. Habitz,
CCE, has been general

manager of Glen Eden
Memorial Park in Livonia
and Macomb Township,
Michigan, since 1998. He
is a past president of the
Michigan Cemetery Association, and currently
serves on the associations Board of Directors.
He is a graduate of Valparaiso University and of
Wayne State Universitys College of Mortuary
Science and previously served as a licensed
funeral director.
thabitz@glenedenmemorialpark.com
www.glenedenmemorialpark.org
PRENEED MARKETING/SERVICE TO FAMILIES
How do you let families know, in an appealing way,

how you, as funeral/cemetery professionals, can help them
when a death occurs? Glen Eden Memorial Parks
EdenChoice packages and markets its services to families
in an educational way that encourages preplanning.
Cemetery aims to be a one-stop

information resource for families
emeteries need to make a special

effort to reach families when they
are not associated with funeral
homes. Who is going to tell families about
the benefits of memorialization, especially
as cremation rates continue to rise, if
cemeterians dont?
Glen Eden Memorial Park, in Livonia,
Michigan, has upped its marketing message
with a new service called EdenChoice.
The program addresses the entire funeral/
cemetery experience, from choosing a
funeral home to finding a florist to selecting
lodging for out-of-town guests to, of course,
choosing a final resting place for yourself or
a loved one.
The program materials emphasizes the
benefits of preplanning, such as avoiding
emotional overspending at the time of death
and knowing what a loved ones wishes are.
And EdenChoice promises convenience as
well as priority and personalized service to
appeal to todays busy consumers who want
things to be easy but not impersonal.
ICCFA Magazine talked to Glen Eden
General Manager Thomas Habitz, CCE,
about the program.
Why did you develop Glen Eden Choice?
Was it in response to comments from
families or to market changes?
We were just looking for a way to reach
out to surrounding communities, our client
base, to tell them a little bit more about the
services we offer and to let them know we
can provide education and referrals to help
them through the entire funeral process.
We feel that we can direct them to
florists, or restaurants, or hotels, or recep
tion venues, to great support groupsthat
we can in effect be their one-stop place for
all their needs.
How did you choose which funeral homes
24
ICCFA Magazine
A pamphlet for EdenChoice, offering

complete, convenient, personalized,
priority services.
to recommend?
Ones we have dealt with for a long, long
time. Were not saying, by any means,
that funeral homes not listed are bad, but
there are some we have had really good
relationships with, that we know do a fine
job for their families and that we feel able to
recommend.
Theres also location to factor in. Which
funeral homes we recommend also depends
on where the family lives, what part of the
Kryprotek AD
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November 2015
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The inside and back of the pamphlet

for EdenChoice, detailing the services
included in the program.
Metro Detroit area.

How did you choose other firmsflorists,
restaurants, etc.?
Generally speaking, the ones we recom
mend are near the memorial park, because
weve had the most experience with them,
especially reception venues for luncheons.
Families tend to give us feedback about
how happy they were with the banquet
facilities. There are several in the area that
we dont hesitate to recommend.
How was EdenChoice developed? Who
was involved?
I have to give a lot of credit to Donna
Nowak-Hughes, of Nowak and Associates,
out of Albany, New York, our advertising
agency that helps us with marketing. They
had a lot of input on this program to help
the people in our community, and they
did a lot of work on the materials before
presenting them to me for approval.
How are you marketing EdenChoice?

Were trying to get the word out different
waysthrough Facebook and our website,
by advertising in local newspapers print
and online versions. We also did a mailing
to about 30,000 homes. Were just trying to
use every mode of communication available
26
ICCFA Magazine
to get the word out.

We started marketing it near the begin
ning of summer. Weve been getting over
1,000 clicks a month on our website, which
I think is very good.
And Facebook ads have been generating
more than 1,000 clicks. I think the news
papers are not quite as good in terms of
the effect of their online ads, and were not
really sure about how effective the print
advertising is, but we want to cover all the
bases.
Our direct mail piece included a return
reply card in the envelope, along with a
cover letter explaining EdenChoice and the
brochure outlining the benefits. Quite a few
people have send the cards back, and weve
followed up with them and some of them
did preplan with us.
So you find that direct mail is still
effective?
To an extent, yes. I think you reach more
people with things like Facebook adver
tising, and the cost of direct mail can get a
bit high. We have to keep our advertising
budget in mind, but we do try to use various
methods and just make sure we keep costs
in line.
Did you simply post things on your

Facebook page, or did you do some of the
advertising that costs money?
We did do some of the advertising that costs
money. Donna would include a tag line on
the ads, a teaser asking people to call us to
find out more about our newest program,
EdenChoice. And people did call.
Does EdenChoice offer new services, or
is it simply a matter of packaging and
explaining existing services in a new way
to make it easier for families to understand
whats available?
Its a bit of both. Some of the things
EdenChoice includes, such as having a
familys records on file with us, offering nointerest payments and price protection, are
things weve been doing for years, but not
everyone knows about them.
The referrals are new. Theyre part
of our effort to be a one-stop shopping
place, where people can easily get a lot of
information at no cost whatsoever. And if
they want to use Glen Eden, all the better,
but if they dont, thats fine, too. Either way,
were glad to help them by offering all this
information.
How did you choose the words used

in the tag line: complete, convenient,
personalized, priority services.
Dont forget: at no cost.
I think people have a curiosity about
funerals, in general, and cost is always at
the forefront of most peoples minds. This
assures them they can come in and feel
completely at ease, knowing that were not
going to high-pressure them in any way,
shape or formwhich we never have done.
Were simply going to be a resource for
them. They can ask questions and well help
them out as best we can. As a not-for-profit
religious cemetery, its part of our mantra to
be charitable and to help families.
The program mentions collaboration
with your funeral provider and other
providers of your choice. To what does
that refer?
I actually was a funeral director at one time,
and we wanted to work in conjunction with
them so were all on the same page about all
the details: when and where is the service,
when are they arriving at the cemetery,
what size is the burial vault, does the family
already have a marker in place, etc.
An alternative provider would be,
for example, if the family opted to use a
cremation society. We would work them
and find out when the cremated remains
would be arriving at the cemetery and what
the family wants in terms of interment or
inurnment.
In other words, we deal one-on-one with
the funeral home or cremation society to
coordinate everything.
The website also lists six mistakes to
avoid, which mainly seem to emphasize
Some of the information about EdenChoice on the memorial parks website.
the wisdom of preplanning, which I

gather you favor.
Definitelypreplanning makes it so much
easier on families at the time of death. I
think everybody who has experienced a
death in their family knows the stress youre
under when a loved one passes away, all the
details that have to be taken care of.
Its so much better when people
handle arrangements ahead of time in a
relaxed environment, make decisions for
themselves instead of leaving them for
their spouse or children to make under time
pressure.
How many of the families you serve
preplan?
We serve about 700 families each year, and
I would say well over half preplanned. A lot
of people in our area purchased years ago,
as far back as the 60s and 70s.

Is there anything else about EdenChoice
that you would like to talk about?
One thing Id like to mention is the grief
support group we deal with; theyre really
good people. Its a nonprofit organization
we refer people to that does a really nice
job. Thats part of EdenChoice, too.
Also, another feature of EdenChoice is
that people deal with one person. We have
three memorial advisors on staff. All of
them are wonderful people, but once youve
worked with one of them, thats the person
youll be dealing with in the future.
You wont be handed off to someone
else; youll be dealing with the person
youve talked to before. I think having a
memorial advisor assigned to your family is
r
important, and families like it.
AFCTS AD
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November 2015
27
by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS

1.800.426.0165
danisard@f4sight.com
P RE N E E D S A L E S
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Isard is president of
Preneed funeral and advance cemetery sales are important

to many businesses, but how do you know whether
your sales program is taking you where you want to go?
The Foresight Companies,

LLC, a Phoenix-based
business and management consulting firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, valuations, accounting, financing and customer surveys.
He is the author of several books, and

the host of The Dan Isard Show.
http://funeralradio.com
Educational information, including
copies of this article, can be found at

www.f4sight.com
You can follow Isard on Twitter at

@f4sight and like his page on Facebook.
Your GPS to preneed funeral

and advance cemetery sales
have spent more than 30 years studying

funeral preneed and advance cemetery
sales. When I started traveling to funeral
homes and cemeteries, I had a paper map and
atlas as my travel companions. Now, I have a
GPS that will talk to me as I drive. I want this
article to be the GPS for your advance sales
efforts.
In order to have a successful advance sales
program, you need to know what route to
take and which ones to avoid. The roads that
lead to dead ends must be avoided in order
to reach your destination. Preneed sales are
no longer optional for a funeral home, just as
advance sales are not optional for a cemetery.
The average funeral home can measure
its preneed effectiveness by reviewing the
following five ratios:
1. Annual preneed sales/annual calls.
The average funeral home sells 20 percent to
40 percent of its annual calls as new preneed
contracts. Some of my clients are writing
more than that.
As a matter of fact, the top preneed writers
are writing 80 percent to 105 percent of their
annual calls. Those firms are experiencing a
large growth in total calls. When a firm writes
100 contracts, these contracts go at need at
a predictable rate. Assuming they are insured,
the table below shows expected claim results:
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11-15
Year 15+
28
ICCFA Magazine
0 Probable claims
1 Probable claims
2 Probable claims
4 Probable claims
6 Probable claims
7 Probable claims
9 Probable claims
10 Probable claims
12 Probable claims
14 Probable claims
20 Probable claims
30 Probable claims
Insurance companies ask questions that

derive the risk of the group. If anyone is near
death or has conditions that will accelerate
their death over the next few years, they
are not approved for insurance or offered
an annuity. Therefore, we tend to see a 60
percent mortality rate for the first 15 years
and 40 percent thereafter.
If a trust or an insurance policy does not
have any screening questions, we expect a
higher mortality rate for the early years. So
if you are writing preneed at a rate above the
industry average, your case count will go up
and it will be most noticeable near the sevento 10-year mark.
2. Average preneed contract face
amount/average revenue per call. If your
average revenue per call is $5,000, your
average preneed contract face amount should
be about 5 percent more.
This is because people tend to spend more
on themselves than their families do. We also
typically see two preneed contracts written
when a husband and wife prearrange together.
The two of them will purchase similar
merchandise and services.
If your new preneed contracts are at
100 percent or less of your current average
revenue per call, take notice, as this is a
negative indicator. It means that your rate
of non-casketed calls and partial calls is
increasing.
Preneed is an indicator of your future.
Look at the tea leaves.
3. Average preneed contracts serviced/
annual calls. This indicator corresponds
to the quantity of total services that you
perform that were prearranged. The industry
average is between 25 percent and 30
percent. However, I have seen some mature
preneed markets where half of all services are
prearranged!
A ratio lower than 25 percent indicates that
you are probably not writing enough preneed
contracts each year or that the average age of
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P RE N E E D S A L E S
To cemetery managers who want advance sales but whose efforts consist of nothing more than
a roadside sign (no doubt the same sign for the last 17 years), I loudly proclaim: This is not advance selling.
a preneed consumer is lower than it has been

in the past.
On rare occasions, I see a low ratio
because people have moved and they do
not realize that their preneed contracts are
somewhat transferable. Of course, different
state laws make this a difficult comparison.
Imagine a person with a preneed contract
for a burial and casketed call in one state
who moves to another state. Imagine that
person making a new arrangement, for
direct disposal.
Some people just never reach out to the
original preneed issuer and therefore never
realize it has some transferable value.
One reason I use this metric is to
give me an indication of the efficacy of
marketing efforts. For example, assume you
have 30 percent of all services coming from
preneed.
If that number has increased over the
years, it could be an indication that your atneed market is drying up. Remember, very
few people cancel a preneed contract. They
bought a service, not an investment.
So, if your at-need market is going
down, then the number of preneed services
(as a percentage of the total cases) will be
increasing.
4. Average preneed contracts backlog/
annual calls. This is a historical number.
It changes each year as your new preneed
contracts are added and those serviced
decrease this number.
I look at this ratio two different ways:
as the number of contracts and by revenue
dollars. For example, imagine you are a
100-call funeral home and you have 140
preneed contracts in your backlog. That is
140 percent, which is the national average.
We can also look at it in terms of
revenue dollars. Perhaps you generate
total revenue of $600,000 a year and your
preneed backlog is $900,000. The result is
150 percent. So by this measure, you are
above the national average.
A reason for this overage could be
a greater average revenue per preneed
contract, or it could be higher due to better
investment returns. Another reason is that
the average contract is on the books for a
longer period of time.
Ideally, you would look at this indicator
both ways and determine the logical
consistency of these two conclusions.
30
ICCFA Magazine
5. Average preneed sales/annual

preneed leads. This is a key measure that
only third-party marketers, a few savvy
preneed marketing firms and I pay attention
to. Let us assume that you have 10 leads
registered in one month. How many sales
do these leads result in during that period?
By most indicators, 10 leads result in
eight appointments, which result in six
appointments kept. Of these six appoint
ments, two appointments will not be
qualified and four will be qualified. If you
are successful and close 50 percent, you
will have three new contracts.
Why did I say three contracts rather
than two? I must introduce logic with the
math. I find that 50 percent of all preneed
appointments are with couples and 50
percent are with widows or widowers. So,
if you make two sales out of four qualified
appointments, half result in two contracts
and half in one.
Therefore, two sales (in general)
represent three contracts.
I have long held the opinion that selling
preneed was easy. This is not a theoretical
opinion; I got my start in the financial
services world selling life insurance across
the kitchen table. I know the agony and
ecstasy of the sale.
What is tough is finding leads. Good
leads must have three qualities, in my book:
a) They must have a need.
b) They must be willing to do business
with you.
c) They must have the money to afford
to buy what you are selling.
So the theory of mining for preneed
leads is to find people who are not opposed
to doing business with you, have the
money to say yes and have not already
committed to another provider. This is
where prospecting comes in.
What cemeteries must do
Everything I have written about so far

focuses upon funeral homes. I have not
given any metrics for cemeteries because no
matter how analytical I am, I cannot find the
method to construct them.
This is because different cemeteries
place a different emphasis on advance sales.
Most do nothing to promote their property.
Most do not have a sales manager who is
paid to promote sales.
To cemetery managers who want

advance sales but whose efforts consist of
nothing more than a roadside sign (no doubt
the same sign for the last 17 years), I loudly
proclaim: This is not advance selling.
If a cemetery manager wants advance
sales, he or she needs three simple things:
1. A commission-based sales manager
who has a sales quota.
2. A budget to market the cemetery with
lead generation efforts and money for sales
training.
3. A modern master plan that offers
different options for interment at different
price points.
A successful cemetery with these three
operating commitments has the following
metrics:
1. The cemetery has about two
advance sales for every interment. The
advance sales drive future interments up,
just as preneed contracts drive future calls
up for a funeral home.
I find the process is slower for a
cemetery, as the average age of a cemetery
consumer is about eight to 10 years younger
than for a funeral preneed. This is because
we are dealing with a limited resource. The
grave adjacent to grandfather is either sold
or it isnt. Once sold, I cant buy it.
2. The cemetery has 60 percent to
70 percent of its total annual revenue
recorded as advance sale revenue for
interments and merchandise. Cemeteries do
not have preneed. An interment right is
sold and the income recognized now.
The merchandise could be recognized
for tax purposes sometime in the future,
but the interment right is sold now and the
income is unrestricted for tax purposes now.
3. The cemetery has receivables equal
to about 75 percent of total annual
revenue. Receivables for advance sales are
good.
If a default occurs, you might still keep
this as a partial payment and when death
occurs let the family pay the balance due.
Or you can default the contract and put the
interment location back into your inventory.
Defaulting advance sales are not as bad
as the high receivables leading to default
after promising to pay for an at-need
funeral.
So, now you have your roadmap, super
tuned with the GPS (Get People Selling!).r
Johnson AD
FULL PAGE
page 31
4-COLOR
by Todd Mannix
1.800.336.1102
toddm@cffinc.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Mannix is in funeral and
cemetery trust administration and is the vice president of sales and marketing for Cooperative Funeral Fund Inc.
Cooperative Funeral Fund Inc.

(CFF) specializes in the management
of preneed and perpetual care fund accounts. CFF has provided a program for
the death care industry to facilitate the
creation, investment, tax compliance and
payout of funeral trusts since 1989.
www.CooperativeFuneralFund.com
32
ICCFA Magazine
M A N A GE M E N T
What do people picture when they think of funerals?

Caskets, flowers, hearses, processions to the cemetery.
How can we change that picture to one consumers
today and in the future will find appealing?
A few thoughts on embracing

change and expanding options
eraclitus, a Greek philosopher, is

quoted as saying change is the only
constant in life. While this still holds
true over 2,500 years later, another statement
that holds true is that change can be and
usually is difficult. Its why people have a
natural aversion to change and have a fear of
or even a visceral reaction to change when it
occurs.
The changes happening in the death care
industry today are specific, but not unique.
Industries go through changes all the time,
and changes reshape industries.
Change can come from many different
places. It may be a result of advances
in technology, foreign competition with
different cost structures, changes in legal
matters and/or plain old innovation applied
to either product or process. Ultimately, it
doesnt matter what the agent of change is,
only that it is recognized and adapted to.
Our industry is in a state of change. Years
ago, customers didnt know about the death
process and/or didnt want to think about it.
The traditional funeral was the general rule
followed.
What constituted a traditional funeral
might have been different depending on
your religion or perhaps your region, but
ultimately there was a process that was
followed and repeated, and people not only
didnt question it, but also valued and wanted
to follow that tradition.
Part of the tradition was the funeral
director, the trusted provider who made the
service feel special, heartfelt and personal.
The change our industry is going through
is multi-faceted. Today, people want to
customize things. They want to remember
their loved ones in ways that were never
even thought of in the traditional process
followed for years.
The baby boomers have aged into being
consumers of the death-care industry, as
planners both for their parents funerals and
their own. Changes in their lifetimes and

moreover in their childrens lifetimes have
altered the dynamics of the funeral process.
Today, consumers want to be involved
in the process, and many of them fancy
themselves do-it-yourselfers. Religions
have altered their stance on cremation vs.
burial, affecting consumers decision-making
process. Caskets are being sold at Costco.
The population is more transient than it
has ever been, changing the remembrance
process as well as the funeral-planning
process.
There is no doubt these factors are all
impacting our businesses, but despite all the
changes, one thing remains constant: People
need a way to gain closure and say goodbye.
In order to embrace the change and manage
successfully through it, its important for the
funeral profession to focus on the reason why
families come to them in the first place.
But therein lies the challenge. Funeral
directors are reminded of it with every single
service they provide. They see the grieving
families, they try to make the process as easy
and painless as possible to allow them to
focus on the gathering of loved ones and the
sharing of memories. They get it, but do their
consumers?
With the many changes that have gone
on in the industry, only a few of them noted
above, the one thing rarely touched on is
what the funeral director brings to the table.
This is every funeral directors unique selling
proposition, but how do you promote it?
I have seen websites and videos that talk
about compassion in combination with, or
closely next to, the subject of cost. These
topics are usually combined, because the
funeral director, after all, is trying to gain a
client, and people are focused on cost at the
time of need.
Its almost a shame when people choose to
remember someone in the most cost-effective
way. Dont get me wrongI believe in being
M A N A GE M E N T
What if the new funeral process involved enjoying what the deceased enjoyed
as a way of sharing the essence of that persons life?
financially prudent, and these days many

people are strugglingbut what this tells
me is that people are looking at the funeral
process as a burden that goes along with a
loved ones passing.
Looking at funerals a new way
One way of addressing the changes in the

industry is to alter the way consumers look at
funerals. This approach is supported by some
of the changes weve seen. People are now
looking for ways to personalize things, make
them different, do them in their own way.
If you were to ask people what images
came to mind when they think of funerals,
my guess is they would mention things
were all familiar with from the traditional
service: caskets, urns, hearses, flowers,
processions, cemeteries, etc. I would expect
few people would say smiling, loving
faces, or a fun time truly honoring the life
of the person lost.
Obviously the word fun has to be
tempered, as saying goodbye is difficult, but
what if consumers started to look at a funeral
as a time to remember the things the deceased
loved most in life, to share memories that
bring smiles to the faces of the ones left
behind?
Loss of a loved one is hard on those left
behind. Death creates a void; death brings
sadness. But what if consumers could begin
to see funerals as a way to commemorate
and celebrate what the deceased was and did,
what he or she loved most in life?
What if the new funeral process involved
enjoying what the deceased enjoyed as a way
of sharing the essence of that persons life?
Im Irish, so Im going to tell an old joke
that I hope wont offend anyone: Whats
the difference between an Irish wedding and
an Irish funeral? One less drunk. While no
doubt the joke was intended to make fun of
the Irish propensity to enjoy spirits, it also
points out the fact that both funerals and
weddings can be occasions for people to
come together and celebrate life.
Years ago, as I was delivering my grand
fathers eulogy, I paused at one point and
asked everyone to hold hands. I told them
to feel the warmth and the life in the hand to
their right and then to their left. The fact that
we were all there to say goodbye meant that
my grandfather had touched each and every
one of them.
We were all brought to that place to be

together as a sign of the love he shared, and
that proved he would always be with us. The
feeling everyone experienced was in part his
presence or a recollection of his impact on
their lives.
I was trying to say something comforting,
but I realized I had hit on something deeper.
Everyone started smiling. They were
remembering not just my grandfather, but
how he made them feel. They remembered
what compelled them to be present at his
funeral.
Im sure it was a different memory for
every person in that chapel, but the bottom
line was that my grandfather made all of them
smile even after he was gone.
To me, a funeral should have as many of
those moments as possible, because to truly
grieve means you experienced someones
love.
These are the things people in the funeral
profession understand. These are the things
that help them deal compassionately with
families when they come in to plan or preplan
services.
People affect one another and create
lasting impressions. Someone can change
the direction of our lives and who we are.
Reflecting on these truths helps people
through the grieving process, so why not
make them a part of or a focus of the service?
Navigating change in the funeral
profession is difficult, since we need to serve
those who still want the traditional funeral as
well as those who want to celebrate a life well
lived in a non-traditional sense.
When you open your mind to the idea
of a service that celebrates the life of the

deceased in a way that is personal, unique and
able to bring a smile to those left behind, the
possibilities are endless.
I have a coworker who celebrated her
fathers life with a living wake. In that
way, he got to see old friends, share in the
memories and laughter and create one more
experience of happiness instead of sadness.
If these types of options were discussed
during the preplanning process, word-ofmouth might begin to change how people
look at the funeral process.
A funeral professional might even be able
to serve multiple needs in a situation where a
family wanted to both do something special
and personal and have a traditional service,
perhaps by offering a living wake and then
performing the traditional service at the time
of death.
I serve the funeral services industry and
I want to be absolutely clear that I mean no
disrespect to what funeral professionals do,
how they do it or the traditions involved. I
know people in this industry are wonderful
people and are great at what they do.
I only offer these suggestions about
serving families to encourage exploration of
ways to navigate the changes our industry is
facing. Its an honor to serve this industry as I
see the impact those in the funeral profession
have in their communities.
Please take my thoughts simply as ideas to
consider as you decide on the ways you will
serve families in the future.
Never believe that a few caring people
cant change the world. For, indeed, thats all
r
who ever have.Margaret Mead
Holy Land AD
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November 2015
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by Neil Carlson
leaddriven@yahoo.com
623.340.2214
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Carlson has more than
30 years of experience
in sales management,
including 12 in preneed
funeral and cemetery sales. He has a
sales training and consulting business,
The Sales Clinic, in Laveen, Arizona.
www.itsallinthewords.com
He started as a salesperson with

Service Corporation International in
Arizona before going on to manage sales
at seven funeral homes in Phoenix, Arizona. He then went to Tucson, where he
managed sales for a cemetery and three
funeral homes, becoming the top sales
manager in the region. He left the industry briefly and then returned, working for
Mountain View Cemetery and Funeral
Home in Mesa before developing his own
company.
Carlson has been a speaker at ICCFA
meetings.
Editors note
Preneed Sales Success, an ICCFA Magazine column by various authors, focuses

on building success in sales, particularly
the preneed sale of cemetery, cremation
and funeral products and services. Submission inquiries are welcome. For details,
contact ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor
Susan Loving, sloving@iccfa.com.
34
ICCFA Magazine
PREN EED SALES SUCCES S

Weve all had the experience of losing sales and being unsure
of why it happened. Maybe its time to start recording what
you say so you can examine the language you use and change it.
Why are you losing sales?
ometimes its difficult to figure

out why you lost a sale. You feel
you did everythingand I mean
everythingright in the presentation,
answered questions well, overcame
objections, got the customer to say,
sounds good. And still you lost the sale.
Has this ever happened to you? Its
certain happened to me; its happened to
every salesperson. And most people go
crazy for a while trying to figure out why,
to no avail, and then move on.
But I have listened to and recorded
hundreds of salespeople making
presentations, and Im here to tell you that
the problem is you. Thats right, its you!
Believe it or not, you are the one giving
customers reasons to say no. You probably
think Im crazy for saying this, but read
on.
Ive observed salespeople in many
different fields, from cars to sewing
machines to computers to houses to ceme
tery and funeral products and services.
They have one thing in common: They
make the same mistake in the sales process
when talking to potential clients.
I have found there are three
different problem areas having to do
with conditioned behavior common to
salespeople, regardless of what theyre
selling.
The first one is that while people
starting in sales might have trouble
remembering everything they want to
say, experienced salespeople have been
saying the same thing for so long that they
dont hear themselves anymore and arent
sensitive to what they might be saying that
is putting a potential customer off.
This is easy to prove. Simply listen
to a salesperson giving a pitch and, after
theyve said about two sentences, ask,
Can you repeat what you just said? See
if they can do it. Many will have a hard
time remembering, because theyre just
trying to get through what they need to say.
And theyre not listening.
This is common, and it trips salespeople

up when a potential client gives them a
response they werent ready for and they
cant remember exactly what they just said
that elicited this response.
For some reason, as salespeople were
not focused on what were saying, were
not concentrating on itwere just saying
it. We know it by heart, so why focus on
what were saying?
It makes sense because we know it by
heart, so why should we focus on it? But
therein lies the problem. We dont hear
what were saying to insure we get the
response we need from the customer to
advance the sales process.
For example, well say, Would you
like me to share some information with
you? This requires a yes or no
answer only. If the answer is no, your
presentation is stopped cold. Asking
questions that way gives your potential
customer a way out of the sale. It also puts
you on the defensive.
A second common denominatorand
common problemwith salespeople is the
language we use. Using the right language
is critical to making the sale. The wrong
language can kill a sale, and its used all
the time.
Sometimes salespeople luck outthe
client really, really wants the product or
service and it doesnt matter how skillful
the presentation is. But sometimes even
those clients will end up buying what they
want elsewhere.
Im talking about the kind of language
that invites people to say things like,
Let me think about it, Ill call you
tomorrow and I need to talk to my
husband/wife/kids about it first.
Have you ever heard any of these of
those put-offs? You call them objections,
objections you created because of the
words you used.
Let me give you some examples: Would
you like to get together? How about
?, Could you ?, Should you ?,
P reneed sales success

Being able to watch and listen to yourself in action and to see how people are reacting
to what you say is extremely helpful and a great way to learn and improve. Dont be surprised
if you hear yourself saying some things that, if asked, you would have sworn you never say!
What if ? and What do you think?
These are just some of the words you use
that cause you problems. Why do you
suppose that is? Think about those words
for a minute. What do you think youre
asking your customer? Ill give you the
answer a bit later.
One of the best ways to help yourself
correct this problem is to record yourself
as much as possible and listen to the
conversations youre having with potential
clients. Doing so may be difficult, but its
not impossible. Ive done it many times.
Many people will give you permission.
Being able to watch and listen to
yourself in action and to see how people
are reacting to what you say is extremely
helpful and a great way to learn and
improve. Dont be surprised if you hear
yourself saying some things that, if asked,
you would have sworn you never say!
The sales profession is always

changingor at least appearing to do so. I
think thats why there are so many books
and recordings out there about the sales
process and how to do it better.
But one constant is the fact that the
language you use has an effect on people,
and unless you are aware of what youre
saying and how people are responding to
what you say, you wont know what you
need to change.
In retail sales, the sales killer is the
question that so many salespeople use
when they walk up to a potential customer:
Can I help you? More often than not,
people say, No, thank you. Just looking.
And the interaction is over, the potential
for making a sale is over before it even
starts.
You must always be aware of the words
you use, what you want the potential
customers reaction to be and whether the

words youre using are likely to elicit that
reaction. If you give a customer a reason
to say no, many people wont disappoint
youtheyll say no.
What do you need to do? Change your
conditioning and the language you use: Try
new phrases and gauge their effectiveness.
Stop asking for permission to do your
jobit gives potential customers
the chance to say no and end your
conversation prematurely. Make sure what
you say gives your potential customer
something to think about.
If you change your own conditioning,
youll change your potential clients
conditioning, too. The language you use
will dictate the entire sales process.
Make sure you choose the right words
so that both you and the client come out
winners.
r
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Funeral Data Manager AD 1 of 2 (center spread)

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Funeral Data Manager AD 2 of 2 (center spread)

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by ICCFA Magazine
sloving@iccfa.com
ICCFA Magazine subject spotlight
Russ Burns is
director of All Saints

Cemetery and its
green burial section,
The Preserve, all part
of Mt. Elliott Cemetery
Association, which
includes six cemeteries in southeastern
Michigan.
GREEN SERVICES
For All Saints Cemetery, adding a natural burial area has drawn
interest from families who want a green burial and are preplanning
to make sure they get it. Winning a landscape architecture award
is sure to increase public awareness of The Preserve.
He has been in the profession since

1981 and is a graduate of ICCFA University. He holds a bachelors degree in
management. A member of the Clarkston
and Waterford Chanber of Commerce,
he studies history and conducts historical
tours of Mt. Elliott.
rburns@mtelliott.com
www.mtelliot.com
Jack Goodnoe has
more than 30 years of

experience in strategic
land use planning and
site design, with an
expertise in cemetery
planning. He heads his
own company, Jack C.
Goodnoe Cemetery
Planning and Design.
He is an instructor at ICCFA University

and a member of the American Society of
Landscape Architects,the Nature Conservancy and the National Trust for Historic
Preservation.
jack@jackgoodnoe.com
734.769.1400
www.jackgoodnoe.com
The Preserve natural burial cemetery at All Saints Cemetery.
Award-winning green section

designed to give families options
he Preserve at All Saints Cemetery,

part of Mt. Elliott Cemetery Asso
ciation, has won a 2015 award
from the Michigan Chapter of the Ameri
can Society of Landscape Architects.
The Preserve received a Merit Award in
the category of landscape architectural
sustainability.
ICCFA Magazine talked to All Saints
Cemetery Director Russ Burns about The
Preserve and to landscape architect Jack C.
Goodnoe about this project and about the
design of green cemeteries in general.
Attracting buyers from near and far
The first phase of The Preserve has been

operating since September 2010 and,
according to Burns, about 200 sites have been
sold (almost all advance sales) and about 30
burials have taken place in the six-acre area

developed so far in the 40-acre site slated for
gradual development in five phases.
Many people buying in The Preserve
come from 40 miles away, Burns said. We
had one woman come in from Chicago.
And we just recently buried someone from
Atlanta, Georgia. They found us online. They
had ties to Michigan at some point in their
lives, but even so, they were living in another
state and chose The Preserve because of its
natural beauty.
The Preserve is the first natural burial
ground at a Mt. Elliott Cemetery Association
cemetery. It was developed to give families
more choices, Burns said. We recognized
the green movement has been gaining
momentum in other business sectors, and
we wanted to provide a green choice for
This early
construction
photo shows
the natural
cemetery
separated from
the existing
traditional
cemetery
by a mature
evergreen
hedgerow.
38
ICCFA Magazine
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GREEN SERVICES
Existing conventional cemetery
Protected
heritage
oak
Wildflower
meadow
burial
Cremation
walls &
meditation
sheepfold
Wetland meditation
paths & overlooks
Burial grove
Created
stream with
cremation
burial
Wildflower
meadow
burial
Mowed access &

meditation paths
Pathway &
burial estates
Above, Phase 1 of the five-phase master plan for The Preserve at All Saints Cemetery. Below, the Phase 1 burial plan accommodates traditional grave layout for accurate grave locations within a naturalistic pathway and landscape system.
our families. We realize that

green burial is not for everyone,
but it garners interest from
many learning more about
preplanning.
All Saints was a natural
choice because of its fairly rural
location, kind of an in-between
area about 40 miles north of
Detroit and 20 miles south of
Flint, Burns said. Its a pretty
area.
The cemetery is situated on
Lotus Maceday Lake, and about
two-thirds of the land is not yet
developed. Two different areas
were considered for use as a
natural burial ground.
One was by the lake, heavily wooded
but basically flat. The other area had a creek
running through it and more diversity in the
landscape. The only views were of the lake,
rolling landscape, woods and meadows,
Burns said.
We enlisted the opinions of a few local
naturalist organizations around here, and we
also talked to the Campbells from Ramsey
Creek Preserve in South Carolina (the first
natural burial ground in the United States).
Goodnoe, who has done conventional
40
ICCFA Magazine
cemetery planning for All Saints and

developed the plan for The Preserve, agreed
with the recommendation to use the 40-acre
parcel with the creek running through it and
with open meadows.
Goodnoe did a thorough environmental
analysis of the site and developed the master
plan, creating a road system and breaking the
project into sequential phases.
Meeting the design challenge
I think part of the design challenge with

green burial is how do you put enough
people in the ground to make

it economically viable and still
maintain a natural setting, said
Goodnoe. I think one of the
successes of The Preserve is
that theyve used the exact same
burial system that All Saints has
in its conventional cemetery.
The Preserve uses a
traditional grid layout (shown
at left) for the burials despite
the natural landscaping above
ground. Burns said Phase 1
should handle nearly 2,000
burials, and he figures that the
development of Phase 2 might
not be needed for a decade or so.
The graves are somewhat
larger in The Preserve, measuring 4 feet by
10 feet, compared to 3 feet by 8 and a half
feet in the conventional sections.
And the graves are divided into two cate
gories: visitation and non-visitation. Visitation
areas abut pathways and families can have
memorials placed on them.
All memorials are rocks excavated from
the site. Since were on a lake, were loaded
with rocks, Burns said. When families select
a visitation grave they select a rock from
the cemeterys inventory and its inscribed
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GREEN SERVICES
Top and right, burials made in the non-visitation meadows do not have memorials, and visitors are not allowed to walk on the
site, though they can look over the meadows from the pathways. Above left, a memorial stone from one of the visitation grave
sites, adjacent to a walking path. The stones are excavated from the site. Use of local materials is a plus in green development.
according to the familys

visitation graves with
design and put in place. If
the understanding that
they want to bring in their
no one will be tramping
own rock, as long as it fits in,
through that meadow.
thats OK also, he said.
In public presentations
The non-visitation grave
hes given, people seem
sites are in the meadow, and
willing to accept the idea
people are not allowed to
of a meadow where none
walk onto the meadow; they
of the graves have markers
must stay on the pathways.
and the meadow remains
They cant walk out there
undisturbed.
and leave flowers at their
Nevertheless, the
loved ones grave. Its strictly
visitation areas are the
going back to nature.
ones that are selling now.
For people who want to
Perhaps this means that more
be buried in a non-vistation
pathways should be added so
site but also want a memorial
that more visitation graves
to visit, there is the option
A springtime view in The Preserve looking toward Lotus Maceday Lake. can be made available,
of a name being inscribed
Goodnoe said. I dont
used too often, it kills the bioactivity of the
on the cenotaph wall, the rock wall modeled
know; were still learning.
soil.
after English sheepfolds. The waist-high, half
The graves in The Preserve cost more
Almost all of the preneed burial sales
than the graves in the conventional sections,
circle wall is made with natural rocks, stacked
have been for visitation sites, Burns said,
Burns said, but the price includes the rock
but not cemented (photos, page 48).
attributing it to the appeal of the creek.
memorials, and families do not have to buy
Making use of cenotaphs and limiting
Thats where everything is selling, right
vaults.
where memorials can be placed is something
alongside the creek. People really like
else The Preserve has done right, according to
listening to the falling water. And they love
Goodnoe. If you have every grave marked
Doing the interments
the natural rock memorials.
with a boulder, you have a field you cant run
About a third to half of the burials so far
Despite their selection of a natural
a tractor through.
have involved shrouded rather than casketed
cemetery, most people are still coming out
If you cant run a tractor through in order
bodies, Burns said. The rest use woven or
of a traditional mindset, where a grave gets
to mow, you have to use fire to control plant
wooden caskets or cardboard cremation
a memorial, Goodnoe said. And people do
containers, all biodegradable. Im actually
growth, and thats not something you should
like to touch the boulder.
surprised that were getting so many shrouds;
do routinely, he said. Its good once in a
Goodnoe thinks that as time goes by,
I kind of like it.
whileat most every five years or so. If its
more people will be willing to buy non
to page 44
42
ICCFA Magazine
Live Oak AD
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page 43
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GREEN SERVICES
The Preserves purpose
he purpose of The Preserve at

All Saints Cemetery, as outlined
in the award-winning submission by
landscape architect Jack C. Goodnoe to
the Michigan Chapter of the American
Society of Landscape Architects:
to preserve, utilize and enhance the
natural systems of the site;
to meet the changing cultural and
ethical desire for sustainability;
to reduce or eliminate the use of
herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers for
landscape maintenance;
to minimize traditional cemetery
lawn mowing for reduced fossil fuel
consumption;
to use native and on-site materials
for landscape development;
to eliminate the need for lawn and
landscape irrigation; and
to bury and memorialize using only
biodegradable materials.
r
The three ecosystems of the existing

site shaped the land-use strategies
and cemetery design solutions.
from page 42
Green burials are similar to cremation
services in that whatever families choose to
do, the cemetery accommodates them, he
said, so each service is kind of different.
Some people want the body lowered into
the grave immediately, while other families
want to say prayers first, perhaps sing as the
body is being lowered. Committal services
range from nothing at all to Christian to
Native American. Several Native Americans
have been buried in The Preserve. This is a
great option for them, Burns said.
The cemetery uses a pneumatic tire
casket bier with an attractive green board
on it for transporting shrouded or casketed
bodies to The Preserve, but Burns has been
looking into purchasing a transportation
carriage from Kinkaraco. Some funeral
directors simply use a gurney, primarily in
the case of a shrouded burial.
Openings are done with a backhoe.
Closings are started by hand, with a back
hoe used to finish. The gravesite is then left
to settle naturally for several weeks; filling
in is done as needed. Then nature takes
over with grasses and plants, Burns said.
44
ICCFA Magazine
Handling maintenance
There is maintenance involved in mana

ging a natural burial ground. In addition to
the development costs, the Green Burial
Council, which has certified The Preserve
ad a natural burial ground, requires the
cemetery to have a plan in place to manage
invasive species, Burns said.
Mowing is done once or twice a year.
The wildlife seems to take care of itself, he
said, but there are invasive plants to worry
about. Michigan has a real problem with
a phragmites. They grow to 12 to 14 feet
and are super-invasive, Burns said.
Last spring, the cemetery made the
news with its controlled burn of phrag
mites down by the lake and in one of
areas set for future development as part of
The Preserve. A naturalist, Jim Brook of
Native Lakescapes, organized the burn and
advises him on how to manage the area,
Burns said. We were in the Detroit Free
Press, the Oakland Press and the Clarkston
News, a local paper.
Overall, the amount of effort involved in
maintaining the natural cemetery is about
the same as in a conventional cemetery,
Burns said.
In addition to controlling invasive

species, they make sure the bridges over the
creek are safe, clear out the creek after the
winter snow melt-off and remind families as
needed that they cant do things like throw
your lawn mower in the back of your truck
and mow your loved ones graveIve had
that happen.
When you have a natural burial section,
you need to write down what the landscape
is going to be like and exactly what kind of
maintenance is going to take place so that
families know what to expect, Goodnoe
said.
I encourage all cemeteries adopting
green to make sure they sit down and
think through those issues (visitation/
nonvisitation, maintenance, memorials,
etc.) and have an agreement in place.
Marketing The Preserve
We have a specific marketing plan

designed to promote The Preserve, Burns
said. They participate in expos and hold
seminars to let people know about The
Preserve, and find a receptive audience.
In general, the people who attend
have all done their homework, Burns
Cemeteries
Crematories
Funeral homes
Suppliers
Pet loss professionals
Submit
your news to
ICCFA Magazine
Have you held a groundbreaking

or grand opening for a new facility?
Hired or promoted someone? Is your
company offering a new or updated
product to cemeteries and/or funeral
homes? Have you recently held an
unusual service or a successful seminar at your location? Added a grief
therapy dog to your staff?
Share your news with colleagues all

over the worldsend it in to ICCFA
Magazine! Its a simple way to receive
some well-deserved publicity for you
and your staff and to share ideas with
peers. Heres how to get your news in
ICCFA Magazine:
n Write it down. It doesnt have to be

written perfectly (thats why we have
editors)it just needs to include the
facts. Remember the basics:
Who
What
Where
When &
How (& sometimes Why).
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n Send it in:
Email your Word document as an
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write your release in the body of your
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Questions?
Need some guidance?
Email ICCFA Magazine
at sloving@iccfa.com.
November 2015
45
GREEN SERVICES
At seminars where everything All Saints has to offer is being discussed, the No. 1 topic
raised by attendees is cremation, and The Preserve is No. 2, Burns said. Sometimes greens
No. 1 and cremations No. 2.Russ Burns, director of The Preserve at All Saints Cemetery
Mt. Elliott Cemetery Association CEO and General Manager Michael Chilcote walks through the meadow in the fall
along the mowed pathway that provides access to both visitation and, from a distance, non-visitation grave sites.
said. They know about green. What

theyre primarily asking us is what are
we doing to guarantee that its going to
stay green, what are we doing as far as
pest management and management of
invasives.
They talk to funeral directors, as well.
We have a liaison, Karen Mack, who visits
with funeral directors and explains that we
have this property, Burns said. She also
goes out into the community and talks to
senior groups and historical societies and
other organizations and talks about both our
green and conventional options.
At seminars where everything All Saints
has to offer is being discussed, the No. 1 topic
raised by attendees is cremation, and The
Preserve is No. 2, Burns said. Sometimes
greens No. 1 and cremations No. 2.
46
ICCFA Magazine
A recent seminar featured someone from

William Sullivan & Son Funeral Home as
well as The Preserve talking about green
burial. The funeral home brought a woven
casket and biodegradable urn to show
attendees.
They brought the first burial out here
for The Preserve, and theyve done a couple
more since then. They are very interested in
green; they look at it like we do, as another
choice to give families.
Overall, funeral directors have been
receptive, Burns said, which is important
as Michigan does not allow combination
funeral-cemetery operations.
They also advertise in local and greenoriented publications, and referral partners
such as elder law attorneys and financial
planners are also spreading the word.
Making green profitable
Goodnoe has strong opinions about how

to develop natural burial grounds that are
profitable as well as attractive.
I think there are a lot of unique issues
associated with green burial that arent
readily apparent that have to be thought
through, Goodnoe said. One of the things
thats kind of significant about this is that
its like cremation 20 years ago: People are
still trying to figure it out.
As people in the funeral/cemetery
profession are constantly saying, there are
shades of green. Or, in this case, types of
green cemeteries.
Goodnoe feels that a hybrid cemetery
has the best chance of being profitable.
In other words, a natural burial ground
such as The Preserve, a green cemetery
GREEN SERVICES
within a traditional one. Why? Are the

traditional sections expected to subsidize
the green section? No; Goodnoe believes
its important because cemeterians know
how to run a cemetery.
There are so many things about the
cemetery industry related to how you treat
families, how you maintain the site, how
you deal with cortege services, how you set
pricesall of the things that every ceme
terian deals with every day that are critical
to the cemeterys financial success as well
as the happiness of the customers.
And I think thats whats often missing
in the natural cemeteries that are done
first and foremost as conservancies by
people coming out of the environmental
movement, because they dont bring with
them the history and the skills and the
knowledge of traditional cemeterians.
Goodnoe is not a fan of the environ
mental cemetery model that involves a large
piece of land with widely spaced burials.
I think if you have a park of 100 acres
and every place in it that you want to walk
has somebody buried in it, its a different
environment than a regular park.
I believe cemeteries should be run
like cemeteries, not like natural areas, and
I believe that you should minimize your
consumption of land, not maximize it.
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Welcoming cremation
I am a firm believer that green cemeteries

have to embrace cremation, Goodnoe said.
Some people say, Youre burning up fossil
fuels. Ive done a little research, and Ive
discovered that it effectively takes about
as much BTUs as a full tank of gas in an
SUVabout 19 gallons of gasto cremate
a body.
So with all of the energy youve spent
during your life in travel, in heating yourself
and your water and in flying on vacations, is
it greener to take up 10 times as much land,
which is a truly non-renewable resource,
instead of using one tank of gas?

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to page 48
November 2015
47
GREEN SERVICES
Left, The Preserves meadow sheepfold meditation garden, inspired by a

traditional English sheepfold. Naturally
occurring rocks from the glacial origins
of the site are used for the cremation
memorial wall, seen in detail above.
a commerical cemetery, you hope to be

40), youre going to end up with lots of
from page 47
So many of the natural burial people
doing more frequent burials. If you want to
little corners between the pathway and
still think that cremations a nasty thing,
do burials in woodlands, Goodnoe suggests
the grid, and those spaces can be sold for
and its not. The stacks are regulated;
sticking to burial of cremated remains and
cremation graves.
the amount of what goes into the air is
placing full-body burials in a meadow.
absolutely minimal. The sensationalism that Considering additional factors
A design approach hes taken a couple of
surrounds cremation is misguided.
The Preserves burial sites are in meadows, times is to have a cemetery using woods for
Goodnoe firmly believes that natural
a choice Goodnoe favors rather than
natural burials create sun pockets, areas
burial grounds should allow the burial of
woodlands. Burial in woodlands might
where they open up the woods to create a
cremated remains. Cremains have virtually seem like an appealing choice, he said, but grove or sun spot in the woodlands. They
no impact on the environment. Theyre
the fact is, you can only dig so many holes then develop that cleared area, perhaps a
inert.
for full-body burial in the woods before
quarter of an area in size, as a meadow.
There is a cremation area in The
youve dramatically disrupted the root
This does two things: It creates meadows
Preserve at All Saints Cemetery. The
zone of the woods itself. If the burials are that are appropriate for full-body burial
cremation graves in The Preserve are four
few and far between, thats OK, but with
and it creates more edges. People love
feet square, while they are
edges, Goodnoe said.
three feet square in the
The edges are always the
conventional sections, and
most valuable part of any
urns used in The Preserve
cemetery, because people
must be biodegradable.
like those interfaces between
Spouses can also choose
environments that are the
to be cremated and interred
richest environmentally. And
in the same full-body-sized
interestingly enough, theyre
grave in The Preserve. Or,
also the richest emotionally.
one spouse can choose fullPeople naturally like edges.
body burial and the other
So if you create this
cremation with interment in
little sun pocket within a
the same grave.
woodlands, youve just
Another thing to
opened up that much more
consider, Goodnoe said,
edge where you can
is that when you lay an
raise your prices, and you
organic system over a
can offer woodland, edge
rectilinear system (as seen
and meadow burials all
A bridge over an ephemeral stream, created when natural springs were
on the burial plan on page
simultaneously.
r
revealed on the site and designed as a central feature of The Preserve.
48
ICCFA Magazine
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Flowers for Cemeteries

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49
Update
Send in news about your cemetery, funeral home, crematory or association to sloving@iccfa.com. If you publish a newsletter,
please email a copy to sloving@iccfa.com or mail to: Susan Loving, ICCFA, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164.
of the site.
n Foundation
Also, West Laurel Hill,
Partners, Orlando,
Laurel Hill Cemetery and
Florida, has launched a
the Boneyard Bookworms
new cremation provider,
Book Club recently hosted
Right Choice Cremation,
author Cristin OKeefe
in Ocala, Florida, and Aiken,
Aptowicz, who wrote Dr.
South Carolina. Families can
Mutters Marvels, for a
make and pay for cremation
presentation, reception
arrangements for themselves
and book signing.
or a loved one online at
www.rightchoicecremation.
n Pittsburgh Insticom, which offers live chats
tute of Mortuary
with cremation specialists,
Science, Pittsburgh,
or can visit a Right Choice
Pennsylvania, recently held
facility. Over the years,
its 151st commencement
research has shown that conexercises. The commencesumers want options when
ment address was delivered
making their cremation
by Patrick J. Konieczny,
arrangements, said Foundaa PIMS alumnus who is
tion Partners Group Presipresident of the Allegheny
Deborah Cassidy, left, director of sales and marketing at West Laurel
dent and CEO Brad Rex.
County Funeral Directors
Hill Cemetery, makes a presentation to the Friends of the Gladwyne
While many still prefer
Association. He delivered
Jewish Memorial Cemetery to help with creation of a new master plan.
working with funeral homes,
an inspirational address ena growing segment of the
titled Reflections. Candipopulation has embraced the convenience
Friends of the Gladwyne Jewish Memo- dates received either a diploma in embalmof online transactions.
rial Cemetery operated by Beth David
ing and funeral directing, an associates
Right Choice Cremation backs their
Synagogue. We take supporting our com- degree in specialized technology/funeral
services with a 100 percent money back
munity and helping organization further
service arts and sciences or an associates
guarantee. If a family is not satisfied with
their mission very seriously, said Deborah degree in specialized business/funeral
the service they provide, the company will Cassidy, director of sales and marketing at service management. Mallory Paige Bell
refund their money. Right Choice CremaWest Laurel Hill. Over the past year, West received a bachelors degree in business
tion offers a price match guarantee that
Laurel Hill staff has helped with the GPS
administration from Thiel College, having
will meet the price of any competitor for
mapping of graves, volunteered at work
completed her academic requirements at
similar services. The company also offers
days and, most recently, donated funds
Theil and PIMS.
a range of other products and services,
to help implement their new master plan
Marc Zmijowski received the Memorial
including cremation scattering options,
which will restore the historical grounds.
Award, having been chosen by his classveteran benefits, cremation urns, memorial
West Laurel Hill also assisted the
mates as the student who, through qualities
products and keepsake jewelry.
friends group with an event at which
of leadership, professional conduct and
sacred prayer books were buried. The
good citizenship, best typifies the ideals
n Glen Eden Memorial Park,
mission of the Friends of the Gladwyne
of the student body. He also received the
Livonia, Michigan, has added two garJewish Memorial Cemetery is to ensure
William J. Musmanno Memorial Award in
dens to offer families more options. The
recognition of his outstanding ability, atGarden of Grace is a cremation garden of- dignity for those interred at Har Hasetim
and their families while honoring the
titude, commitment and achievement in the
fering spaces among flower gardens, trees
historical, cultural and natural significance clinical setting, and was presented a $500
and gently flowing waters. Bern Niches,
scholarship award from
bench niches and carnethe PIMS Board of Direclian granite columbarium
tors. He also received an
niches are available.
embalming kit from PIMS
The Garden of Devotion
alumnus Wayne Urbine,
features upright granite
who has funeral homes in
monuments preinstalled on
Jersey Shore and Loganlots, making it easier for
ton, Pennsylvania. Urbine
people to see exactly what
received the Musmanno
they would be buying. Six
award when he gradudifferent granites placed in
ated and will be providing
wooded areas are availthe embalming kit for all
able.
future recipients.
n West Laurel
Alexander Fike, who
Hill Cemetery and
had maintained the highest
Funeral Home,
scholastic average for the
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylschool year 2014-2015,
vania, has announced
Glen Eden Memorial Parks Garden of Grace offers families niches in
received the John Regol
a partnership with the
berms, benches and a columbarium.
50
ICCFA Magazine
Abbott & Hast

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November 2015
51
UPDATE
Jason Holt received the Distinguished
Service Award for his outstanding service
to the funeral profession. Amber Kelli
Johnson, Chicago, Illinois, received the
Ralph S. Turner Award for outstanding
embalming and restorative art, presented
by Ernie Mosher of R.S.Turner Funeral
Home, Decatur. The National Funeral
Directors and Morticians Association presented a scholarship to Abigail C. Meadows, Albany, Georgia.
The Scholastic Achievement Award,
presented to graduates who had a 93
percent average or better, went to Clinkscales; McNeal; Meadows; Michael D.
Bailey, Bonifay, Florida; Mark Adam
Cunningham, Fayetteville, North Carolina;
Uteppiya L. McCoy, Conyers, Georgia;
KaTia J. Roberts, Grantville, Georgia; and
Georgia Robinson, Nassau, Bahamas.
The recipients of the Mu Sigma Alpha
Dr. Joe Marsaglia, dean of faculty and students at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary
Award to the top 10 percent of the graduScience, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, presents students Gabrielle Bieber, left, and Kasie
ates were Bailey, Clinkscales, McNeal and
Watkins with scholarships from the 100 Black Women of Funeral Service.
Robinson.
Award. He also received a $500 scholimpact the funeral service industry at large. n The Selected Independent
arship on behalf of the PIMS Board of
He received $1,000 funded by the PIMS
Funeral Homes Educational
Directors.
Board of Directors and Eugene Ogrodnik
Trust, Deerfield, Illinois, has selected
Tyler Ferguson received the Pierce
and his wife.
Maria Torres and Stacy Meeks as recipiChemical Restorative Art Award in recogTen percent of the graduates received
ents of its Second-Career Scholarship,
nition of his outstanding ability, comthe Mu Sigma Alpha Award for being in
each receiving $1,500. Both women attend
mitment, attitude and achievement in the
the honorary society. The recipients were
Worsham College of Mortuary Science,
areas of restorative art and cosmetology,
Nicole Clow, Jesse McElroy, Judith McCo- Wheeling, Illinois. Torres, of Lemont,
presented by Pierce representative Michael mas, Brigitte Morgan and Angela Rogers.
Illinois, who expects to graduate in March
Kuruc, a PIMS alumnus.
2016, was called to funeeral service after
n Gupton-Jones College of
Evan Loomis received the Dodge
attending the funeral of a family friend.
Funeral Service, Decatur, GeorAward, established to recognize a student
She had spent 26 years as a bank branch
gia, recently held graduation exercises.
who demonstrated both exceptional and
manager. Meeks, of Aurora, Illinois, has
The graduation speaker was Jason Holt of
theoretical expertise throughout the emgraduated. She had been a customer serPaulk Funeral Home, Fitzgerald, Georgia,
balming curricula practicum, presented by past president of the Academy of Graduate vice representative for AT&T for 17 years.
Dodge representative Matt Black, a PIMS
Since the award was launched in 2010, the
Embalmers of Georgia.
alumnus. He also received a complete
board has awarded 21 scholarships.
Milton B. Clinkscales, Commerce,
Dodge embalming kit.
Also, the trust has selected two new
Georgia, was named valedictorian and
David Smail received the Eugene C.
members of its board of trustees. The new
Samuel G. McNeal, Charleston, South
Ogrodnik Entrepreneurial Award, given
board members are Greg Cannon, president
Carolina, was named salutatorian. Clinkto a student who has demonstrated the
and CEO of Cannon-Cleveland Funeral
scales received the Bill Pierce Award,
qualities of stewardship, scholarship and
Directors Inc., McDonough, Georgia, and
given to the person voted by classmates
leadership and is deemed to have the enBob Hoaglund, vice president of sales and
as best representing the funeral service
trepreneurial spirit and greatest potential to profession in terms of professionalism.
marketing at Messenger LLC, Auburn, Indiana. Other 2015 board members are Cade
C. Williamson, Thomas R. Morris, Michael
Carter, Larry Schildmeyer and Robert J.
In memoriam
Paterkiewicz, administrative trustee.
William John Brummond
n Hartsdale Pet cemetery,
William John Brummond, 64, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, died
Hartsdale, New York, hosted a blessing of
August 31, 2015. He was owner and president of Peerless Plastics,
the animals for the public at its annual
an industry garment and pouch/body bag supplier.
Pet Memorial Celebration. Pets presHe is survived by his wife, Kathy, six children, 11 grandchildren,
ent were individually blessed by the Rev.
his mother, 10 siblings and many nieces and nephews.
JoAnne C. Campo and received a personA memorial service was held at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church,
alized certificate. Visitors were also welBurnsville, preceded by a gathering at the church. A reception was
come to bring photos of pets or urns with
held afterward at a local restaurant. Arrangements were handled by
cremated remains of pets to be blessed,
Henry W. Anderson Mortuary, Funeral & Cremation Services in Apple Valley. r
and children were welcome to bring their
r
favorite stuffed animals.
52
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November 2015
53
U P D A T E : C o m m un i t y Out r eac h
Funeral director Bennie
Smith (left)
of Penwell
Gabel Funeral Home and
Darral Sommerfield drive
the funeral
homes antique hearse
to Olathe
Cemetery.
Sommerfield
and his wife
own Classic
Reproduction Wagon
Works. They
take care of
the hearse
and provide
the horses.
Cemetery celebrates trio of local events

by Brian J. Nilges
Park services coordinator, City of Olathe,
Kansas; bnilges@olatheks.org
his year is the anniversary of three
milestone events in the history of
Olathe, Kansas: The completion of the
limestone farmhouse at the Mahaffie
Stagecoach Stop and Farm, the end of the
Civil War and the founding of the Olathe
Memorial Cemetery.
The cemeterys commemoration of
all three events began at the Mahaffie
Stagecoach Stop and Farm (which,
like the cemetery, is a division of the
City of Olathes Parks and Recreation
Department) with a re-enactment of
the mourning ceremony of Grandma
Henderson, which was originally held in
the farmhouse parlor.
Penwell Gabel Funeral Home assisted
in the re-enactment by providing a funeral
director and an 19th century horse-drawn
funeral coach. There were informational
talks given on 19th century funeral
practices, followed by a procession behind
the coach after a representative casket was
carried out of the house and loaded into the
funeral coach.
The funeral coach was then brought
54
ICCFA Magazine
Members of the 2nd Baptist Church Choir sing old-time spirituals at the cemetery.
to the cemetery and drawn by horse to

the Mahaffie burial site while members
of the public followed behind, wearing
black cloth arm bands were supplied by
cemetery staff.
Once the procession that stopped at
the burial site, a re-enactor from Mahaffie
portraying Grandma Henderson talked

about her 19th century experiences.
Bennie Smith, the manager of Penwell
Gabel Funeral Home, then gave a talk
about 19th century burial practices and
how they contrast to practices of today.
After that, the public followed the
U P D A T E : C o m m un i t y
Out r eac h
coach back to the cemetery office, where

we began several different informative
cemetery tours. The tour options were:
notable people buried in the cemetery,
general history of the cemetery,
notable historical trees throughout the
cemetery and
gravestone symbolism.
Meanwhile, we had refreshment and
information tents set up by the office
while the choir from 2nd Baptist of Olathe
sang old-time spirituals. Grace United
Methodist Church provided a homemade
pie and ice cream social.
After the tours, Tom Rafiner (author
of Caught between Three Fires and
subsequent books about the KansasMissouri border wars) gave a talk on what
it was like to live through that tumultuous
period in American history, especially
along the Kansas-Missouri border.
Following Rafiners talk, the Sons of
Union Veterans of the Civil War gave a
closing flag ceremony that included Taps
and cannon fire from a Civil War cannon
provided by Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and
Farm.
r
Clockwise
from
left, the
antique
hearse at
Mahaffie
Stagecoach
Stop and
Farm;
author
Tom
Rafiner
speaking; and
Rene
Radil as
Grandma
Henderson.
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55
UPDATE
New FAMIC study shows differences in how

older, younger adults approach funeral service
A
majority of Americans believe funerals
and memorial services are a valuable and
important part of healing after the death of
a loved oneand that funeral professionals
can help them meaningfully honor a life
according to the results of a nationwide
online survey conducted from March 31 to
April 10, 2015, among 1,238 U.S. adults age
40+ and 305 U.S. adults age 20-39 by Harris
Poll on behalf of the Funeral and Memorial
Information Council (FAMIC).
While funerals and memorial
services may be different from what they
were 25 years ago when we first began
surveying consumers, the fact remains that
memorialization is important when a loved
one dies, said Jeffrey Wages, a funeral
director who serves as FAMIC president.
versus 26 percent of those age 40 and older).

Hear about funeral service information
through social networking, in addition to
more traditional sources like obituaries (51
percent versus 23 percent of adults age 40
and older).
Allow their friends/relatives to prearrange funeral/memorial options for them
(42 percent versus 31 percent of those over
the age of 40).
Use the internet to crowdsource funds
for funeral/memorial costs (17 percent versus
4 percent of those age 40 and older).
Funeral professionals are the experts
Funeral homes and funeral directors

remain the top source of information for
both making arrangements (65 percent)
and selecting merchandise (66 percent)
Funeral & memorial services valued
for adults over the age of 40; friends and
Among adults age 40 and older, 82 percent
relatives are the second most popular source
said a service was helpful in paying tribute
of information for making arrangements (64
to or commemorating the life of a friend
percent) and purchasing merchandise (59
or family member, down from 95 percent
percent).
in 2010. Eighty percent felt services they
In 2015, 86 percent of adults over the
attended had meaning and value and reflected age of 40 said funeral professionals were
the life of the deceased; in 2010, 92 percent
important in making funeral arrangements,
felt the same way.
compared with 93 percent in 2010. EightyIn 2015, 72 percent believed services they five percent said funeral professionals
attended were an important part of the healing take special care to make the ceremony
process; in 2010, 87 percent felt funerals were and arrangements reflect the wishes of the
family, 10 points less than the ranking in
instrumental to healthy healing.
2010.
The public continues to demonstrate an
Eighty two percent of respondents said
understanding of the value of funeral and
people working in funeral services are
memorial services and the role they play in
professional and competent (89 percent
healthy healing after the death of a loved
one, said Wages. However, numbers were
in 2010). Overall, 82 percent said funeral
down from 2010, suggesting a need for
professionals provide valuable services (94
funeral professionals to increase their efforts
percent in 2010).
to educate the public and to make sure their
The majority of consumers would not
offerings align with consumers changing
change anything about their experiences
needs.
with funeral homes in fact, 87 percent
of adults over the age of 40 who had
previously been involved in selecting a
Expectations of adults under 40
Younger adults (ages 20-39) have distinctly
funeral provider would choose the same
different expectations when making funeral
one for a future need, and 92 percent would
arrangements and interacting with funeral
make similar arrangements in the future.
professionals than those who are older. They
For the 15 percent who would change
are more likely to:
something about their experiences with
Create or attend online/virtual memor
funeral homes, cost was the main concern
ialization sites (create a virtual memorial: 5
(36 percent). This has remained a primary
percent versus 2 percent of those age 40 and
concern since 2004.
older; attend a virtual memorial: 39 percent
While this study shows a decline in
56
ICCFA Magazine
consumer ratings from 2010, there is a

lot to be proud of rankings in the 80th
percentile are very good, said Wages. The
results perhaps indicate a need to better
communicate the value of what we do.
Interest in preplanning still high
In 2015, 69 percent of adults over the age of

40 indicated they would prefer to prearrange
their own service; however, only 17 percent
had made arrangements. Sixty percent of
those who have prearranged their services
have prepaid for some or all of them. The
main reason for doing so (74 percent) was so
survivors wouldnt have to worry about them
or pay the costs, potentially eliminating stress
for their friends/family after they are gone.
Of those who felt preplanning was
important but had not yet prearranged
services, 55 percent said they were likely to
do so within the next five years.
Interest in cremation still rising
Only 34 percent of adults age 40 and

older own cemetery property, down from
50 percent in 2010. Consumers are very
interested in cremation, both for themselves
(68 percent) and as an option they would
choose for a friend or family member (65
percent). Saving money (22 percent) is the
prime reason for choosing cremation; those
who would not choose cremation attribute it
to their own personal preference (30 percent).
While more adults 40+ may be choosing
cremation, they also want to honor the lives
of their friends/family through a ceremony.
Only 14 percent of people who prefer
cremation for a loved one would choose
to not have a funeral or memorial service.
Thirty-five percent would choose a memorial
service with photographs of their loved one
present (the body would not be present); 27
percent would want a memorial service with
their loved ones cremated remains present in
an urn at the service; and 25 percent would
want a funeral with the body present in a
casket prior to cremation.
Talk of A Lifetime campaign
Awareness of Have the Talk of a Lifetime,

FAMICs consumer education campaign
introduced in 2013, is low, but some
adults 40+ (46 percent) are already having
UPDATE
conversations with friends/family about how
they want to be remembered during their
funeral or memorial service.
Regardless of whether they have engaged
in a conversation with friends/family or not,
89 percent feel their family understands what
has mattered most in their lives and how they
have made a difference. Eighty-nine percent
feel a discussion about their end-of-life
wishes would be meaningful.
Only 14 percent of adults over the age of
40 were aware of Have the Talk of a Lifetime,
which is in an initial grassroots phase;
however, once introduced to the campaign,
40 percent said the campaign messages had
a positive effect on their perceptions of the
funeral profession.
We are encouraged by this data, espe
cially considering that Have the Talk has been
a grassroots effort, said Wages.
In 2016, we will begin a national
advertising campaign to augment the efforts
of local funeral homes. We expect these
national ads will bring even greater awareness
to Have the Talk of a Lifetime, and funeral
directors will see more families engaging in
conversations with friends/family.
Green funerals and pet services
Awareness of green funeral options remained

the same as it was in 2010, at 34 percent,
but, interest has grown. In 2015, 64 percent
of adults 40+ said they would be interested
in green funeral options, compared with 43
percent in 2010.
Adults are more aware of pet memorial
services now (67 percent) than they were five
years ago (57 percent), but consistently do not
feel open to it (20 percent in 2015 versus 17
percent in 2010).
Grever & Ward AD

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Background
FAMIC commissioned the first study of

the publics attitudes toward ritualization
and memorialization in September 1990.
Subsequent waves were conducted in
1995, 1999, 2004, 2010 and 2015, making
this one of the most comprehensive and
long-standing consumer research projects
in funeral service.
The goal of this research is to better
understand the personal values driving
decision-making behavior as it pertains
to funeral service; to learn more about
attitudes toward preplanning, cremation,
monuments, cemeteries and other aspects
of memorialization; and to analyze
changes in attitudes over time.
r
November 2015
57
Supply Line
Enduring Images keepsake picture

palm stone with porcelain beaded wrist
band.
Astrals new Harmony casket in the

black metallic exterior.
FrontRunner has bought TerraPro software.

READERS: To find the products and services you need online, go to www.iccfa.com
and select directory to find:
Supply Link Search
Engine, the fastest way
to find the products and
services you need at your
funeral home, cemetery or
crematory.
SUPPLIERS: Send your press releases
about your new products and services,
and about awards, personnel changes and
other news to sloving@iccfa.com
for inclusion in Supply Line. Large files that
will not go through the ICCFA server can be
sent to slovingiccfa@yahoo.com.
58
ICCFA Magazine
n Enduring Images, Golden,

Colorado, offers keepsake picture
palm stones that are not only beautiful to look at but also wonderful to
hold in your hand. Made using high
quality glazed ceramic, the photo will
never fade, creating a keepsake to be
passed through the generations. The
set includes a palm stone, velvet pouch,
cleaning cloth, wooden palm stone
stand and a porcelain beaded wrist
band. The wooden stand has a hole in
the bottom that is sealed with a removable rubber cap, providing a space for
storing something meaningful.
1.800.905.3295; info@enduring-images;
www.enduring-images.com
n Astral INDUSTRIES, Lynn, Indiana,
has introduced the Harmony, the newest
addition to its casket line. The Harmony,
an 18-gauge, powder-coated casket with a
crepe interior, is available in nine colors and
offers a heart design in the cap panel with a
Love Lives On theme. One of the nine colors
available includes a new color combination of
a black metallic exterior with a rosetan crepe
interior.
1.800.278.7252; sales@astralindustries.com
www.astralindustries.com
n Frontrunner, Kingston, Ontario,
has purchased TerraPro software. FrontRunner is acquiring the source code rights and
customer base for the funeral home, cemetery,
crematory and pet loss software from Terradise Computer Systems Inc. FrontRunners
plan is to enhance the integration that the TerraPro platform has into its suite of seamlessly
integrated product solutions. Under the terms
of the purchase, Terradise President David
Haldeman will remain on with FrontRunner
for a minimum period of two years and will
work closely with the FrontRunner development team to enhance the TerraPro platform,
while continuing to work closely with existing
clients.
Also, the company has announced a new
division, Funeral Solutions Group. Funeral Solutions Group is an entirely separate
company from FrontRunner that will have its
own budget and its own staff. The intent is to
have the two companies be highly competitive
with each other by providing different levels
of service and solutions that best suit funeral
homes and their budgetary needs.
The Funeral Solutions Group website
system is a fully scalable solution. It comes
with a custom version of the Book of Memories memorial website and the professions
highest-earning profit center. Customers will
also have access to a DVD memorial video
generator, the all new print-on-demand custom stationery program and numerous APP
plugins. However, the best feature of all is the

built-in document handler engine, which can
instantly print the firms important funeral
documents.
Also, FrontRunner has become the
exclusive distributor of the new marketing
program from Simpler Times Inc., Dover,
Delaware. The program is marketed directly
to consumers across North America and
is designed to allow them to organize and
arrange for simpler funeral services on their
own, in the comfort of their home.
866.748.3625; www.FrontRummer360.com
n Ensure-A-Seal, Lehi,
Utah, has hired William M.
Matro as the ompanys first
national sales director. Matro
spent the last 18 years with the
Robert Bosch Corp., a Global
500 Company. During those
years, he worked in various
sales and sales management
Matro
capacities in multiple states
and was responsible for sales activities with
accounts ranging from small distributors to
retailers and corporations.
day1@ensure-a-seal.com; 1.800.864.4174;
www.ensure-a-seal.com
n eckels and co., Livonia, Michigan,
has acquired Quatic Industries. Quatic is
a world-class chemical blending, packaging
and manfacturing company. The acquisition of Quatic Industries will allow Eckels to
continue to meet the rapidly growing demand
for our products on a global scale, said
Eckels President Richard Steele. The Quatic
platform will enhance our ability to grow the
Eckels manufacturing capabilities as well as
pursue other product categories within the
funeral, cemetery, cremation and memorialization sectors. www.eckelsandcompany.com
n Messenger Co., Auburn, Indiana,
has added a new financial partner, Orchard
Holdings Group, Cincinnati, Ohio. Orchard
is a private investment firm. Orchard and
Messengers management team have partnered to acquire Messenger and support its
growth over an extended timeframe.
1.800.827.5151;
website@messengerstationery.com;
www.messengerstationery.com
n Duncan stuart todd, Boulder,
Colorado, has introduced PrepAir G-2
Series, a second generation of the firms
flagship ventilating system. The new G-2
version builds on the features of the original
plus offering shorter lead times and reduced
costs. PrepAir Systems are stand-alone systems that heat, cool and exhaust by means of a
unique heat recovery module that maximizes
personal comfort and minimizes operational
life cycle costs. It is designed specifically to
Tribute AD
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November 2015
59
S U P P LY L I N E
Passages new mountain view and navy

scattering tubes.
The skydiver video for Rose Hills Memorial Park won an award for LA Ads.
American Coach Sales new Mercedes

Benz Sprinter limousine model, designed to fit in smaller spaces.
60
ICCFA Magazine
produce conditions necessary to meet

OSHA specifications for air quality in
embalming rooms.
1.877.832.6898; info@duncanstuarttodd.
com; www.duncanstuarttodd.com
n passages international,
Albuquerque, New Mexico, has added
navy and mountain view designs to
its collection of scattering tubes. The
collection now includes 16 designs. Each
tube accommodates 200 cubic inches of
cremated remains and has a matching
mini with an identical design which
holds 20 cubic inches. Each features
a convenient removable lid and an
industry-first perforated push in tab
that opens easily prior to scattering. The
tubes contain no metal or plastic components and can be recycled after use.
They are suitable for in-cabin airline
transportation. 1.888.480.6400;
sales@passagesinternationalcom;
www.PassagesInternational.com
n LA ADS, Northridge, California, has
received a first-place 2015 Telly Award.
The award, given for excellence in local,
regional is and cable television commercials and video and film productions. This
award was presented in recognition of the
agencys video for client Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary called Skydiver. It
was one of more than 12,000 entries submitted from all 50 states and five continents
for the 2015 honors.
The video featured 82-year-old retired fire
captain and avid skydiver Pat Moorehead
who, on his 80th birthday, celebrated by
skydiving more than 80 times that day. The
video concludes with Cpt. Moorehead talking
about making advance funeral arrangements
as he reflects on how hed like to be remembered. The video is part of a series featured
on Rose Hills website. The winning video
can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/91443004
or in context with the full campaign at www.
LegacyRoseHills.com.
1.800.991.0625;
dkatz@laadsmarketing.com;
www.laadsmarketing.com
n american Coach
Sales, Cleveland, Ohio, has
debuted a new Mercedes Benz
Sprinter limousine model. The
new design incorporates the
same aesthetic, economical and
environmentally friendly features as its larger counterpart,
only in a smaller footprint. It
can comfortably carry nine passengers and still fit in standard
garages and beneath porticos.
The vehicle is named the Metropolitan for its
ability to be used in metropolitan areas where

space is at a premium.
Also, Bob Newmann has joined the
company as a Sprinter specialist in the
sales department. Neumann has been
connected with Sprinter since 2002, most
recently as Sprinter brand manager at Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted. The Cleveland dealership is the largest Mercedes Benz
Sprinter dealership in the state of Ohio.
1.888.321.6613;
www.americancoachsales.com
n LIVE OAK BANK,
Wilmington, North Carolina,
has hired Jim Breaux for
its funeral home lending
team. Breaux joins Live Oak
with over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. Most recently,
he served as senior vice
Breaux
president for Regions Wealth
Management and director of administrative
services within the funeral and cemetery
trust services division.
1.877.890.5867; www.liveoakbank.com
n Crematory Manufacturing & Service, Tulsa, Oklahoma, has
decided to continue its Commit Scholarship Program. The program was launched
in September 2014. It was designed to last
one year, but the positive response led the
company to extend it for at least a second
year. CMS will provide up to $10,000 in
scholarship funds during the programs
second year. The only requirement for a
program to be eligible is that it was created
with input from a crematory equipment
manufacturer., said CMS President Larry
Stuart Jr. Past recipients have attended programs hosted by ICCFA, CANA and the
Saskatchewan Crematoria Council, among
others.
One of our core values at CMS is Universal Education, said Stuart. As funeral
service evolves, especially with respect to
cremation, we wanted to create a new way
to support funeral professionals to best
serve the market. We believe providing better access to cremation-specific educational
opportunities will help raise the standard
for the entire profession and change the
way people think about cremation.
1.800.726.6120;
www.crematorymanufacturing.com
n ASD, Media, Pennsylvania, has introduced a new enterprise text message system
to enhance communication between the
company and on-call directors. This option
allows the company to automatically dispatch
text messages to clients more rapidly. In the
past, ASD used high-speed modems to send
S U P P LY L I N E
text messages to clients. However, this system
is being phased out due to speed limitations
and restrictions imposed by cellular carriers.
Going forward, ASD will use an enterprise
texting solution provider to send text messages to clients.
All outgoing text messages from ASD will
now come from a single five-digit short code.
This makes it simpler for directors to keep
messages organized and to recognize incoming texts from ASD. Clients must simply optin to the new enterprise text message system
by responding to an invitation from ASD.
Kevin@myasd.com; 1.800.868.9950;
www.myasd.com
n Homesteaders, Des Moines, Iowa,
partnered with Drake University to present
a certificate in strategic business management course for funeral professionals. The
three-day classroom experience was held
on Drakes Des Moines campus. The faculty
of Drakes College of Business and Public
Administration consulted with members
of Homesteaders financial, marketing and
operations leadership to develop a course
addressing the unique and evolving business
opportunities and challenges in the funeral
profession. Attendees gained experience from
case studies and interactive, applicationoriented learning exercises.
Homesteaders also has been named a
Top Iowa Workplace for 2015. The annual
award is given to companies that exhibit
exceptional individual satisfaction and organizational health. This years honorees were
chosen based on the results of an employee
feedback survey conducted by The Des
Moines Register in conjunction with WorkplaceDynamics. Over 90 percent of Homesteaders employees participated, reporting
high satisfaction in areas of compensation,
benefits, management and work/life balance.
1.800.477.3633;
www.homesteaderslife.com
n Batesville, Batesville, Indiana, has
again received top scores in product quality, service and innovation in the annual
casket survey by Funeral Service Insider.
This is the second consecutive year the
company has received the top ranking from
funeral professionals in all categories, leading
all other manufacturers.
812.934.7500; www.batesville.com
n The home office employees of Unity
FInancial Life Insurance Co.,
Cincinnati, Ohio, spent an afternoon
volunteering their time and manpower
at Matthew 25 Ministries. The nonprofit
agency helps the poorest of the poor and
disaster victims locally, regionally, nationally
and internationally.
1.877.523.3231; www.uflife.com
r
ACMC AD
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November 2015
61
IMSA AD
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page 62
4-COLOR
I C C FA N E W S
KIP
Best in Personalization
Celebrate 15 years of KIP awards by entering

outstanding examples of personalization
he ICCFAs Keeping It Personal (KIP) contest will be celebrating 15 years of spotlighting

personalization excellence. The KIP award recognizes personalization in funeral,
cemetery and cremation products and services. The contest was begun in 2001 by ICCFAs
Personalization Subcommittee. Independent marketing and communications professionals are
recruited to judge the entries. The categories are Most Personalized Service or Memorial, Best Event,
Best Personalized Service or Memorial, Most Personalized Pet Service or Memorial and Innovative
Personalized Product (suppliers only).
Entries for the 2015 contest will be due on November 30, 2015. Go to www.iccfa.com/kip for
2015 entry forms. You may also read information about past winners on the website.
q
Award
ears
y
5
1
g
n
ti
Celebra
2016 WWS & ICCFAU scholarship applications now available
eed financial help to attend one of ICCFAs annual

conferences? Apply for a Wide World of Sales or
ICCFA University scholarship.
The ICCFA provides a variety
of scholarships to attend ICCFA
educational programs through the
ICCFA Educational Foundation,
a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity
that supports the associations
educational programs.
Scholarships to pay for the registration fee and other
expenses for sales professionals to attend the Wide World
of Sales Conference are available. Deadline for submission:

November 13, 2015.
Several scholarships are presented annually to selected
recipients who wish to attend
ICCFA University. Applicants
must be ICCFA members in good
standing and employed in the
cemetery, cremation and funeral
profession for a minimum of two
years. Deadline for submission: February 19, 2016.
Both applications are ready to download now.
Visit www.iccfa.com/education.
q
Insurance, identity theft protection added as member benefits
he ICCFA is pleased to offer members

insurance and identity theft protection
through new programs available to its
members.
As an ICCFA member, you could save up
to 10 percent on auto insurance and 5 percent on home insurance
when you combine your policies with Liberty Mutual Insurance.
You could save up to $428 and youll have access to all of the
advantages of being a Liberty Mutual customer: 24-hour claims
assistance, accident forgiveness, Better Care Replacement and
roadside assistance. Getting a quote is fast and easy. Learn more
about exclusive discounts available to ICCFA members by visiting
www.libertymutual.com/iccfa or call 1.888.323.1207.
Effective October 1, all ICCFA members are eligible to
participate in the ICCFA Business Insurance Program,
providing exclusive business insurance solutions for:
Property
General liability
Commercial auto
Workers compensation
Funeral directors errors and omissions insurance
Cyber liability
The program offers competitive pricing,

coverage specialized for your business, a
streamlined approach to purchasing coverage,
and a designated team to provide consultative
experience.
The program is operated by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.,
an affinity program provider, which will search insurance
programs from The Hartford, Travelers, Hanover, CNA and
more to find the best fit and value for you. To learn more or to
receive a quote, please contact Kaitlin Radke at 630.694.4539
or kaitlin_radke@ajg.com.
And, finally, we are pleased to partner with AmTrust
Solutions, a company focused on helping people manage
their personal identity. Members may enroll in the AmTrust
Identity Management Choice Plan for $9.99 a month with a 30day money back guarantee. This includes: cyber monitoring,
Social Security number monitoring, lost wallet
assistance, fraud restoration and $1 million in
identity theft insurance.
Sign up today to enjoy more peace of mind.
Call 1.877.756.6711 or visit www.amtid.net/
q
iccfa20 and use promo code ICCFA20.
November 2015
63
I C C FA N E W S
Wide World of Sales January 13-15, 2016 Las Vegas, Nevada
Join the movement to increase sales
64
ICCFA Magazine
Get the IMPLEMENTATION

right.
And the games continue into
the breakout sessions!
On Thursday afternoon
starting at 3:15 p.m., join
Christine Toson Hentges,
CCE, for her presentation
Flowchart for Family
Service. Often family service
counselors focus too much on
whats immediately in front of
them for sales opportunities and forget to follow
the processes necessary to make family service
the most effective lead source available.
The use of a flow chart depicting all of the
necessary steps to be taken to ensure that every
family receives every single step consistently,
with professionalism and empathy, is the best way
to make certain that the families you serve are given exceptional
care, while also guaranteeing that family service counselors tap
into every possible sales opportunity.
Also on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. is Ryan Thogmartin with his
Killer Ways to Dominate Social Media.
Are your customers really using social media
and do they want to talk about your company?
Of course they are, and Thogmartin is going
to show you why. In this presentation, he will
overload your mind with powerful content that
is helping funeral homes across the country be
the go-to source for death conversations, andget
thisthe consumer is the one starting the conversation. He will tell
you who is engaging funeral homes on Facebook and what are they
talking about.
Join Greg Kamp on Thursday at 4 p.m. for his management
breakout session on Cemetery Sales & Marketing.
This seminar will provide information regarding the difference
between sales and marketingwhich are commonly confused
and how the two entities can work together to
promote and sell todays cemetery via grassroots
community involvement and social media tactics.
Kamp will explain:
The difference between the sales and
marketing functions
How the sales and marketing functions,
while different, can work together to promote
the cemetery
The importance of simple grassroots tactics that will make a
difference in cemetery growth and keep sales, marketing and
advertising budgets in check
How community involvement is a vital part of cemetery
growth and how simple low-cost events, sponsorships and
2016 SALES
OLYMPICS
LAS VEGAS
tart off the new year by

making a New Years
resolution. Dont go and join a
gym! Make your sales faster, higher
and stronger by attending ICCFAs
Wide World of Sales Conference,
January 13-15, 2016, at the
Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino in
Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Wide World of Sales
features training for funeral home,
cemetery, preneed and at-need sales
counselors and managers, as well as marketing
professionals. We are back in Las Vegas again
and are celebrating with an Olympic theme.
Get ready to take home the gold by attending
the 2016 conference.
To start off the ceremonies, join Gary
OSullivan, CCFE, and David Wharmby,
CCE, on Wednesday evening from 4 to 5:30
p.m. for a fireside chat. OSullivan returns
for his famous fireside chat along with
cemetery sales legend Wharmby. They are
ready to mentor, encourage and motivate you
to be your best, in your profession and as an
individual.
Keynote speaker Antarctic Mike Pierce starts off
Thursday morning with Selling at 90 Below
Zero. Specifically about selling and designed
for sales professionals and sales team leaders,
in this session you will learn how to:
Develop an effective plan of the right
sales activity at the right place and time
Increase mental strength and develop
sound habits of discipline
Differentiate yourself from competitors and
stand out
Spend more time with customers and the right prospects
Sell more effectively and more often
On Friday morning, keynote speaker
Weldon Long will present his sales system
The Power of Consistency for Sales
Excellence. Long says that the reason
many sales training programs fail to deliver
long-term results is because they offer only
a one-part solution to a three-part problem.
To create sustainable sales results, three critical components
must be addressed. Long will explain a high-octane, three-step
process that will transform sales results. Attendees will learn all
three steps:
Get the MIND right.
Get the SALES right.
to page 65
I C C FA N E W S
tour of a company that has turned the traditional business
model on its side will be sure to inspire and educate.
The speakers and presentations arent the only things
participation can have a huge impact on the bottom line
youll
receive when you register for the Wide World of Sales
Why social media is a must to connect with targeted
Conference. Included in the registration:
audiences and an important tool in telling the cemeterys
the famous Wide World of Sales binder, full of speaker
story, which then helps make the cemetery sell
Why cemetery staff are the most important sales and
presentations, handouts and tips
marketing tools
Welcome reception on Wednesday evening
networking lunch on Thursday afternoon
The 2016 Wide World of Sales Conference will also offer
breakfast, coffee and refreshment breaks on Thursday and
an amazing opportunity: a tour of the Zappos corporate
headquarters on Wednesday at 1 p.m. The cost is $30 per
Friday
person. You must be quick on your feet for this tourthere are
many opportunities to win cash and prizes
only 40 spaces available. The tour will end in
The more people in your team that your
time for participants to return for the fireside
ONE PROFESSION
company sends to the conference, the more
chat on Wednesday afternoon.
money you can save! You can save more on
This 90-minute excursion offers a glimpse
individual registration if you are an ICCFA
into the Zappos culture and a walk in a
member, though you do not need to be a
Zapponians shoes. Say hello to some of the
member to attend Wide World of Sales.
companys amazing culture-filled departments,
Remember to register by December 7 to
such as merchandising, HR and the customer
receive the early bird rate. To register online
loyalty team (customer service). There will
and learn more about hotel reservations, visit
U N ITE D BY SA LES
also be other Zapponians along the way. This
q
www.wideworldofsales.com.
from page 64
ICCFA, associations partner for cremation programs
Washington
he ICCFA is offering
multiple Cremation
Certification Programs
in the month of November.
In Washington state, we are
partnering with the Cremation Association of North America
(CANA), and the Ohio Funeral Directors Association (OFDA)
is teaming up with us to host the another program the
following week in Ohio.
The ICCFA Crematory Operator Certification will be
presented by ICCFA cremation coaches Poul Lemasters, Esq.,
and Larry Stuart Jr., Crematory Manufacturing & Service
Inc., and will include extensive training on the principles
of combustion, cremation and the environment, incinerator
criteria and design, the basics of operating cremation
equipment, forms and record keeping and handling and
exposure control.
Ohio
courtesy of Free Vector Maps
The Cremation
Arranger Certification
includes up-to-date
information vital to
succeeding in a high
cremation rate market.
Youll learn how to arrange meaningful tributes, create unique
options for memorialization and communicate all of this to
client families.
November 12-13 in Kirkland, Washington
Arranger: Thursday, November 12
CANA Operator: Friday, November 13
November 18-19 in Columbus, Ohio
Arranger: Wednesday, November 18
Operator: Thursday, November 19
Visit www.iccfa.com and click on Events to register.
Members may also receive cremation advice any time, any
place by calling the ICCFA Cremation Resource Hotline at
1.855.388.CRM8.
q
November 2015
65
I C C FA N E W S
Shuttles, new sponsorship opportunities available in New Orleans
Banners hang above the lobby area in front of Hall E in the

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, site of the 2016 ICCFA
Annual Convention & Expo.
French
Quarter
Poydras
Street
Thursday, April 14:

Noon to 5 p.m.
Central
Business
District
EDUCATIONAL
SESSIONS (tentative)
Friday, April 15:
2 to 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 16:
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Hyatt
Place
Friday, April 15:

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Arts/
Warehouse
District
The Outlet
Collection
at The
Riverwalk
BOULEVARD
EXPO HOURS
Wednesday, April 13:
4 to 7 p.m.
CONVENTION CENTER
Shuttle route
Hilton
Riverside
Hotel
Harrahs
New
Orleans
Casino
Omni
Riverfront
New Orleans
Shuttle pickup/
dropoff location
Mississippi River
ere working hard to jazz things up for the 2016

ICCFA Annual Convention, April 13-16, at the
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Hilton
Riverside Hotel. Recently, ICCFA staff members performed a site
visit to get the lay of the land of the convention venues with one
goal in mind: providing attendees with an even better convention
experience. Some additions to next years convention will include:
Shuttle service between the host hotel and convention center
will be offered continuously while events are being held at the
convention center. While the length of the walk (0.8 miles)
is comparable to the walk between the hotel and expo hall at
Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, parts of the walk in New Orleans
will be outdoors. The shuttle will allow attendees to avoid
walking in 80- to 90-degree, humid weather, possible afternoon
thunderstorms and at night. Suppliers: Contribute and have
the opportunity to talk to attendees while theyre riding the
shuttle [$5,000 per day].
The expo hall will be a little livelier in the Big Easy. Live
musical performances will greet guests as they enter the expo
hall, and raffle prizes will be awarded throughout the during the
opening night of the exposition. That, coupled with the ICCFA
tradition of offering free food and drinks during all expo hours,
means that you wont want to miss a minute! Suppliers: Gain
exposure by having your companys name announced as the
sponsor of a prize [$1,000 and up].
Weve got a few more surprises up our sleeves for attendees,
but the convention center and hotel also offer some unique
sponsorship opportunities for suppliers or other companies
wanting to promote themselves to our eclectic audience. Some fun
ways to market your company at the convention:
Hotel keycards: Every keycard at the host hotel will be
branded with one companys logo [$7,000]
Lobby banners: Welcome attendees to the lobby of
convention center Halls D&E with your companys message on hanging banners [$10,000-15,000 for all of the
banners; may be sold individually]
App guide to the convention: The ICCFA App offers
a comprehensive guide to the convention, and this year,
well be beefing it up with even more content to make
sure you Follow Your NOLA [$8,500-10,000, may be
split among several companies]
More details are coming soon to www.iccfaconvention.com.q
Ernest N. Morial
Convention
Center
Hall D
Hall E
Mat thews Intl. Corp. StoneMor Partners, LP Service Corporation Intl. Carriage
Services Forethought Life Insurance Company Batesville Casket Company, Inc. Forest
Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries Regions Trust Foundation Partners Precoa Guerra
& Gutierrez Mortuary Johnson Consulting Group Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum
The Signature Group Coldspring Cypress Lawn Homesteaders Life Live Oak Bank
Aurora Casket Company Families First Funeral Care & Cremation Center Inglewood Park
Cemetery Los Parques Merendino Cemetery Care National Guardian Life Insurance
Company Northstar Memorial Group Funeral Directors Life Insurance Company (FDLIC)
Funeral Services Inc. Gibraltar Remembrance Services, LLC Hillside Memorial Park &
Mortuary Independence Trust Company Premier Care of Florida The Whitmore Group
American Funeral Financial Gethsemane Cemetery & Memorial Gardens Memorial Business
Systems The Tribute Companies Inc. Williams Funeral Home Flowers for Cemeteries Inc.
Thank you
FALL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

CORPORATE PARTNERS
66
ICCFA Magazine
Merendino AD
FULL PAGE
page 67
4-COLOR
Calendar
New Members
E-mail calendar listings and additions or

corrections to Association Pipeline to
bclough@iccfa.com.
Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative

guidance and support to progressive cemetery, funeral and
cremation professionals worldwide
For continually updated meeting listings

and direct links to websites for professional
associations, go to www.iccfa.com; select Find
a Member, then Industry Associations.
Membership applications
Admission to ICCFA membership normally requires a majority vote of those present
and voting at any meeting of the executive committee. The names of all applicants
must be published in this magazine. ICCFA members objecting to an application must
do so in writing to the ICCFA executive director within 45 days of publication. In the
event of an objection, the executive committee will conduct an inquiry. If an applicant
is rejected, they will be granted an appeal upon written request. The decision of the
Board of Directors shall be final.
To see all industry conventions and meetings

for a particular month, go to www.iccfa.com;
select Find a Member, then Industry Calendar.
For information about the ICCFA and Membership:

Go to www.iccfa.com/membership to download a benefits brochure and an application form.
Call 1.800.645.7700 to have membership information faxed or mailed to you.
Regular
Arlington Cemetery Co.

Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
Ellinger-Kunz & Park Funeral Home &
Cremation Service
Springfield, Illinois
Fairway Memorial Gardens
Deerfield Beach, Florida
Mattingly-Gardiner Funeral Home
Leonardtown, Maryland
Mount Pleasant Cemetery Association
Center Moriches, New York
Noblin Funeral Service
Belen, New Mexico
Page Funeral Home Inc.

Burlington, New Jersey
Pollock-Randall Funeral Home
Port Huron, Michigan
Weerts Funeral Home RiverBend
Cremation Service
Davenport, Iowa

Professional/Supplier
Concept Caskets Inc.

St Edouard, Quebec
Pennsylvania Funeral Directors
Association
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
easier way
theres an
Powered by Multiview, ICCFA Supply Link is a

superior tool for our unique community that
streamlines your efforts to find products and services.
Start your search at
www.iccfasupplylink.com
November 5-7: Pennsylvania Cemetery

Cremation Funeral Association Fall Conf.,
Pittsburgh, Institute of Mortuary Science.
contactus@pccfa.com
November 6-8: Cemetery Assn.
of Oregon Annual Convention.
cemeteryassociationoforegon@gmail.com
November 9-11: Two Hearts Pet Loss Centers
Pet Loss & Grief Companioning Certification
Course, Austin, Texas. 317.966.0096
November 11-13: The Foresight Companies
Seminar Human Resource Complete, Scottsdale
Resort & Conf. Center, Arizona. 1.800.426.0165;
www.f4sight.com
November 12-13: ICCFA & CANA Cremation
Operator & Cremation Arranger Training, Kirkland,
Washington. 1.800.645.7700;
www.iccfa.com
November 18-19: Casket & Funeral Supply Assn.
Fall Conf. & Trade Show, J.W. Marriott Hotel,
Indianapolis, Indiana. www.cfsaa.org
November 18-19: ICCFA & Ohio Funeral Directors
Assn. Cremation Operator & Cremation Arranger
Training, Columbus, Ohio. 1.800.645.7700;
www.iccfa.com
December 3: Maryland Cemetery, Funeral &
Cremation Assn. 8th Annual Holiday Gathering,
The Rusty Scupper, Baltimore. www.mcfca.us
December 15: Maryland State Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Holiday Mtg. & Party, The Hotel at
Arundel Preserve, Hanover. www.msfda.net
2016
January 13-15: ICCFA Wide World of Sales Conf.,
Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.iccfa.com
January 18: New Hampshire Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Mtg., Church Landing, Inns & Spa at
Mill Falls, Meredith. www.nhfda.org
February 3-4: CANA Cremation Symposim,
Tropicna Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.cremationassociation.org
February 2-4: The Center for Loss & Life
Transition training for funeral directors, Opening
your communitys eyes to why we need funerals,
facilitated by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Scottsdale, Arizona.
www.centerforloss.com
February 12-14: Maryland State Funeral Directors
Assn. Mid-Winter Retreat, Clarion Resort & Conf.
Center, Ocean City. www.msfda.net
February 13-20: FrontRunner & American
Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service
7th Annual Funeral Business & Technology
Workshop Cruise, departing from Miami, Florida.
1.866.748.3625;
www.FrontRunner360.com/cruise

68
ICCFA Magazine
to page 70
photos by Ken Peterson COURTESY OF THE DODGE CO.
Dodge Wreaths Across America project
The Dodge Co., Brunswick, Maine, is accepting registrations for its

2015 Wreaths Across America Arlington Wreath Project. For complete information, contact Sally Belanger, CFSP, MBIE, who
for eight years has been conducting Dodges tour of Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area, along with monuments
honoring servicemen and women, all leading up to the Saturday, December 12, Arlington Wreath Project at Arlington National
Cemetery. The tour will take place December 10-13. For a registration form or additional information, contact Belanger at
207.406.2703 or sbelanger@dodgeco.com, or go to www.Dodgeco.com.
Funeral museum begins food drive,

plans patriotic tributes for November
Exhibits honoring veterans (above)

and President Kennedy (right) at the
National Museum of Funeral History.
he National Museum of Funeral History, Houston,

Texas, has a number of patriotic activities planned:
From November 1 to the end of the year, people who
bring in a non-perishable canned food donation for the
museums food drive will receive $2 off admission.
November 1, admission will include Day of the Dead
festivities. Explore authentic altars made by local artists,
commemorate a loved one by leaving them a message in
the Book of the Dead and bring mementos of the dearly
departed to help build the museums community altar.
November 7-15 is Veterans Appreciation Week. Veterans and active military persons will be admitted free.
November 22 and November 25, admission will
include entrance into the presidential funerals exhibition,
featuring a special John F. Kennedy section.
r
November 2015
69
ad index
51 Abbott & Hast
45 Adfinity
27 AFCTS
61 American Cemetery/Mortuary
Consultants
41 ASDAnswering Service for
Directors
4 Carriage Services Inc.
53 Clearpoint Federal Bank Trust
3 Continental Computer Corp.
47 Cooperative Funeral Fund
55 Crystal Remembrance
49 Ensure-A-Seal
49 Flowers for Cemeteries
2 Forethought Life Insurance
Companies
57 Funeral Call Answering Service
36 Funeral Data Manager
37 Funeral Data Manager
17 Funeral Services Inc.
February 24-25: International Conference

of Funeral Service Examining Boards Annual
Mtg., Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, California.
479.442.7076; www.theconferenceonline.org
February 26-28: Monument Builders of North
America Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia.
www.monumentbuilders.org
February 29-March 2: MKJ Marketing seminar,
Top-Line Growth, The Westin Riverfront Resort &
Spa, Beaver Creek, Colorado. 1.888.MKJ.1566

March 17-19: California Assn. of Public Ceme
teries Annual Convention, Embassy Suites,
Monterey Resorts. publiccemeteries@aol.com
March 21-23: MKJ Marketing seminar, Top-Line
Growth, Ritz-Carlton Resort, Amelia Island, Florida.
April 1-3: TANEXPO, Bologna, Italy.
info@tanexpo.com
April 13-16: ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo,
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center & Hilton New
Orleans Riverside, New Orleans, Louisiana.

www.iccfa.com
May 17: Ohio Funeral Directors Assn. Annual
Convention. www.ofdaonline.org
June 12-14: Southern Cemetery, Cremation &
Funeral Assn. Annual Convention, with Georgia,
North Carolina and South Carolina cemetery
assns., Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, South
Carolina. www.sccfa.info
Check the classified announcements at www.iccfa.com/employment.htm

To place a classified, contact Rick Platter, rplatter@iccfa.com
Cemetery & preneed

receivables financing
We will lend your company money

on your receivables, or we will
21 Perfect Memorials
39 Physicians Mutual
41 Pontem Software
59 Regions Funeral & Cemetery Trust
Services
19 Security National Life Insurance Co.
47 SEP Technologies
14 Starmark Funeral Products
15 Starmark Funeral Products
68 Supply Link
49 SVE Portable Roadway Systems
23 The Foresight Companies LLC
59 The Tribute Companies
72 U.S. Metalcraft
49 WithumSmith + Brown
71 Worsham College
53 Wuxi ANA Industries Ltd.
41 Zontec Ozone
r
CAlendar
from page 68
Classifieds
57 Grever & Ward

35 Holland Supply
33 Holy Land Stone
7 Homesteaders Life Co.
62 IMSA
51 J. Stuart Todd Inc.
31 Johnson Consulting
25 Kryprotek
43 Live Oak Bank
47 Madelyn Co.
29 Matthews International
25 Meadow Hill Corp.
67 Merendino Cemetery Care
61 Miles Supply Inc.
5 MKJ Marketing
9 National Guardian Life Insurance Co.
41 Nomis Publications
51 NorthStar Memorial Group
57 Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell &
Hippel
buy your receivables if you prefer.
Either way, you retain access to

your customers. Fast closings, with
immediate funding of perpetual
care fees. Call Harry Van Sciver at
508.428.3458, or fax your request

to 508.428.0607, or contact us
through our website at
www.whitebriar.com.
r
CAST ALUMINUM LOT MARKERS

3, 4, 5 X 5
SPIKE OR SPLINE MARKERS
CALL TODAY FOR A FREE BROCHURE!
Andover Markert Company
634 Berkley Street
Berkley, MA 02779
TEL: (508) 822-3127
FAX: (508) 824-5895
VISIT OUR WEB SITE/WWW.ADOVERMARKER.COM
70
ICCFA Magazine
Worsham AD
FULL PAGE
page 71 (C3)
4-COLOR
US Metalcraft AD
FULL PAGE
page 72 (C4)
4-COLOR

ICCFA Magazine November 2015

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Honoring fallen heroes

Poul Lemasters explains how your forms

All Saints awardwinning green

2016 SALES OLYMPICS in LAS VEGAS

WIDE WORLD OF SALES

January 13-15 MONTE CARLO www.iccfa.com

The Remembering our Fallen traveling

Check us out on Facebook!

The marketing side of contracts and forms

Curlew Hills, Farley Funeral Home sponsor Remembering

Why I became a celebrant even though I dont work with

24 preneed marketing/service to families

Cemetery aims to be a one-stop information resource for

Your GPS to preneed funeral and advance cemetery sales

A few thoughts on embracing change and expanding options

Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

Award-winning green section designed to give families options

63 Insurance, identify theft

Web Expo directory of suppliers

Subscribe to ICCFA Magazine

r One-year subscription (10 issues) for just $39.95*

Name as it appears on card

Security ID (3-digit # on back of card or 4-digit # on front of AmEx)

Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

More from this author

ICCFA files comments with

he ICCFA has filed comments with

Darin B. Drabing, president

Michael Uselton, CCFE, president-elect

Robert Treadway, director of

Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &

Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

Brenda Clough, office administrator

Susan Loving, managing editor

doubled the salary levels for exemption in a single

Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

2015 by the International Cemetery, Cremation

Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

Membership That Matters.

by Poul Lemasters, Esq.

Documents you use at your funeral home or cemetery

should not simply meet legal requirements. Properly designed,

The marketing side

ICCFA Magazine author spotlight

Consulting, Cincinnati, Ohio.

He is an attorney and funeral director,

tion legal counsel. ICCFA members in

o one likes paperwork. OK, maybe

1 Location, location, location

Coaching Center, where you can post a

More from this author

the ICCFAs upcoming Crematory Operator Certification workshops, November 13

Lemasters will be at ICCFAs Wide

The placement of information affects how

they see can set an anchor.

2 Dont keep it clean

Now think about the construction and

3 Contain the good stuff

So, if people automatically glance top right

Other Preparation and Care of the Deceased

Direct Cremation ................................ $0.00 to $0.00

Transfer of Remains to the Funeral Home

Direct cremation with container provided

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com