|
President's Letter:
Mark Krause, ICCFA President for 2008-2009
Embrace the Cs: Cremation, challenge
Icannot think of a single area of funeral service
that has changed the way we do business more
than cremation. Whether you are a cemeterian,
funeral director, preneed sales manager or supplier,
cremation has brought enough challenges to get the
best of us talking to ourselves.
I feel a smart businessperson tries to figure out
what our consumers want, creates those products
and services and then is waiting for them at the
door, ready with what they want. But as I see it,
typical cremation consumers do not know or
understand their options. They often arrive at our
doorstep simply thinking cremation vs. funeral.
So how do we reach our ever-growing cremation
clientele? I think we start with understanding
them. If 25 percent of our families are price-driven,
maybe we need to focus on what the other 75 per-
cent are looking for, an experience that not only
meets but also exceeds their expectations.
Too often, we give our client families what they
think they want without presenting options; we just
"roll over" and give them compromised service.
But our customers come to us because we are the
experts; we need to give them options and solutions.
Challenging ourselves to make cremation the
opportunity it really is takes knowledge and hard
work. Check out the stories in this issue of ICCFA
Magazine about ICCFA Board Member Blair
Nelsen’s Cremation With Confidence program and
about a European cremation cemetery concept
that’s arrived in the United States.
If someone from your company hasn’t attended
the ICCFA University College of Cremation
Services, budget now to send someone next July.
Read the material that’s out there. I’ve found
Michael Kubasak’s "Traversing the Minefield,"
full of thorough and practical information, to be
one of the best books about cremation.
In China, 80 percent of cremations are
memorialized; in the United States, the
figure is less than 50 percent. This tells
me we have a lot of room for growth.
Two years ago, the ICCFA added the second
"C" to our name because of the changing cremation
environment in funeral service. I am proud to say
that the ICCFA cremation education endeavor is
being recognized as industry-leading. As we move
forward as the only association that embraces all
facets of our profession, I see only positive growth
in our cremation future.
In China, 80 percent of cremations are memori-
alized; in the United States, the figure is less than
50 percent. This tells me we have a lot of room
for growth. As you read this issue (I am going to
use that other "C" word again) challenge yourself
to either improve what you do now or implement
a new idea. The cremation future is now and the
time has never been better to attend a meeting, get
involved and let the ICCFA help you be the crema-
tion expert in your market.
Putting on the Ritz
Delivering outstanding service will be one of
the main focuses of the ICCFA Fall Management
Conference at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples,
Florida, October 22-25. All of us can use a little
"Ritzing up" when it comes to providing exception-
al services to our families. Check our Web site,
www.iccfa.com, or call the office at 1.800.645.7700
for more information.
Copyright ICCFA 2008
|
