The busy season lies just ahead for most of you...that time when the phone never stops and the prep room is always full and incessant floral deliveries...
Pressure...sometimes of nearly geologic proportions...
Our business is a natural pressure cooker. It can break the best of us. It can turn an ordinarily disciplined staff into a bunch of poo-flinging fraternity monkeys.
Adding the pressure of busier times can really get ugly.
Now, to be clear, I am not speaking of some Fort Hood-type situation...but I am addressing the destructive and demoralizing everyday haranguement and hostility that needs to be removed from your workplace.
After meeting with good friends over good drink last week, and be regaled by the tales of intolerable behavior (often acted out in front of ownership and management types), I see this being a situation that is probably far from unique.
Hopefully, you have a handle on it. You squash the actions before it festers into something that will land you in court...like sexual harassment, intimidation, a "hostile workplace" or any of their bastard relatives.
Strictly enforcing your firm's code of ethics (which should have a section on peer treatment & respect-if it doesn't, get one in there. Now.)
Don't run the risk of damaging the staff you have worked so hard to develop (remember the Guerrillas in the Midst post?), don't risk the liability that a damaged staff could drop the ball on something big (and land your butt in the middle of a legal and PR nightmare) and don't make a bunch of lawyers rich because a pissed-off ex-employee got fed up with the monkeys and your lack of management skills/guts etc.
Violence doesn't always mean gunfire...don't be foolish enough to ignore what's going down inside your own walls.
To end this tome with a more usual tone, don't forget the true meaning of the coming Thursday. Even if the picture isn't perfect and some challenges are facing you, be thankful you have the ability to face them. Be thankful for whatever good the past year has brought you. Being thankful lets the Powers that be know that you appreciate the blessings they have delivered to you, and that's frees them to send more. Read the Prayer of Jabez if you need an additional lift.
All the best to you,
Dan Heaman, CFSP
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
In Search of the Elusive Brand...
A lot of talk is going on about brands. Branding. El Branderino.
A lot of funeral home owners will tell you, "I don't have a brand. I don't need or want one."
Probably because it sounds like work.
My friends, the question isn't whether you have a brand or not (because you already have one, whether you want it or not), the question is, are you managing your brand?
Well, are ya?
Here's the thing...your brand could be as simple as "the cheap funeral home" or "the expensive one" or "the new guy" or "the old one."
What do you want to be known as?
When you detect the public's perception of you, you discover your brand. If you like what their perception is, you work to maintain that perception. If you don't like it, work like crazy to change it.
That's brand management.
Here's the goal to shoot for...
Be known as the place where the service is sharp, the chairs are soft and the bill doesn't hurt as bad as they thought it would...
I didn't say be the cheapest...I sure as hell don't advocate being the most expensive...(especially if you aren't worth it!)
Be the guy right in the middle...the HIGH middle.
Unless you promise and deliver absolute precision and perfection each and every time, don't be the highest.
Match your price with your brand. The world will beat a path to your door.
If you don't know what your brand is, isn't it time you find out?
Cheerfully yours,
Dan Heaman, CFSP
A lot of funeral home owners will tell you, "I don't have a brand. I don't need or want one."
Probably because it sounds like work.
My friends, the question isn't whether you have a brand or not (because you already have one, whether you want it or not), the question is, are you managing your brand?
Well, are ya?
Here's the thing...your brand could be as simple as "the cheap funeral home" or "the expensive one" or "the new guy" or "the old one."
What do you want to be known as?
When you detect the public's perception of you, you discover your brand. If you like what their perception is, you work to maintain that perception. If you don't like it, work like crazy to change it.
That's brand management.
Here's the goal to shoot for...
Be known as the place where the service is sharp, the chairs are soft and the bill doesn't hurt as bad as they thought it would...
I didn't say be the cheapest...I sure as hell don't advocate being the most expensive...(especially if you aren't worth it!)
Be the guy right in the middle...the HIGH middle.
Unless you promise and deliver absolute precision and perfection each and every time, don't be the highest.
Match your price with your brand. The world will beat a path to your door.
If you don't know what your brand is, isn't it time you find out?
Cheerfully yours,
Dan Heaman, CFSP
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
RIP - Social Media Super Strategy
Here's a bit of sad news for the Facebook flacks and Twitter twits:
REUTERS – Oct 8, 2009: “Three-quarters of small businesses say they have not found sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn helpful for generating business leads or expanding business in the past year, according to a survey conducted for Citibank Small Business of 500 U.S. businesses with fewer than 100 employees."
Small businesses with less than 100 employees...hmmm, sounds a lot like you, doesn't it?
Oops. So much for social media being the "new marketing."
More like the "new huckstering."
Many people are touting social media as the end all, be all solution to your problems.
Don't you believe it.
Jumping on the social media bandwagon, while certainly appealing to most who like to follow the crowd, has led many lemming-like businesses astray.
Back to the basics, people. Drop and give me 3.
1- Smart advertising. For god's sake, stop placing the big Yellow Pages ad in the phone book. Save thousands by making yourself a nice visible piece of real estate in an in-column listing. If you're in a pissing contest with your competitor, be the first one to be man (or woman) enough to zip up your pants. Stop making the ad reps and directory publishers rich on your ego's back.
2- Drop the bulletins and calendars (but gently) I have made many a house call where the competition's calendar was hanging on the kitchen wall. I think that pretty much says it all, don't you? Just do it right. As far as the bulletins go, I asked a room full of 100 or so funeral directors "who has ever consulted a church bulletin before a making a purchase?" Exactly 3 people raised their hands. If you are lucky, 3 out of 100 people will notice your bulletin ad. Take that money being spent on that ad and take it directly to the church and spend it in more powerful, visible ways. You'll reach a lot more than 3% that way!
3- Smart networking. People prefer to do business with people they know, especially during bereavement. Don't be a showboating moron at the next Chamber of Commerce meeting, but be friendly, genuine, approachable and easy to talk to. Seek out opportunities to be visible without grandstanding. Being flashy, loud, boorish, phony, drunk, et cetera will only work against you.
P.T. Barnum famously stated that there was a sucker born every minute. He made millions off by taking advantage of ignorance. Don't fall for every gimmick coming down the pike. Do you think that people really want to be a fan of your firm's Facebook page? How much thought do you actually expect them to give you in the years between their loved one's funerals?
According to Reuters, the answer is "Not quite enough."
Hang in there, better days are a-comin'!
To your success!
Dan Heaman, CFSP
PS - The Ultimate Preneed Sales Letter is generating quite a bit of interest. Maybe you should check it out!
REUTERS – Oct 8, 2009: “Three-quarters of small businesses say they have not found sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn helpful for generating business leads or expanding business in the past year, according to a survey conducted for Citibank Small Business of 500 U.S. businesses with fewer than 100 employees."
Small businesses with less than 100 employees...hmmm, sounds a lot like you, doesn't it?
Oops. So much for social media being the "new marketing."
More like the "new huckstering."
Many people are touting social media as the end all, be all solution to your problems.
Don't you believe it.
Jumping on the social media bandwagon, while certainly appealing to most who like to follow the crowd, has led many lemming-like businesses astray.
Back to the basics, people. Drop and give me 3.
1- Smart advertising. For god's sake, stop placing the big Yellow Pages ad in the phone book. Save thousands by making yourself a nice visible piece of real estate in an in-column listing. If you're in a pissing contest with your competitor, be the first one to be man (or woman) enough to zip up your pants. Stop making the ad reps and directory publishers rich on your ego's back.
2- Drop the bulletins and calendars (but gently) I have made many a house call where the competition's calendar was hanging on the kitchen wall. I think that pretty much says it all, don't you? Just do it right. As far as the bulletins go, I asked a room full of 100 or so funeral directors "who has ever consulted a church bulletin before a making a purchase?" Exactly 3 people raised their hands. If you are lucky, 3 out of 100 people will notice your bulletin ad. Take that money being spent on that ad and take it directly to the church and spend it in more powerful, visible ways. You'll reach a lot more than 3% that way!
3- Smart networking. People prefer to do business with people they know, especially during bereavement. Don't be a showboating moron at the next Chamber of Commerce meeting, but be friendly, genuine, approachable and easy to talk to. Seek out opportunities to be visible without grandstanding. Being flashy, loud, boorish, phony, drunk, et cetera will only work against you.
P.T. Barnum famously stated that there was a sucker born every minute. He made millions off by taking advantage of ignorance. Don't fall for every gimmick coming down the pike. Do you think that people really want to be a fan of your firm's Facebook page? How much thought do you actually expect them to give you in the years between their loved one's funerals?
According to Reuters, the answer is "Not quite enough."
Hang in there, better days are a-comin'!
To your success!
Dan Heaman, CFSP
PS - The Ultimate Preneed Sales Letter is generating quite a bit of interest. Maybe you should check it out!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Be Prepared to Fail
My most recent article published in this month's "The Director" talks about many of the PR events I have successfully utilized for the funeral firms I worked for.
But I have a confession to make...
Not all of my PR events were successes.
I had some pretty lame duds.
The amazing thing was and is that there is no correlation between what I thought was going to be successful and the actual success of the event.
In fact, the success of some REALLY took me by surprise. A couple of ideas that I fully expected to fall flat were the biggest hits.
Don't be afraid to launch a few duds. Remember as a kid when you'd light a bottle rocket and instead of screaming into the sky it just kind of fizzled its way up and
BLAM!!
The report caught you off guard. Because you knew it would be a dud.
The same has happen when you shot one that took off with a roar and then
PPFFFFTTT. Nothing. A pathetic leaky tire sound.
Success with PR events come from unexpected sources and places.
But don't expect any one in particular to be a sure thing.
The public is fickle. And growing more so every day.
Aye, here's the rub.
Don't let your fear of a dud stop you from trying.
Experiment. Be creative. Be tasteful AND bold.
Be prepared to fail, but relish that feeling when the runt of your PR litter brings it on like the biggest, meanest dog in the junkyard.
You'll surprise everyone.
Especially yourself.
Cheers, good and gentle reader!
Dan Heaman, CFSP
But I have a confession to make...
Not all of my PR events were successes.
I had some pretty lame duds.
The amazing thing was and is that there is no correlation between what I thought was going to be successful and the actual success of the event.
In fact, the success of some REALLY took me by surprise. A couple of ideas that I fully expected to fall flat were the biggest hits.
Don't be afraid to launch a few duds. Remember as a kid when you'd light a bottle rocket and instead of screaming into the sky it just kind of fizzled its way up and
BLAM!!
The report caught you off guard. Because you knew it would be a dud.
The same has happen when you shot one that took off with a roar and then
PPFFFFTTT. Nothing. A pathetic leaky tire sound.
Success with PR events come from unexpected sources and places.
But don't expect any one in particular to be a sure thing.
The public is fickle. And growing more so every day.
Aye, here's the rub.
Don't let your fear of a dud stop you from trying.
Experiment. Be creative. Be tasteful AND bold.
Be prepared to fail, but relish that feeling when the runt of your PR litter brings it on like the biggest, meanest dog in the junkyard.
You'll surprise everyone.
Especially yourself.
Cheers, good and gentle reader!
Dan Heaman, CFSP
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A quick reminder...
A couple of years ago, on this here very blog, I made a suggestion for you to get some easy PR.
It's still good today...you've got a couple of weeks...
Call your local constabulary and speak with the public affairs/community relations officer.
Partner up with them and create a Halloween Safety spot in your town/neighborhood.
Pepper your local media outlets with news releases...
Put notices on local bulletin boards (supermarkets, etc.)
Buy some good candy and dress up your spot with whatever decor you choose.
Let the coppers bring the DARE police car, or McGruff the Crime Dog, or ???
And have a great Halloween!
Hauntingly yours,
Dan Heaman, CFSP
It's still good today...you've got a couple of weeks...
Call your local constabulary and speak with the public affairs/community relations officer.
Partner up with them and create a Halloween Safety spot in your town/neighborhood.
Pepper your local media outlets with news releases...
Put notices on local bulletin boards (supermarkets, etc.)
Buy some good candy and dress up your spot with whatever decor you choose.
Let the coppers bring the DARE police car, or McGruff the Crime Dog, or ???
And have a great Halloween!
Hauntingly yours,
Dan Heaman, CFSP
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A little cheese to go with the whine?
Jeffrey Gitomer has taught me a lot...
I own at least 6 of his books, and I subscribe to his weekly Sales Caffeine newsletter...
His philosophy is summed up in this simple phrase:
"You can't be a winner if you're a whiner, weiner."
Thank you, Mr. Gitomer.
You see, there are many in our field that prefer to whine.
Whining is easy. It let's them off the hook. It allows them to remove themselves from accountability.
Point the finger at someone else, it's THEIR fault...
Isn't it?
Is it? Really?
The economy...a competitor...lazy, no good staff...discounters...direct cremation...Jessica Mitford...the media...
Really? Is it their fault?
Or have you gone soft? Have you lost your edge? Are you not willing to invest yourself 100% in your business anymore?
Are you too old to eat, sleep and breathe the business?
What is it?
What is keeping you from action?
What is keeping you from success?
If you aren't living the dream, the person whose fault it is can be located in your bathroom mirror.
Remember "No Fear" back in the 90's?
A lot of cool sayings (on clothes I couldn't afford at the time)like:
"Winners do what the losers didn't"
Anyone seen the "Living By It" video by Harley-Davidson? Hunt it up on the Net if you can...it talks about things like this, with a Harley slant of course.
Winners do. What losers don't.
Winners just do.
They take action. They make choices.
Losers look for excuses. Scapegoats. They cling to any scrap of support for their inaction. "I don't have the money" is one of their favorite hymns.
Losers don't do a lot of things.
Losers sure don't win.
Are you a winner?
Are you a loser?
You have a choice to make. Which side of the tracks do you want to be on?
I have given you 8 options on my website http://danielheaman.com to help you back to the right side of the tracks. For as little as a C-note.
Welcome back.
To your success,
Dan Heaman, CFSP
PS - Be the first in your market to develop the Ultimate Preneed Sales Letter...dialing for dollars is for rookies.
Your friend and customer Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Older-Adult don't trust folks on the phone much anymore, unless your name is Ron Popeil, Dr. Phil or Billy Graham.
The invention of the "No Call List" should have been the first clue.
The Ultimate Preneed Sales Letter...order yours before you-know-who does!
D
I own at least 6 of his books, and I subscribe to his weekly Sales Caffeine newsletter...
His philosophy is summed up in this simple phrase:
"You can't be a winner if you're a whiner, weiner."
Thank you, Mr. Gitomer.
You see, there are many in our field that prefer to whine.
Whining is easy. It let's them off the hook. It allows them to remove themselves from accountability.
Point the finger at someone else, it's THEIR fault...
Isn't it?
Is it? Really?
The economy...a competitor...lazy, no good staff...discounters...direct cremation...Jessica Mitford...the media...
Really? Is it their fault?
Or have you gone soft? Have you lost your edge? Are you not willing to invest yourself 100% in your business anymore?
Are you too old to eat, sleep and breathe the business?
What is it?
What is keeping you from action?
What is keeping you from success?
If you aren't living the dream, the person whose fault it is can be located in your bathroom mirror.
Remember "No Fear" back in the 90's?
A lot of cool sayings (on clothes I couldn't afford at the time)like:
"Winners do what the losers didn't"
Anyone seen the "Living By It" video by Harley-Davidson? Hunt it up on the Net if you can...it talks about things like this, with a Harley slant of course.
Winners do. What losers don't.
Winners just do.
They take action. They make choices.
Losers look for excuses. Scapegoats. They cling to any scrap of support for their inaction. "I don't have the money" is one of their favorite hymns.
Losers don't do a lot of things.
Losers sure don't win.
Are you a winner?
Are you a loser?
You have a choice to make. Which side of the tracks do you want to be on?
I have given you 8 options on my website http://danielheaman.com to help you back to the right side of the tracks. For as little as a C-note.
Welcome back.
To your success,
Dan Heaman, CFSP
PS - Be the first in your market to develop the Ultimate Preneed Sales Letter...dialing for dollars is for rookies.
Your friend and customer Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Older-Adult don't trust folks on the phone much anymore, unless your name is Ron Popeil, Dr. Phil or Billy Graham.
The invention of the "No Call List" should have been the first clue.
The Ultimate Preneed Sales Letter...order yours before you-know-who does!
D
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Whew! A long vacation even for me!
Greetings and salutations friends!
That is, if there are any still out there!
I've been focusing on my PAYING writing gigs since the spring...copywriting and articles out the wazoo. (including being asked to be the ONLY English-speaking contributor to an international funeral director's publication!)
How 'bout them apples, huh?
It is good to be back. As you have come to expect from me, I have continued to further my skills, push the envelope, expand my horizons...
Here's what I have been pondering lately...
What is the difference between Disney and Six Flags?
One is thriving...the other struggles.
One satisfies...the other tries.
Why is it that people don't seem to mind ponying up $100 dollars a day for one, but gripe and moan about the other charging less than half that?
Most importantly, what do we learn from this?
How can you translate the magic of Disney and incorporate it into funeral service?
I have some ideas.
You probably should, too.
Disney sure does...do you want to compete with them?
Let's talk about this, shall we?
In the meantime, talk a cyberstroll over to my re-launched website at
http://danielheaman.com.
I've put the old Guerrilla Director website to pasture...but the spirit endures!
The seasons have turned, the time of year that always stirs my soul.
The season of harvest, time to reap what you've sown this year.
If the harvest is on the skimpy side, maybe you and I should talk.
Fertile minds working together can't hardly lose!
It's good to be back, kids!
As always, toasting your success!
Dan Heaman, CFSP
The director formerly known as the guerrilla
PS - I've got a couple of good articles in the October trade magazines out now...The Director and Funeral Business Advisor. Check 'em out~
That is, if there are any still out there!
I've been focusing on my PAYING writing gigs since the spring...copywriting and articles out the wazoo. (including being asked to be the ONLY English-speaking contributor to an international funeral director's publication!)
How 'bout them apples, huh?
It is good to be back. As you have come to expect from me, I have continued to further my skills, push the envelope, expand my horizons...
Here's what I have been pondering lately...
What is the difference between Disney and Six Flags?
One is thriving...the other struggles.
One satisfies...the other tries.
Why is it that people don't seem to mind ponying up $100 dollars a day for one, but gripe and moan about the other charging less than half that?
Most importantly, what do we learn from this?
How can you translate the magic of Disney and incorporate it into funeral service?
I have some ideas.
You probably should, too.
Disney sure does...do you want to compete with them?
Let's talk about this, shall we?
In the meantime, talk a cyberstroll over to my re-launched website at
http://danielheaman.com.
I've put the old Guerrilla Director website to pasture...but the spirit endures!
The seasons have turned, the time of year that always stirs my soul.
The season of harvest, time to reap what you've sown this year.
If the harvest is on the skimpy side, maybe you and I should talk.
Fertile minds working together can't hardly lose!
It's good to be back, kids!
As always, toasting your success!
Dan Heaman, CFSP
The director formerly known as the guerrilla
PS - I've got a couple of good articles in the October trade magazines out now...The Director and Funeral Business Advisor. Check 'em out~
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