Merry Christmas, Norman Rockwell!

My soon to be new boss was walking me through on a tour of the funeral home. He spoke with misty eyes and froggy throat about the years of family tradition and his personal favorite...their holiday remembrance service.

"The music, the fireplaces crackling, the tree and decorations...it just feels like Christmas."

He also told me that the owners and staff were just like one big happy family. He failed to specify that he meant the Manson family. :) But I digress.

If you haven't jumped on the holiday program freight train yet, I highly recommend you do so now, while the pumpkins are still in the windows, so you have time to plan it appropriately.

I'll leave it to you whether you think it should be an open house type format, or a memorial remembrance service...you should do whatever you believe your community would like. Saturday or Sunday afternoons are times when these have been most successfully held.

Whatever you do...go heavy on the Norman Rockwell.

Music, food, decor-think Martha Stewart meets the Saturday Evening Post. Sights, smells, sounds, tastes-here's your ultimate chance to do some serious primal marketing. Wrap up the experience in a neat little bow and reap the benefits of making numerous primal connections with your community. Lucky for you, it happens to be just before one of the busier times of the year!

Inside and out...deck the halls. But do it right. Too much is gaudy...too little makes it look like an afterthought. If you have the budget...consult with an interior designer (or if you don't, talk to a friend or acquaintance whose house is always the best in the bunch). At the very least, pick up Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart or any of their ilk when they have their special holiday issues. Page through until you see a style that harmonizes with your firm's architecture and interior design. When in doubt, ask a professional. Ambience sets the tone for the whole experience...do it right or not at all.

Here's one of the tricky parts-if you decide to pursue the remembrance service event, avoid asking your favorite preacher to host it. Instead, reach out to a new pastor or priest. It's a great opportunity to connect with them and introduce not only to the community, but to your firm and staff in a way that's more comfortable for them. After all, they've all done Christmas services before...at least they should have. The firm I worked with used both a Catholic priest and a Protestant minister for each holiday event, inviting new ones every year. This actually worked out quite well, and we made sure to give each one equal billing and time.

Music is very important. Low budgets might have the local school choir (acappella if they have one) or bigger budgets have a string quartet, or quality soloist.

The final touch would be your refreshments...these can be simple, easy and low-cost. Christmas cookies and punch, coffee, hot chocolate, hot cider. Easy stuff to buy at a warehouse club or local bakery. You can't go wrong by offering more, but don't feel like you need to.

The true guerrilla would make sure the attendees leave with a meaningful parting gift with some lasting memory value. An ornament for the tree, a wreath lapel pin, a Christmas tree seedling, etc. After all, they took the time on their weekend to come see you when they didn't have a need to. Reward them with some thoughtful planning and an inspiring event, and they'll reward you with their dollars later.

Thanks for the comments that keep coming! And for those curious among you, no one other than the reader I mentioned last week stepped forward in defense of Proper English. Bad grammar carries the day!

Here's to a profitable last quarter for us all!

Warm Autumn Wishes,

Dan Heaman, CFSP
The Guerrilla Director
http://www.guerrilladirector.com/

PS - No one was able to guess the quote from the last post - it was Kurt Cobain.

I'll make the same offer this time for this quote - a free one-on-one hour long coaching session to the first one to correctly name the author:

"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."

Peace,

D