July 17, 2007, Edition - Volume 8 - No. 16
Welcome to the ICCFA Wireless newsletter! If you experience any problems with this html version, please let us know. Email lindab@iccfa.com.
ICCFA WIRELESS is a biweekly electronic newsletter bringing members of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association the latest government and legal, industry and association news. It is available to all ICCFA members current on their dues. Comments, questions and "hot news tips" are welcome. Write to: hq@iccfa.com.
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
INDUSTRY NEWS
Call for Candidates to ICCFA Board of Directors
ICCFA NEWS
"Put on The Ritz" at Your Business Location
Call For Presentations-2008 Annual Convention & Exposition
Did You Know? Registering for Dignity University is Easy.
Last Chance to Register for ICCFA University
Register Today For the SCFA-FCA-GCA Annual Convention
Now Available: 2007 Convention Audio CDs
Product of the Month: Service$elling Tapes by Gary O'Sullivan
CLASSIFIED ADS
INDUSTRY NEWS
Call for Candidates to ICCFA Board of Directors
Service on the ICCFA Board of Directors offers members a chance to learn about and participate in the leadership of the association, and is a meaningful way to give back to the organization and to the cemetery and funeral service profession as a whole.
The ICCFA's Nominating and Elections Committee is currently inviting members to apply to run for the ICCFA Board of Directors.
The committee will narrow all applications received to 12 nominees, which will be reviewed and approved by the board at the ICCFA Fall Management Conference in Palm Springs, California, on October 3. Information on the 12 candidates will then be distributed to the membership, which will vote during the ICCFA Annual Convention & Exposition in San Diego, California, on March 26. The top eight vote recipients will serve three-year terms.
To apply, you must be a designated representative of a Regular (Cemetery, Funeral Home or Allied) Member in good standing or you must be an Individual Regular Member in good standing. The deadline to apply is September 1, 2007. Applications can be obtained by calling 1.800.645.7700 or by downloading the file at www.icfa.org/docs/2008_icfa_board_application.doc.
ICCFA NEWS
"Put on The Ritz" at Your Business Location
If you're looking for ways to motivate staff and drastically improve your customer service, the 2007 Fall Management Conference, October 3-6, in Palm Springs, California, is for you. This year's conference will feature top experts both within and outside the cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession. Among the featured speakers is Brian Grubb, corporate director of learning & content for The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.
Find out what makes the Ritz-Carlton the number one company in training and development, as named by Training magazine's 2007 "Training Top 125" survey. Brian Grubb will demonstrate how you can "Put on The Ritz" for your client families without spending a large amount of money. Geared toward companies that deal with customers who are hard to "wow," this session will help you create exceptional memories for your families through the performance management cycle.
Other topics covered at this year's Fall Management Conference include strategic planning, diversifying your products and services, recruiting outside talent, marketing and more. Also, you will have the opportunity to participate in daily facilitated discussions, where you can share your own experiences and ideas and learn from your colleagues.
To view the complete program and to register, visit www.iccfa.com/fall07.htm, or call 1.800.645.7700.
Call For Presentations—2008 Annual Convention & Exposition
The ICCFA 2008 Convention Planning Committee invites ICCFA members and meeting attendees to submit proposals for presentations at the ICCFA 2008 Annual Convention & Exposition, March 26-29 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Interested candidates should submit their proposed presentation to the ICCFA headquarters no later than August 15. Instructions for preparing your proposal are available by downloading them at http://www.iccfa.com/docs/ac08.doc or by calling the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700.
Did You Know? Registering for Dignity University is Easy.
With Dignity University's selection of 12 Web-based courses, training employees, fulfilling OSHA requirements and obtaining CE credits is now easier than ever. Follow these 11 simple steps to register:
- Visit http://dignityu.ecampustraining.com.
- Browse through the courses (located on the left side of the screen) by category until you find the course you want, or search for the course by keyword.
- Place items in your basket by setting the quantity to reflect the number of people to be trained on each course - if ordering for yourself only, leave quantity at '1', and then click on Add.
- When ready, click on 'Proceed to Checkout' and complete the registration steps.
- Use your email address as your login and create your own password. (Your ICCFA member number is required to receive CE Credits. If you do not know your member number, contact the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700.)
- Register as an 'individual' unless you are ordering courses for others, in which case you will register as a 'group' user.
- Complete the credit card information.
- Click 'Submit' when ready - access to the training is immediate.
- Those registering as 'group users' will receive directions for enrolling students and assigning courses after the order is placed.
- Courses average an hour or longer to complete. Each course includes a post-test, upon completion of which, students may print a 'Certificate of Completion'.
- Students wishing to receive CE credits should fill out the 'Certificate of Completion' Request form and email, fax or mail it to the ICCFA headquarters. Only ICCFA members are eligible for CE Credits. For a list of course accreditations by state, visit http://dignityu.ecampustraining.com/static/Course%20Accreditation%20by%20State%20Matrix.pdf.
The courses are a partnership between the ICCFA's Online Institute and Dignity University™, an educational arm of Service Corporation International.
Last Chance to Register for ICCFA University
The 2007 ICCFA University will kick off this Friday, July 21 at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. If you haven't registered yet, visit www.iccfa.com/iccfau07.htm, or call 1.800.645.7700.
With its brand new Cremation Certification program and comprehensive educational sessions, covering all aspects of the cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession, ICCFAU is one of the most valuable investments you can make for you and your company. A record-breaking 132 attendees have registered so far, with more forms coming in daily.
Register now by visiting www.iccfa.com/iccfau07.htm, or by calling 1.800.645.7700.
Register Today For the SCFA-FCA-GCA Annual Convention
The ICCFA will be partnering with the Southern Cemetery Funeral Association, the Florida Cemetery Association and the Georgia Cemetery Association for the 2007 SCFA-FCA-GCA Annual Convention, August 2-5, at Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. This meeting offers cemetery managers and superintendents valuable educational sessions, table-top exhibits and the opportunity to network with their colleagues.
This year's keynote sessions include:
- "How to Get Great Publicity and How to Handle Bad Publicity"—Author and TV News Anchor Jeff Crilley will offer an insider's perspective on how to attract positive publicity and make the most of your coverage.
- "Whale Done"—The Power of Positive Relationships— What does training killer whales have to do with training humans? More than you may think! Chuck Tompkins, Sea World Trainer and Co-Author with Ken Blanchard of the Best Seller, "Whale Done!" will introduce his "Whale Done Approach," and show how building positive relationships helps employees to become more productive, achieve greater results and create an environment where everyone is genuinely excited about the work they are doing.
Now Available: 2007 Convention Audio CDs
Did you miss ICCFA's 2007 Convention? Can't understand your notes? Do you wish you could have attended more sessions? You can now order select session on audio CDs. Currently available are five sessions:
- Proven Approaches to Lead Generation, David Dassow and Michael Leaf
Find out effective approaches for expanding your sphere of contacts, increasing your sales and planning successful community events. - Disaster Preparedness/Recovery, Gerard Schoen, John Vickers, John D. Warren and Robert Gordon Sr., CCFE
This three-hour symposium on disaster preparedness covers everything from crisis prevention to working with families after a disaster and emergency communication plans. Also, find out the latest updates from the recent Fatality Management Pandemic Influenza Conference. - Difficult Embalming Cases, Melissa Johnson Williams, CFSP
The challenges presented by difficult embalming cases go beyond the prep room. Embalmer and restorative artist Melissa Johnson Williams presents solutions to actual embalming cases and provides tips for avoiding lawsuits and defending yourself if you end up in court. - Cremation of Sam McGee, Justin Zabor
Sam McGee was a character in a popular 20th century poem by the late Robert W. Service, but he's alive and well in today's consumer. In this session, Justin Zabor creates a colorful portrait of the quintessential 21st century cremation consumer. Learn how to provide value to baby boomers, what today's consumers expect from funeral service and why people choose cremation. - Marketing Through the Internet, Robin Heppell
In this session Robin Heppell discusses everything from Web site design to viral marketing and e-newsletters. He shares effective programs and ideas on how to draw people to your site and keep them coming back.
Additional tapes will become available later this summer.
Product of the Month: Service$elling Tapes by Gary O'Sullivan
For the month of July, the ICCFA is offering a discount on "Service$elling: The Principle that Creates Customers," a set of six audio-tapes by speaker and trainer Gary O'Sullivan, CCE. The tapes combine solid sales education with O'Sullivan's legendary motivational messages-the ideal training tool for bringing your counselors up to speed and keeping them on track for improved sales and service.
Topics are:
- Service$elling
- The Power and Value of Memorialization
- Why Do Some Succeed?
- The Greatest Corporation in the World
- How to Always Have People to See
- The Positive Power of Change
Regularly $75 for members and $85 for non-members, Service$elling can be purchased until July 31 for just $49 plus shipping. Call 1.800.645.7700 to order.
For more information on the Gary O'Sullivan Company, visit www.garyosullivan.com.
CLASSIFIED ADS
So, you think you're an innovator?
If you're not an innovator, this won't mean much to you. aegis is a revolutionary new system for funeral directors and cemetery counselors to design, personalize and customize life like monuments and markers in 3D with true granite colors in a matter of seconds. The system renders the memorial, prices the memorial and generates completed customer records, customer agreements and manufacturer order forms.
- Eliminates approval drawings
- Eliminates manual preparation of paperwork
- Eliminates delays
- Eliminates price books
Position Available!
Position: Vice President and Director of Sales and Marketing
Employer: Heritage Family Management - a major southeastern, family-owned, regional consolidator with properties in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia intent on expansion that offers exceptional compensation and benefits.
Compensation: Annual earnings should range between $135,000 and $180,000 plus benefits, including but not limited to health insurance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, dental and eye care, and a 401-K plan. Compensation is based on a very strong salary base and incentive bonuses.
Responsibilities:
- Manage and recruit a sales team for eight cemeteries with over 1000 interments while working to create additional revenue streams and improve upon sales averages, profits and new property sales.
- Work with an at-need funeral staff of 13 funeral homes and 2100 services to improve revenue per call with emphasis on increasing outer burial container and cremation averages.
- Create and implement of a coordinated marketing strategy for funeral, cemetery, monument store and pet cremation operations.
- Improve monument sales and marketing efforts through cemetery and funeral home properties, as well as existing monument stores.
Contact: All resumes should be emailed to Sally Harris, Director of Human Resources: sally@heritagefamily.com or faxed to (423) 543-3533.
Exciting Sales Opportunities!
StoneMor, a leader in the industry, has exciting opportunities for Sales Managers at three of our locations in our Western Region.
We boast one of the highest commission rates in the industry and our Sales Managers enjoy triple override bonuses on all location sales after hitting performance goals. We have excellent benefits including:
- Medical
- Dental
- Life
- Short-term Disability
- Long-term Disability
- 401K.
EOE
For more information, please call 877-857-8890 and refer to this ad or send your resume via fax at 215-826-2929 or email it to jobs@stonemor.com.
www.stonemor.com
Exciting Sales Opportunities!
StoneMor, a leader in the industry, has exciting opportunities for Sales Professionals at many locations.
We have excellent benefits including:
- Medical
- Dental
- Life
- Short-term Disability
- Long-term Disability
- 401K.
EOE
For more information, please call 877-857-8890 and refer to this ad or send your resume via fax at 215-826-2929 or email it to jobs@stonemor.com.
www.stonemor.com
Business Opportunity
CEMETERY FOR SALE
Location: Jefferson County Texas
Court appointed Receiver is seeking bids for a potential sale of a cemetery.
(Not a Trustee Sale)
Persons not familiar with laws concerning cemetery should seek appropriate counsel before replying to this request for bid.
Interested parties call 409.722.4684, and ask for the Receiver
DO YOU HAVE A BURIAL AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY?
Call Montgomery Vault. We are installing vaults in Arlington National Cemetery every day and can provide the best possible service. We offer a complete line of Eagle, Trigard and Clark vaults. Please call Montgomery Vault at 1.800.346.2069.
Reach Thousands of Cemeteries and Funeral Homes With Your Classified Ad!
- ICCFA Wireless Classified Ads cost $75 and must be prepaid.
- Ads run in three consecutive issues, and include free placement on the ICCFA Web site for six weeks.
- Ads include a link to the company Web site and/or e-mail at no charge.
- Ads with a box number for confidential reply are available for an additional $5.
- Ads must be no longer than 250 words.
- The ICCFA limits the number of ads per issue to five, on a first-come, first-served basis.
- All advertising is subject to the publisher's approval; advertisers assume liability for all content of advertisements printed and for any claims arising therefrom against the publisher.
- For more information or to place an ad, contact Linda Budzinski at lindab@iccfa.com or call 1.800.645.7700.
And More ...
ICCFA Introduces New sales Training Programs by sales trainer and professional speaker Gary O'Sullivan, CCE. O'Sullivan's two latest products include a 10 DVD Series—The Power to Sell Preneed, and a training support system called the GoSell System. Both products provide sales managers with tools and training strategies that will help them to strengthen and motivate their teams. Click here to download a detailed description of each prodcut: www.iccfa.com/docs/osullivan.doc. To place an order, call the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2006 Keeping It Personal (KIP) Awards! The KIP Awards recognize outstanding examples of personalization of services or products in the cemetery and funeral service profession. Read about the winning entries at www.iccfa.com/kip.htm.
The 2007 Music Licenses are available for just $232, no additional fees. Covers ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Any U.S. funeral home, cemetery or related business is eligible for membership as a Music License Member. Join today!
The ICCFA Store allows members to purchase the latest ICCFA resources and training products online. Some products are available for immediate direct download, including the newly released Wirthlin Report on consumer attitudes and article packages on cremation, cemetery and funeral home valuations and trust funds.
The ICCFA News Page takes you to sources throughout the world for industry news and updates. It brings you the most comprehensive selection of funeral service and cemetery news available anywhere, along with frequently updated general news items related to national and world events. The News Page reports the news before anyone else and is one of the most visited page on the ICCFA Web site. Stop in each day and you'll see why.
The Network is an online e-mail service that offers ICCFA members an easy, free way to share questions and answers to everyday on-the-job challenges. Recent discussions have examined issues such as working with the Muslim community, distance between burial sites, direct mail marketing, the growing popularity of geocaching at cemeteries, recruiting staff and more. Ideal for smaller companies with smaller budgets. Join today!
The ICCFA Internet Expo is the largest online exposition in the cemetery and funeral service industry. Cemetery and funeral home owners and operators will find 300+ providers in more than 100 product and service categories. Exhibit space is provided as a free, exclusive benefit to all ICCFA supplier and professional members. Check it out today!
Need a labor relations and employment law attorney? Check out ICCFA's HR Law Benefit program offering members no-cost telephone legal consultations, paid for by the ICCFA via an exclusive retainer agreement.
ICCFA members now also have access to an attorney for tax-related questions regarding trust earnings, care fund allocations, capital gains, investments and more. The ICCFA has retained Leslie Schneider, CPA, a tax attorney with Ivins, Phillips & Barker in Washington, D.C., for telephone consultations for up to 20 minutes with no obligation. To take advantage of this member benefit, call Schneider at 202.393.7600.
The ICCFA and Applied Merchant Systems of Chicago, Illinois, currently offer members a Credit Card Processing Program with a special low discount rate of 1.75 percent, with no per transaction processing fee. This new benefit makes it less expensive for cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers and related businesses to accommodate customers who wish to pay via credit card. For more information, call 1-800-675-6573.
The ICCFA Insurance Program, administered by Alliant Insurance Services, allows members to purchase commercial property and casualty insurance -- including general liability, commercial property, automobile liability and physical damage, umbrella liability, professional liability, workers compensation, employee benefits and more -- at rates they probably would not be able to afford on their own.
To advertise in the ICCFA Wireless: The ICCFA accepts limited advertising in the ICCFA Wireless newsletter, a bi-weekly newsletter e-mailed to all ICCFA members that are current on their dues and have provided a current e-mail address. For rates and to place your insertion, contact Linda Budzinski at lindab@iccfa.com or 1.800.645.7700.
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100
Sterling, VA 20164
1.800.645.7700
703.391.8400
Fax: 703.391.8416
www.iccfa.com
Copyright 2007 International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association.