August 28, 2007, Edition - Volume 8 - No. 19
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
Mass Fatalities Planning Group To Convene In Washington, D.C.
U.S. State Department Publishes Pandemic Flu Plan for North America
ICCFA NEWS
Fall Conference Early Registration Deadline: Friday, August 31!
Soups, Salads, Soufflés—See What's Cookin' at the 2008 Wide World of Sales Conference!
Did You Know? Dignity University Can Fulfill Your State Requirements
Call for Candidates to ICCFA Board of Directors
Product of the Month: Last Chance to Receive Discount on Cemetery Regulations CD
CLASSIFIED ADS
INDUSTRY NEWS
Mass Fatalities Planning Group To Convene In Washington, D.C.
Representatives of several national trade associations in funeral service will be meeting in Washington, D.C. on September 18 to discuss developments in the National Response Plan for catastrophic events. In addition to ICCFA, among the groups represented will be the National Funeral Directors Association, the Cremation Association of North America, the Catholic Cemetery Conference, and the Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America. The panel is known as the Mass Fatalities Management Services Sub-council, one of nine groups under the Healthcare Sector Coordinating Council, and is co-chaired by ICCFA's Bob Fells and NFDA's John Fitch.
The Mass Fatalities Sub-council confers with federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services, to develop management plans in response to flu pandemics, natural disasters such as hurricanes, and terrorist attacks. A short-term goal of the Sub-council has been to include fatality management plans in the federal government's National Response Plan, which has been recently retitled, National Response Framework. The lack of reference in the NRF to scenarios, in which a large number of deaths could overwhelm the system, has become a primary concern of the Sub-Council. Another major concern is the priority for funeral professionals to receive vaccinations in the event of an emergency. For more information, contact Bob Fells at 1.800.645.7700.
U.S. State Department Publishes Pandemic Flu Plan for North America
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of State published its North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza. According to the agency, "Canada, Mexico and the United States face a growing threat posed by the spread of avian influenza and the potential emergence of a human influenza pandemic. The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus, which re-emerged in Asia in late 2003, has already spread to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. While the virus has not yet reached North America, the three countries must be prepared for the day when it-or some other highly contagious virus-does."
The Plan outlines a collaborative North American approach that recognizes that controlling the spread of avian influenza or a novel strain of human influenza, with minimal economic disruption, is in the best interest of all three countries. It outlines how Canada, Mexico and the United States intend to work together to prepare for and manage avian and pandemic influenza.
The North American Plan provides a framework to accomplish the following:
- Detect, contain and control an avian influenza outbreak and prevent transmission to humans;
- Prevent or slow the entry of a new strain of human influenza into North America;
- Minimize illness and deaths; and
- Sustain infrastructure and mitigate the impact to the economy and the functioning of society.
ICCFA NEWS
Fall Conference Early Registration Deadline: Friday, August 31!
Time is running out to save on the registration fee for the ICCFA Fall Management Conference and to make your room reservation at Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino.
If you have not already registered, please download a form at www.iccfa.com/pdf/fall07_reg.pdf and return it by this Friday, August 31 to receive the early registration rate.
As the newest resort in Palm Springs, Fantasy Springs offers luxurious amenities, fine dining, an elegant casino, bowling lanes, a scenic golf course and more. The ICCFA has secured a remarkably low rate of just $149 per night! The room block is filling fast, so call 800.827.2946 today to reserve your room. (Remember to mention you are an ICCFA Conference attendee to receive the special rate).
Highlights of the 2007 Fall Management Conference include:
- Educational sessions taught by experts from within and outside the industry
- Daily smaller group facilitated discussions
- The ICCFA Annual Golf Tournament at the Classic Golf Club
- Networking receptions and breaks
- Tour of Forest Lawn—Cathedral City
Soups, Salads, Soufflés—See What's Cookin' at the 2008 Wide World of Sales Conference!
In the heart of New Orleans, where the aroma of fine French cuisine fills the streets, the ICCFA will be hosting its own "cooking show." At the ICCFA 2008 Wide World of Sales Conference, January 9-11, in New Orleans, Louisiana, top experts in the cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession will share tantalizing recipes for sales success. Two solid days of general and breakout sessions will cover a variety of topics, including recruitment, training, effective sales presentations, generating leads and more.
As an added bonus, all attendees will receive a cookbook filled with valuable recipes for success, including speakers' PowerPoint presentations and dozens of handouts offering "how-to" tools and techniques that can immediately be put to use!
Here's a small taste of what you can expect in January:
- Seven-Layer Dip: Scooping Up a Good Hire—Hiring counselors requires objectivity, honesty and an understanding of the skills and behaviors needed for the job. Find out the seven steps for cooking up a good hire, including how to conduct a skills analysis, build assessment tools, conduct the interview, rate the candidates and more.
- Good Chef/Bad Chef: Cremation Dos and Don'ts—Do you want to provide your cremation customers with five-star sales and service, or are you looking for a quick, short-order cure? Find out the dos and don'ts of marketing cremation to the new funeral customer.
- Funeral Packaging: A Dish That's Perfect Every Time—From simple to sublime, this session will examine various flavors that leading funeral homes are using to develop and present funeral packages. You'll learn the ingredients of a successful packaging program, including a review of market trends, determining what's right for your families and effective presentation.
- A Sales Soufflé Without the Sweat—Discover five baker's secrets for generating more advance sales and increasing market share. You'll learn how to guarantee profits soar and don't deflate! Preparation is key, so we'll take a look at your overall marketing plan and provide simple steps for improving your results while decreasing costs.
Did You Know? Dignity University Can Fulfill Your State Requirements
Staying up-to-date with your professional training is not only beneficial to you and your business, it is required by state law. ICCFA-Dignity University Online Training can help you fulfill your state CE requirements and further your professional development.
Dignity University offers 12 Web-based courses designed to promote workplace safety. At only $19.95 per unit, with no travel expenses, these courses are the most affordable way to complete your training requirements. Courses offered include:
- Construction safety
- Driver/transportation safety
- Ergonomics/back safety
- Fire/emergency
- Forklift/crane safety
- General safety
- Groundskeeper safety
- Hazard Communication
- Infection control/first aid
- Lockout/tagout
- Personal protective equipment
- Respiratory protection
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.
Product of the Month: Last Chance to Receive Discount on Cemetery Regulations CD
Purchase the "To Regulate or Not to Regulate? That is the Question," CD by the end of this week to save money! This 50-minute audio CD features a presentation from the ICCFA 2006 Convention & Exposition by consultant Tom Daly, CCE. Among the topics covered are:
- cemetery governing rights
- characteristics of effective cemetery rules and regulations
- how to communicate your rules and regulations
- how existing documents and laws affect your rules and regulations
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
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. This 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.