The death care business and advertising have a tenuous relationship. Part of it is not merely a scarcity mindset, but a scarcity reality: when my ad dollar can’t grow the market and has questionable likelihood of growing market share, I have to wonder if there are better investments. And, especially in an environment where the words “inflation” and “recession” (let alone “post-COVID slowdown”) are inescapable, many firms are looking for places to save a buck or two. While fearfulness doesn’t make for good management, preparedness does. Business owners are (and should be) thinking about how to batten down the hatches should the need arise. Even if it all comes to nothing, it’s good to have a plan. In my firm’s quarter-century, our clients have frequently been faced with the need to trim their ad budgets during tough economic times. The solution ain’t what it used to be. RECONSIDERING THE FOUR P’S OF MARKETINGThere was a time when I coached clients to stay the course. For years I’ve told a story about a friend who owns a local cigar shop. In 2008, during the Great Recession, he invested heavily in his company, moving into a larger location, opening an affiliated lounge, and expanding his inventory. Looking back, he says that if he had taken a defensive stance, his business would have faltered instead of growing as it did. I’ve used that as an illustration of why it’s a good idea to maintain or even increase your marketing budget through recession. But here’s the rub: my friend didn’t invest in promotion. He invested in his place. Place is an often-neglected pillar of the four Ps of marketing, but it’s as much a part of marketing as the other three. Ad agencies tend to focus on promotion — paid advertising and its cousins — to the exclusion of all else. That’s like tying two arms and a leg behind your back, especially when you’re trying to squeeze every return you can out of limited marketing dollars. Consider this: would you rather get a thousand people to check out your business, only to discover that it’s run down and outdated, or have ten people engage with it and be instantly impressed by what they see? Advertising has its role, but it’s only one aspect of a well-rounded marketing plan. This is especially true these days. Place is a high-ROI investment, and in 2023 it goes well beyond the physical. It includes your digital footprint as well, and for most funeral homes that’s a strategy that is far underleveraged. Why? Because we tend to think of marketing as a funnel. Begin at the top, the thinking goes, and cast a wide net to a large number of people, hoping some fraction of them engage with you. Then work to convert some fraction of those people. Then do your best to keep some fraction of those people as repeat customers. Digital strategies that focus too heavily on AdWords and SEO are simply applying this old thinking to new tactics. But it’s hard to make that math work in our favor. REVERSING THE MARKETING FUNNELOur lowest hanging fruit is the customer base we keep (by the way, this applies to staffing, too, which is important to note during a labor crisis). The more we focus on building our offerings around it, the stickier (and more successful) we’ll be. Thus, we should begin at the bottom of the funnel, focusing on retention before all else. Only then should we move up a level, to conversion. Is your physical space attractive and conducive to winning new customers? Is your website relevant and effective to those who are unfamiliar with you? Are your products and services priced correctly? These are questions more of strategy than spending (though the one should follow the other). Better to reach fewer people who will all become fans than to reach more people who will be disappointed. Assuming those two are in order, next up is engagement. This is where the digital-as-place strategy comes fully into play. Say you’re a retailer. People might come into your store ready to spend, or they might just be window shopping, but either way, they’re checking you out and trying to decide if what you offer is what they need. Their behavior in the digital universe is no different. It’s not a place to cut corners, nor is it a place to design around your own tastes, preferences, or ego. Everything you do to engage prospective customers, online and off, should be carefully calibrated to their interests. Imagine if a retailer managed its storefront the way the average business manages its digital outreach: “I don’t have time to think about it right now,” or “We tried banner advertising five years ago and it didn’t work,” or “Yeah, I don’t understand that stuff, but we hired Kayley to handle it for us. She’s a Millennial.” Here’s where you should also be wary of impressive-but-vague promises of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) vendors. I’ve had numerous clients tell me they have a vendor who handles SEO for them, but I have yet to hear any of them articulate what’s actually happening or what return they’re getting for their investment. SEO is only one piece of your digital space, alongside UX, Google My Business, content development, social media management, programmatic advertising, and more — in the same way that a physical building is comprised of plumbing and framing and roofing and electrical. Without a general contractor and a blueprint, the specialists won’t give you the space you’re hoping for. In the same way, every component of your digital presence must be coordinated around a unified objective, prospect profile, and brand identity. Finally, working our way up to the top of the funnel, there’s attraction. If you’re forced to cut advertising in the face of a recession, this is where to do it. The obvious caveat here is if advertising works, a brand that neglects it does so at its peril. But in a moment of austerity, if you have to cut something, it’s better to prioritize, and cut first the places you will feel it last. Still, that doesn’t mean you won’t feel it at all. Cuts to an advertising budget are not without consequence. If you are not investing in building awareness and preference for your brand, awareness and preference will decline. This is especially important to remember because the nature of these declines makes it easy to convince yourself they’re not happening. There’s usually a lag of at least one or two years, which is why you will run into people at a coffee shop who tell you they just saw an ad you haven’t run in six months. Eventually, however, the lag catches up with you, and your company will feel the impact. Still, that’s a very different thing from saying you can’t cut spending. Even though there are plenty of reasons not to, cutting your attraction budget might still be the right thing to do if your company is on the ropes. The most important thing during challenging economic times — at any time, for that matter — is to ensure that your brand’s house is in order. To reference the familiar parable, retention and conversion are “big rocks” that must go into the jar first. And they usually go hand in hand with your place, both digital and physical. Advertising is important, but it’s the sand that goes into the jar last — if you put it in first, you won’t have room for the other investments. Start at the bottom of the funnel and work your way up. making the cutDo you know your clients or customers? Do you know exactly what your brand represents to them? Are you executing with excellence? Are your internal dynamics healthy? If a casual observer visited with your executive team, would they believe that your leadership is aligned and confident? If the answer to any of those questions is “no,” or even “I’m not sure,” that’s the place to start (here’s a tool to help you quickly and efficiently find out). It’s tough to do surgery on yourself. Some of these decisions are best made with the help of professionals. But it’s even tougher to go under the knife of multiple surgeons at once. Marketing is an increasingly fragmented discipline, with dozens or even hundreds of specialists each representing their viewpoint of the world. That’s why having your own viewpoint — and an integrated marketing strategy that delivers on it — is vital. Without it, you will be continually tugged here and there and nothing will have a chance to work. Rather than a blanket cutting strategy (10% reductions on every line item), it’s vital to make the right cuts, in the right places, so as to minimize the long-term consequences. Handled properly, the effects of a temporary reduction in your advertising budget can be offset by improvements down the funnel. By prioritizing and aligning your efforts, it’s possible to weather adverse conditions and emerge stronger than ever.
During the multiple heat-related illness cases relating to the United States Postal Service (USPS), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was able to establish extreme heat being a major workplace hazard. However, the agency neglected to provide effective abatement techniques in the case. Due to this, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Review Commission (OSHRC) supported the decision made by the administrative law judge to vacate citations in all but one case. the casesThese citations were related to seven employees working during the summer of 2016 in five cities. Every letter carrier experienced illness when they were out delivering mail in the extreme heat and had to get medical treatment. OSHA claimed that six of these workers became ill due to excessive heat. Five citations were filed against USPS for these alleged violations. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) vacated the five citations after finding that OSHA neglected to prove the workplace conditions were hazardous and that effective and feasible measures were accessible to abate the conditions. In four cases, the OSHRC agreed the agency established that the extreme heat conditions posed a hazard for the workers under the general duty clause but found the abatement suggestions OSHA made for the hazardous conditions for these cases fell short. For the fifth one, the OSHRC found that USPS indeed neglected to offer proper heat-related illness training to the supervisors. Therefore, this case was remanded for additional review. OSHA FAILING TO PROVE EFFECTIVE |
Paul Harris is President and CEO of Regulatory Support Services, Inc., a company founded in 1994 and specializing in regulatory compliance consultation to the death care profession. He holds a North Carolina Funeral Service license and prior to joining the company was the Executive Director of the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service from 2004 until early 2012. Additionally, Paul served as the OSHA compliance officer for a large North Carolina-based funeral home and has eighteen years of first-hand knowledge of regulatory compliance issues. |
Deathcare may be a second career for Liza Altenburg, who began as a Sales Counselor in 2017 and joined Park Lawn Corporation as a Sales Manager at Oakview Cemetery in 2021, but she has truly found her calling in this amazing profession where she has been a top producer year after year. She brings more than twenty years of experience to the cemetery world as a corporate sales trainer, public speaker, and John Maxwell-certified DISC behavioral consultant. She is proud to have helped thousands of sales professionals achieve their goals by implementing consistent and proven sales strategies. She is the author of Selling with Sensitivity: Achieving Success in Deathcare Sales through Empathy, Service, and Connection. You can learn more about her at SellingWithSensitivity.com. |
Cole Waybright is Vice President of Sales Operations for Foundation Partners Group and a licensed funeral director. An experienced strategic sales and operations leader, he joined the company in 2017 and previously served as director of preneed sales. He can be reached at cole.waybright@foundationpartners.com. |
Jennifer Werthman is the Education Director for the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). A former high school science teacher, she has over 25 years of experience in education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Science Teaching from Clemson University and a master’s degree in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment from Walden University. During her ten years working for the American Foundry Society, with the last five serving as the Director of Education, she was responsible for the administration of the AFS Institute’s workforce training programs as well as for facility, operations, staff and budget management. Jennifer joined CANA in 2015, overseeing all of CANA’s education programs, including development of the association’s online courses and planning annual meetings. She is also an adjunct instructor for Worsham College. |
Jennifer Werthman is the Education Director for the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). A former high school science teacher, she has over 25 years of experience in education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Science Teaching from Clemson University and a master’s degree in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment from Walden University. During her ten years working for the American Foundry Society, with the last five serving as the Director of Education, she was responsible for the administration of the AFS Institute’s workforce training programs as well as for facility, operations, staff and budget management. Jennifer joined CANA in 2015, overseeing all of CANA’s education programs, including development of the association’s online courses and planning annual meetings. She is also an adjunct instructor for Worsham College. |
Lara M. Price is a shareholder at Sheehy, Ware, Pappas & Grubbs, PC, in Houston, in the products liability and professional liability sections of the firm. She has extensive experience in a number of substantive areas of trial practice, including products liability, professional liability, administrative law, commercial litigation, health care law, premises liability, and personal injury and wrongful death. She regularly represents corporations, other business entities, and individuals in complex litigation against claims for personal injuries, wrongful death, and economic loss in state courts throughout Texas and in federal courts in Texas and elsewhere. Ms. Price is General Counsel for CANA and Texas Funeral Directors Association. |
Barbara Kemmis, CAE is Executive Director of the Cremation Association of North America, where she promotes all things cremation through member programs, education and strategic partnerships. After more than 20 years of experience in association leadership, Barbara knows that bringing people together to advance common goals is not only fun, but the most effective strategy to get things done. Barbara has served two prior professions as the Director of Member Services at the American Theological Library Association and Vice President of Library and Nonprofit Services at the Donors Forum (now Forefront). Barbara earned a master’s degree in library science from Dominican University, a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from North Park University and a B.A. from Earlham College. In 2021, Barbara earned the Certified Association Executive credential in recognition for her expertise and experience. |
Lacy Robinson offers funeral home clients more than 15 years of success in developing and facilitating customer service training programs. As an experienced coach and speaker Lacy has established organizations including Aurora Casket Company and the National Funeral Directors Association as leading providers of training and development for funeral professionals. Lacy currently serves as an instructor for Worsham College of Mortuary Science teaching Fundamentals of Customer Service and facilitates training programs for Johnson Consulting Group clients. Lacy is a licensed funeral director/embalmer, a certified funeral celebrant, member of board of trustees for the Selected Independent Funeral Homes Educational Trust, and has previously served on the APFSP Board of Trustees. She is a graduate of Georgetown College holding a bachelor’s degree in Communications. She is also a graduate of Mid-America College of Funeral Service. As an active member of Toastmasters, Lacy has achieved the designation Competent Communicator. Lacy is also an active volunteer for Hosparus Health in Louisville, Kentucky, and regularly presents engaging community programs to area senior adults. |
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