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In the ever-evolving world of funeral services, innovation is more than just a buzzword—it's a necessity. Few companies understand this better than Answering Service for Directors (ASD), a family-owned business that has been at the forefront of technological advancements in the deathcare profession for decades.

ASD's commitment to innovation has not gone unnoticed. The company is a four-time winner of the prestigious NFDA Innovation Award, a recognition that celebrates the creativity and ingenuity of suppliers who contribute to the advancement of the funeral profession. For ASD, winning this award has been more than just a moment of pride; it has been a catalyst for continuous improvement and a testament to their dedication to serving funeral directors and the families they support.

"As a four-time winner of the Innovation Award, we understand the significance of recognizing creativity and ingenuity—two qualities that are essential for driving progress in the deathcare field," says Kevin Czachor, ASD Family-Member Owner and CMO.

Four-Time Innovation Award Winner

The first of ASD's NFDA Innovation Awards came in 2012 for their groundbreaking smartphone app, ASD Mobile. This app revolutionized the way funeral directors manage their communications, providing them with a powerful tool to stay connected with their clients no matter where they are. The recognition ASD received for this innovation spurred them to push the boundaries even further. They went on to develop the MobileFH™ feature, which allows funeral directors to call any number from their cell phone while displaying the funeral home’s number as the outgoing Caller ID—a game-changing solution that earned ASD its second NFDA Innovation Award in 2015.

ASD's innovative streak didn't stop there. In 2017, they were honored once again for developing a potentially life-saving solution that helps support callers in crisis who may be considering suicide. The following year, 2018, ASD's Web Form Watchdog™ feature, which ensures funeral homes are responsive to urgent web communications, secured the company’s fourth Innovation Award. These accolades have solidified ASD's reputation as a leader in funeral service technology, inspiring their team to continuously seek out new ways to address the evolving needs of funeral directors and their communities.

Recognizing Creativity and Ingenuity

In 2024, ASD is taking its commitment to innovation a step further by sponsoring the very award they once won. This decision reflects the company's deep-rooted belief in the importance of fostering creativity and ingenuity within the deathcare profession.

By sponsoring the NFDA Innovation Award, ASD aims to support and encourage the creative efforts of their peers in the industry. They recognize that innovation is a collaborative effort, one that requires input and ideas from a diverse range of voices. By highlighting and celebrating the achievements of others, ASD hopes to drive the entire profession forward, ensuring that everyone benefits from the fresh ideas and new technologies that emerge.

“This sponsorship is more than just a way to give back to the industry—it aligns perfectly with our mission to foster innovation and excellence within the funeral profession,” says Kevin. “By supporting this award, ASD encourages other companies to seek out and implement new ideas, technologies and processes that can improve the experiences of funeral directors and the families they serve.”

The journey from award-winner to sponsor has been a natural progression for ASD, one that reflects their ongoing commitment to innovation and their desire to see the entire profession thrive. As they look ahead to the future, ASD remains dedicated to developing new solutions that address the challenges faced by funeral directors and to supporting the creativity and ingenuity of their peers. With their sponsorship of the 2024 NFDA Innovation Award, ASD is not just celebrating the past—they're paving the way for the future of funeral service.

As the ASD team says, "Good luck to all of this year’s award contenders! We are looking forward to sharing the stage with fellow deathcare innovators at the annual convention in October!"

2024 Innovation Awards Finalists (in alphabetical order)

1Director — Case management with 1Director streamlines the planning process.

Clear View Caskets — INVISION TECHNOLOGY by Clear View Caskets unveils technology that allows families to control the visibility of the casket's interior.

Nemu — After losing a loved one, families are faced with dividing treasured family items left behind. Nemu simplifies this process through its intuitive app.

Learn more — watch finalist videos or listen to A Brush With Death podcast.

Join Us in New Orleans!

The 2024 Innovation Award winner is announced on Monday, October 21, 2024, at the 2024 NFDA International Convention & Expo, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Register for convention.

 

Award Winning – 2024 Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) for Feature Writing

By Edward J. Defort

(From the October 2023 issue of The Director)

Consumers today, less educated about death, want access to transparent information – at their convenience and on their own time – so they can make educated decisions. This is a key finding in the 2023 Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study conducted by The Foresight Companies.

Funeral service has not provided this to consumers in a time where they can find and purchase literally almost anything else online. This has created the consumer perception that the profession is not transparent or has something to hide – thus, the profession has a trust and confidence issue.

The survey postulates that funeral service is at a crossroads. The profession had largely been dealing with an older generation of consumers more "traditional" in their methods. Internet and especially online commerce have ushered in an era where technology and transparency are table stakes for consumers across nearly every aspect of retail buying, from which the funeral service profession has largely been insulated. The global pandemic served as a catalyst to accelerate that trend among older consumers as well.

New to the survey this year are similar questions aimed at both consumers and those inside funeral service.

"I think the most telling, but maybe not the most surprising, is the gap between what the profession perceives to be the attitudes and behaviors of the consumer versus the reality of the consumer," said Chris Cruger, CEO of The Foresight Companies. "There is a disconnect between what we perceive the consumer to understand [and] what they really do." Foresight partner Doug Gober agreed. "I think the disconnect between the profession and the consumer was the probably the most surprising – or at least [the most] eye-opening – outcome," he said.

"We had done a lot of work in past surveys related to COVID – before, during and after. But by adding this element to this year’s research – not only asking consumers to answer the questions but also asking a significant number of funeral directors essentially the same questions – the gap between what we perceive and what the consumer perceives is telling."

When the topic of educating consumers about funeral service is discussed, we normally think of community service. "We think of going out into the community and doing some kind of presentation for the Kiwanis Club where we tell people about funeral service," Gober illustrated. "However, this idea of every family, every option, every time seems to just totally go past most [funeral directors]; it doesn’t seem to be happening.

"[Those are] the conversations we need to have today with our own staff to improve what we’re doing with client families, to help them understand more what we’re trying to communicate," he continued. "Looking at some of the numbers [in the survey], it becomes obvious that certain elements, certain options are just not being discussed."

What Say the Numbers?

According to the survey, trust in various professional institutions has fallen, with funeral service not immune. It found that 76% of consumers trust their funeral director and 75% trust their cemetery advisors. Also, 54% of consumers trust funeral and cemetery professionals overall. And while 95% of consumers are satisfied with their primary-care physicians, the healthcare profession was found to be the second-lowest-rated industry, just ahead of TV/internet providers and below rental car companies.

The survey also found that funeral professionals’ perception of themselves falls far above consumers’ perception of them. Also, funeral service’s perception of its honesty is significantly higher than consumers’ perception, with funeral service professionals at 76% and consumers at 54%.

According to the survey, there is also an unfavorable gap in the profession’s responsiveness to cultural traditions – 74% of funeral service professionals compared with 56% of consumers. When it comes to responsiveness to problems, funeral directors scored themselves at 66%, while consumer opinion came in at 56%.

Of course, the survey is not all bad news. There are several areas where consumers rate funeral service higher than the profession rates itself, including its ability to provide a modern and contemporary environment, the technology-based products and services provided, as well as the support available to family and friends following the services.

What should the profession do to improve consumers’ perception of what funeral service does? Foresight suggests several steps:

• Do not assume you know best; truly listen to families and guests (transparency).
• Educate, educate, educate. "You have worked hard to become licensed, and there is absolute value to the noble work you do in providing your services and merchandise. It is time to educate consumers about your professional skills and experience and what value you can bring to their lives.
• Online pricing: Proactively and strategically present how you are priced and explain why based on your professional skills, service offerings and amenities.
• Make a deliberate investment in improving your website to represent your business virtually as well as improve your online ratings, reviews and presence.
• Leverage your upgraded website to welcome those wanting to educate themselves on their own time and at their own convenience about the profession as a whole but more specifically about how you might serve them.
• Make things convenient for families and online seekers. Consumers today are looking primarily for the value of what they will/may experience, and convenience is an integral part of that consumer experience. Giving consumers all the information they need, as well as options to decide and act in one place, is now the norm.

As pointed out earlier by Cruger and Gober, there is a wide knowledge gap over funeral goods and services. Funeral service believes consumer awareness about cremation memorialization is at 93%. Consumers say it’s more like 43%.

Funeral service’s perception of its honesty is significantly higher than consumers’ perception, at 76% and 54% respectively.

Funeral professionals put consumer awareness of memorial products at 89%, while consumers say 57%. The education gap is at its widest when talking about online cremation arrangements, which funeral service professionals put at 84% and consumers log as 14%. 

Consumers don’t know what funeral homes and cemeteries have to offer – 42% don’t know enough about funeral home and cemetery products and services. "I think there needs to be some of the traditional grassroots, of being out in the community – whether they do lunch and learns or what have you," said Cruger. "Just being a part of the community is a big component of that.

"Funeral service is just not as engaged in being a part of the community," he added. "The more that’s kept behind a big old curtain, [the more it] fosters this great unknown."

Gober said the level of community engagement differs market by market, depending on how engaged the funeral director is in communicating the message.

"If you were to go to a market where a funeral home spends big on print and TV ads, there’s a much higher degree of awareness about funeral service," he said. "This is just my own premise, but my guess is that awareness and trust in our profession would be significantly higher."

Reality Check

Foresight found that while 25% of consumers say they would like a traditional remembrance to take place at a funeral home and 31% say they would prefer a remembrance off-site, a larger proportion of consumers (44%) do not know where they want their remembrance to take place.

"My mindset is really, what happens once we do get them to walk in the door?" Gober asked. "What occurs when they walk in the door and we already have the client? Are we educating them at that point on what their choices and options are? Not only are we not pre-educating them, but I think it’s even more obvious that we’re suffering to a degree on the arranger side of things. We need to do a better job of teaching the arranger how to make sure consumers know what’s available once we do have a family in front of us.

"If we’ve already got the call, why can’t we at least take the time and energy to let them know what their choices are," he added. "Cremations with services are still lagging way behind after a solid 50 years of preparation."

When it comes to cremation preferences, 51% of those surveyed said they are more likely to select cremation than they were a few years ago; 38% would prefer to have cremated remains memorialized; 36% would like help with a loved one’s cremated remains; 36% prefer to have cremated remains scattered; and 32% prefer to keep the cremated remains at home. Of note, 24% are willing to pay more for green cremation.

"It has to do with the mindset of the funeral director that cremation is equal to burial," Gober said. "Burial is disposition and cremation is preparation. What you do with the cremated remains is actually disposition."

The Foresight survey found that the percentage of respondent who stated a strong preference for cremation (57%) is in line with industry norms. However, the survey also found that half of funeral service practitioners do not help facilitate celebrations or catering for cremation families.

For years, surveys have found that people chose cremation because it was the lower-cost alternative. That’s no longer the case. According to Foresight, those who prefer cremation expect their cremation cost to be more than $5,000.

While some funeral directors might be reluctant to try to steer consumers away from selecting direct cremation because that was their stated preference, the survey found that the vast majority of consumers (77%) would like some type of service of remembrance if/when they are cremated. Drilling down a little further, 36% want a religious component to their service and 41% want a nonreligious service of remembrance, while 23% want no service at all, which represents a huge opportunity for cremation memorialization.

Awareness, Trust and Transparency 

According to the survey, funeral service professionals incorrectly assume that consumers know more about their goods and services than they actually do. When it comes to cremation memorialization, 93% of funeral service practitioners think consumers are aware of their offerings, while just 43% of consumers say they are aware. The disparity continues among memorial products – funeral practitioners say 89% of consumers are aware, but only 57% of consumers say they are aware.

Consumers may not know what funeral service practitioners do nor the value they bring, but they do know what they want. Foresight asked consumers how important it is that the industry offer the following products and services: pricing online (68%), ability to complete paperwork online (48%), host informational sessions (41%), offer online arrangements (38%), offer the latest technology (38%), event planning/concierge services (37%), facilitate catering (36%), reception hall with catering (30%) and "other services" (14%).

Building trust is directly related to transparency. The profession has been reluctant to provide pricing online, which greatly hinders the confidence of consumers. However, even with the growing expectation of pricing online being mandated by the FTC, there is resistance to provide it, and this will continue to negatively impact how consumers perceive the profession.

"When you do not disclose your pricing online in a clear manner for consumers to understand, they think you have something to hide," Cruger said. Even with older consumers, as they continue to gain regular exposure to online shopping, the lack of access to easily explained online pricing is glaring in its absence. The survey found that 70% of respondents say trust decreases if prices are not online. Furthermore, 65% don’t understand why companies don’t have all products, services and prices online. The telling statistic: More than half of survey respondents (53%) don’t purchase products from companies that don’t have good online reviews.

Last year, nearly 7 of 10 respondents to the Foresight survey said they would not do business with companies that did not provide pricing online.

Should mandated online pricing become a reality, are funeral directors ready? The survey says… no. Only 33% of funeral service practitioners surveyed said they are prepared for a new FTC mandate. The survey found that 68% of funeral consumers and 67% of cemetery customers want online pricing.

Consumers who believe the profession is being transparent are 35% more satisfied with their experience, and that aligns with an increased spend. Consumers who believe they are being treated fairly are willing to spend 16% more on average than others.

How important is trust? It’s a lot more important than cost. The survey revealed that 61% of consumers choose a location based on factors related to trust. These include firm used previously (31%), referral from a friend (15%), history in the community (7%) and referral from a healthcare/hospice/social worker, and referral from clergy, each at 4%.

With the increase of online sales across all platforms, a company’s online reputation has never mattered more. "What does your virtual presence tell me about what’s available once I get there?" Gober asked. "Does it give me information up front and clearly without getting too deep?

The survey found that 68% of funeral consumers and 67% of cemetery customers want online pricing.

"People want to know that pricing is there even after they’ve already chosen to come to your funeral home," he added. "They still love the idea that you’re posting your pricing, even though you’re their guy. They just like to know that it’s online. It might not even influence their decision on who their provider is going to be, but they just like to know it’s there. They feel more comfortable that you’re not hiding something."

Said Cruger: "You lose credibility by not having price information. If you’re not showing it to me, well, that creates a level of distrust. My contention from day one: Nobody ever wants to look at the GPL, but they just want to have some perception as to what the real value proposition is – what am I going to get and what’s it going to cost, roughly."

Cruger suggested that mandating the GPL on websites could offer funeral directors some unique educational opportunities down the road through the use of artificial intelligence. "You obviously are going to have to be careful what the FTC mandates, but one of the things I’ve thought about is, what if you had a simple little bot that plugs into a website and asks visitors five or six questions?" he said. "The visitor might get an answer like, ‘Your funeral at XYZ Funeral Home will cost between $3,500 and $4,500 depending on certain details.’

"There’s got to be a way that we could just simplify this, make it specific to the provider," he said. "You’re not looking to be precise, but it will allow you to give somebody that clarity.

"Sure, we would prefer to sit down and talk with them in person, but I am a firm believer that the more information you give people, the more educated and the more likely they are to be inclined to do business with you," Cruger said.

The survey found that 76% of consumers say that online reviews and ratings are important. Of note, 95% of consumers read online reviews.

Proactively Cover the Gap

Foresight said consumer sentiment is clear. At almost no other time have consumers provided such a clear road map to how to serve them. "Making the experience better is more than just starting the service on time and error free," the survey said. "Transparency and service delivery provide a foundation to a customer engaged, providing positive reviews and advocating for your business when asked for referrals by others."

Foresight listed several suggestions of what the profession can do to deliver a better experience:

• Making funerals more celebratory and creating good memories for the family of the deceased
• Encouraging transparency and fair business practices throughout the profession with online pricing
• Providing greater information about what the profession does, including information and explanation on options for services and merchandise
• Making things easier and more convenient for the consumer as part of their entire experience.

The running theme throughout this survey is the disparity between what funeral professionals think consumers want compared with what consumers actually say. According to the survey, funeral professionals identified the most critical areas that need to be addressed as cremation, consumer education and staffing. This differs from the most critical pain points uncovered in consumers’ feedback.

In large part, the profession is unprepared and in some cases unwilling to meet or address the changes the FTC is recommending.

Not surprisingly, there is a difference in perception between older, more tenured professionals and younger, less experienced members of the profession. Both groups agree, however, on the need to teach directors how to deal with nonceremonial cremation requests by families and to maintain relevance and adapt to changes in the industry.

If he were a funeral director right now, Gober said, he’d be proactive on the whole deal. "Not only would I put my pricing online, but I would put a menu with pictures of what I’m describing that the prices relate to," he said. "You know these people are generally vulnerable under time and pressure, and they’re inexperienced. We need to thoroughly present this process clearly enough so that anybody who goes to the website can understand it. I believe that funeral directors today who are proactive about this can attract additional business in this market. They might even move a little bit of market share just because they’re the one doing it and nobody else in that market is.

"I’m going to be as proactive as possible – and this is not just about putting your GPL on your website," he added. "That accomplishes nothing, or at the very least accomplishes the fact that your prices are there (and may satisfy a requirement). Illustrating it in a way that I can understand it and see it pictorially is the key. The smart guys are going to get ahead of that and embrace it."

Consumers are thirsting for information, Cruger said, and yet many firms choose not to do it until somebody forces the issue. "I firmly believe that if you’re willing to be just a little bit more progressive than [your competitors], opportunities are tremendous," he said. "If those firms will not adapt and conform to what the consumer is asking of us, somebody else is going to. And I hate to say it, but the ones who fail to do it are going to be left behind.

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Read The Director Every Month – Paper, Online or App

Insightful, accurate and stimulating, The Director is not simply the nation's premier funeral service publication; It is truly news you can use.

Read The Director online or with The Director magazine app – a free download from the Apple or Google play store.

Introduction by Janet Hensel, NFDA Digital Media Manager ─ Being in the funeral service industry, the topic of death comes up, well, a lot – no surprise. But what did surprise me is how talking about death with Jody Olinger ─someone who is so kind, caring and passionate about telling a person’s story ─ left me inspired, about life and death.

Jody Olinger, NFDA Member Services Representative ─ Certified Celebrant

What inspired you to become a certified celebrant?

I’ve been involved in deathcare for 15 years. I started volunteering at the hospice where my dad died. Next, I became a certified death doula and then earned a grief counseling certification. I began working at a funeral home where I could use all my death degree skills.

When I came to work at the NFDA, it was a natural fit because I like customer service and I understood the funeral profession. I learned I could take classes at NFDA, which was great because I love to learn. The first class I took was Certified Celebrant Training and I quickly realized what Glenda Stansbury was teaching was what, to me, a funeral should look like. What I learned from Celebrant Training is you are a storyteller. You’re telling this person’s story and you make a commitment to the family that you are going to tell their loved one’s story – and it turns out I love it.

Why do think a celebrant is so important?

I think telling a person’s story helps their family and friends grieve and say goodbye. I worked with a young woman whose mother died and she sent me note afterwards thanking me for telling her mom’s story. She said for just a short while, it was like mom was back with her, and she got to think about all the fun things and share those with people who maybe didn’t know these things about her mother.

Nothing takes away the sadness but when someone can have a positive experience during a very difficult time, that’s impactful. I think celebrating someone’s life helps the grieving process. I like to think that death is not just the end of a life, but part of the whole story.

Why is this a passion of yours?

Becoming a celebrant is a passion that I didn’t know was in me. I’m so glad I’ve taken this path. It has brought together my experiences around death and provided a way for me to help others through their death journey.

What’s it like to be a celebrant?

Being a celebrant is very important but requires a certain level of respect. You are entering someone else’s personal space and you’re there by invitation. Many families have no idea where to start so I often ask, “Who is this person?” I listen and ask more questions and get to know the person.

Maybe the person was in a jazz band. Would you like jazz music playing during the visitation? Once the family starts sharing details about their loved one, we can talk about ways to honor that person. I feel this is where the value of a funeral is realized, when the family can see their loved one in the details of the service.

I sometimes talk to living people about what they want at their funeral. I met with a man in his hospital room. He had asked the funeral home if he could talk with me. I asked him why, and he said, “Because you gave my Karen the farewell that I wanted her to have”. So, he wanted to talk to me about what his funeral was going to look like.

I also share information with the funeral directors I work with. As I meet and plan with the family, I may uncover needs and wants that the family might not have shared yet with the funeral director. That’s an opportunity for me to collaborate with the funeral director so we can get everything right.

Why have celebrants become popular?

More and more people don’t see themselves in the typical “traditional” kind of funeral. The trend of people not belonging to a church or specific faith has created the need for celebrants. Many funeral traditions are connected to religious beliefs. Remove those guidelines and now we have an opportunity to provide a service tailored to memorializing that person while still providing an outlet for the grieving family.

The funerals I walk away from that I feel the most consoled are the ones where I’ve learned about the person. Or maybe I don’t know the person all that well but I’m there supporting somebody who did. What a great gift to me to learn about them. That person lived, they had a reason for being here, let’s share the stories that celebrate that life.

I think that’s why a lot of people say, “I don’t see the value of a funeral.” They’re not being presented with the options that show the value to them.

Someone who loved to bowl might want their funeral at a bowling alley. A friend of mine is planning his funeral, and he wants it at the museum he is heavily involved with. The place has purpose and meaning and reflects the person being honored as much as the stories shared at the service.

We all want to be seen, even in death, and it makes me sad when people don’t do anything because that person lived, they had a reason to be here, and that should be celebrated.

There is one story I told that still makes me smile when I think about it. I visited with a sweet old lady in a nursing home, she was visibly upset, and she told me “they” don’t let her drive anymore. Then she asked me to get in close, and quietly shared that her granddaughter came, picked her up and took her to a place where she could drive. The smile on her face and in her eyes were priceless. I shared this story at grandma’s funeral and it was such a gift to everyone, especially the granddaughter.

Stories are people’s legacy and celebrants have the honor of sharing them. I’m so glad I took Celebrant Training and discovered this passion.

“I could talk about death for days.” ─ Jody Olinger

Are you interested in becoming a Certified Celebrant?

NFDA offers two upcoming training programs.

June 19-21, NFDA Headquarters, Brookfield, WI ─ Registration open

October 18-20, 2024 NFDA International Convention & Expo, Pre-conference, New Orleans, LA (Registration opens soon)

Learn more

Advocacy Background

An important part of the advocacy work NFDA does is building relationships with federal departments like the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

In March 2024, NFDA Senior Vice President, Advocacy, Lesley Witter, MPA, CAE, presented during the DOJ annual meeting of State Administrators in Washington, D.C. on “Forging Relationships with Community Partners: Funeral Service”. In April 2024, Lesley and NFDA President Douglas R. “Dutch” Nie, II, CFSP, CCO, joined the “Funeral Director Roundtable” hosted by the DOJ, Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) in Chicago. 

These engagements give NFDA the opportunity to educate the department about the important work our members perform in their communities and demonstrate that NFDA is their strategic partner in the funeral service community. You’ll continue to hear more about the ways NFDA and federal departments are working together to create awareness for the information and programs available to help grieving families and their deceased loved ones.

This reposted article gives a good overview of crime-victim compensation programs, what OVC is doing to improve access to these programs and how funeral professionals can help families access programs and resources.

 

Connecting Homicide Victims’ Families With Victim Compensation

 

(From the April 11, 2024 NFDA Memorial Business Journal, a weekly electronic publication for NFDA members)

By Kristina Rose

Director, Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Program, U.S. Department of Justice

Washington, D.C. – Imagine a distraught, grieving mother must bury her firstborn son – a 17-year- old killed by gunfire. She cannot afford funeral and burial services so she reaches out to a funeral home in her community to learn about her options. The funeral director listens to her with empathy and, among various options, mentions the state’s victim-compensation program, which might be able to provide reimbursement of up to $10,000 for the burial costs. This reimbursement can be made directly to the funeral home. The funeral director offers to provide the funeral – carrying the upfront costs – and assists the mother with completing the state’s victim-compensation application.

Given this situation, one of two possible scenarios result:

•    First scenario: Within a few months, the funeral home is reimbursed for its costs.
•    Second scenario: After months of waiting for a response, a letter arrives in the mail from the state victim-compensation office. The mother’s request has been denied because of her son’s previous criminal history.

Do these scenarios sound familiar to you? Unfortunately, we hear the second scenario play out with surprising frequency in communities across the country, especially in communities that have been historically marginalized or where help is scarce. It is my office – the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), a division of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs – that provides funding to U.S. states and territories to supplement their crime-victim compensation programs.

There are barriers that keep some crime victims and their families from accessing victim compensation. Many crime victims are completely unaware that they might be eligible for crime-victim compensation, so they never apply. Some victims are denied compensation because of their previous criminal history or “contributory conduct” (an often-subjective determination that the individual was engaged in the commission of a crime when he or she was victimized). Some victims are denied for unknown reasons. For some that apply, it takes far too long to receive their reimbursement. And, for many, the application process is just too cumbersome and complicated.

Addressing Barriers

OVC is addressing these barriers through a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking”. As part of this initiative, we believe that developing meaningful partnerships with funeral directors can help OVC break down these barriers and expand access and equity for all victims of crime.

Moreover, we hope that knowing about these available resources can help you expand your impact. You might be a co-survivor’s (anyone impacted by the homicide death of a loved one) first contact for services. The care and support you provide a homicide co-survivor, and the information you share about victim compensation and services, can help emotionally and financially soften the impact of their loved one’s death.

Help for Victims, Survivors and Their Families

The mission of OVC is to provide support for services that help victims, survivors and their families heal in the aftermath of violent crime. OVC is charged by Congress (through a 1988 amendment to the Victims of Crime Act of 1984) with administering the Crime Victims Fund. Deposits into this fund come primarily from fines and penalties from convictions in federal cases – not from taxpayer dollars. Through OVC, the fund supports a broad array of programs and services that help victims in the immediate aftermath of crime, and then supports them as they rebuild their lives.

One such program is the Crime Victim Compensation Program, which was created to provide funding to states and territories to reimburse individuals for the out-of-pocket expenses that might result after experiencing a violent crime. The program can reimburse expenses such as medical care, counseling, lost wages, funeral expenses, and other services that victims and their families might need. Millions of dollars are awarded annually through this program. We recently had a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking out for public comment to clarify existing Crime Victim Compensation Program provisions and to modernize the rule to enhance equity and accessibility for all victims.

At OVC, our work is informed by the voices and wisdom of crime survivors and those who serve them. For years, we have heard about the significant barriers faced by victims in accessing crime-victim compensation, especially for costs associated with funeral and burial services for victims of homicide. As mentioned earlier, the reasons for this vary, but we never want it to occur because they weren’t told about it, or for reasons that unfairly punish the surviving family.

We know that the key to successfully administering the compensation program and providing support to all survivors of crime is by establishing relationships and sharing information. In fact, this is the theme of our annual National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 21-27. This year’s theme – “How would you help?” – implores all of us to create an environment in which victims and survivors feel safe talking about what happened to them (as much or as little as they feel appropriate) because that can be the first, and for some survivors the only, step in finding justice.

Connecting with Funeral Professionals

The theme also underscores the important fact that you don’t have to be a victim-service professional to offer help, support or resources to a victim. At OVC, we are expanding to non-traditional community partners that come in frequent contact with crime victims and survivors, such as funeral service professionals. For some families of murdered loved ones, funeral homes might be the only community service they connect with after the tragedy. This creates a significant opportunity for funeral directors to ensure that families are aware that they can apply for crime-victim compensation and seek services for healing.

Aside from possible reimbursement for funeral and burial expenses, other support offerings are available. For example, if there is a known suspect in the case, victim-advocacy services are available to help the surviving family navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system. Connecting funeral directors with resources on crime-victim services for homicide co-survivors has the potential to transform the survivor experience and enhance your relationships with the people you serve.

During the past year, we have had many discussions with funeral directors about their experiences helping families apply for crime-victim compensation. We appreciate the candidness of these conversations. While we are heartened by the awareness about compensation by many funeral service professionals, we understand there are many who would like to know more.

That is why we attended NFDA’s annual convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the first time in 2023. We enjoyed sharing information about our office and potential resources with attendees. We also look forward to presenting at the 2024 NFDA convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. There, we plan to discuss the importance of self-care for funeral directors and their staff. We believe that self-care is especially important for individuals who serve families of homicide victims.

We hope that by continuing to deepen our relationship with the funeral service community, the first scenario at the beginning of this article can become the norm, rather than the exception, going forward. By equipping you and other nontraditional partners with information about these vital resources – which will be strengthened by the anticipated final rule – we hope more crime victims can access these much-needed resources and services.

As a funeral director, the assistance you provide to grieving families is vital and enables you to actively participate in the healing of others. I am grateful for your service and look forward to working with all of you as we continue our efforts to help crime survivors find their justice.

Kristina Rose is director of the Office for Victims of Crime, located within the Office of Justice Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she oversees programs and services that support crime victims and survivors. President Biden appointed her to this position, and she was sworn in July 12, 2021. At OVC, she oversees nearly $9 billion in grant funding to provide vital compensation and assistance to persons impacted by crime. OVC also invests in new, innovative approaches to improving the criminal justice and community response to crime victimization, and raises awareness of crime-victim rights. ovc.ojp.gov

She will also present Vicarious Trauma and Self- Care for Funeral Directors at the NFDA Leadership Conference, July 29-August 1 in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

Learn more about NFDA member publications and OVC resources.

By Jessica Koth

(From the October 2023 issue of The Director)

We’re several months past the opening of one of the summer’s biggest box office successes – Barbie. Before venturing out to see it for ourselves, my friend and I waited until some of the fervor had died down.

I’m not going to get into the movie itself in this column; in fact, I’m not sure I would have seen it in the theater (I’d have waited for it to land on Netflix or Amazon Prime) had it not been for the incredible buzz around it.

Regardless of your opinion on Barbie, objectively, there was an incredibly well-run marketing campaign that contributed to its success. In fact, it’s estimated that the studio spent more than $150 million on marketing. That’s more than the $145 million it took to make the movie!

And that budget didn’t just go to public relations and ads directly promoting the film. Marketing covered the gamut – from an Airbnb Barbie DreamHouse rental and a Barbie boat cruise on Boston Harbor to pink burgers at Burger Kings in Brazil and Progressive insurance commercials.

Pink was everywhere – and even if it wasn’t a part of the Barbie marketing machine, it caused people to think about the movie or at least make a connection to it.

In short, Barbie. Was. Everywhere.

With so much noise in the world and so many people competing for attention – and consumer dollars – when it comes to planning end-of-life sendoffs, marketing becomes so much more critical. What can funeral homes learn from the Barbie movie marketing blitz?

First, you must have a strong, identifiable brand identity. The Barbie brand is strong. You know it by its look (pink!), the "Barbie" typeface, even how they talk about themselves and their brand story.

A strong brand identity is important for funeral homes, too: a consistent logo, font, color palette, and look and feel to all graphics (from your website and business cards to ads and brochures). Equally important is how you talk about your firm: the language you use, the story you tell, how your staff presents themselves. It’s all part of your brand.

Your brand identity is the public "face" your funeral home shows the world. Let’s put it this way – your brand should be so consistent across everything you do that it would be easily identifiable even if your funeral home name was missing.

Barbie has a strong brand identity – there’s no question about that.

Another thing that came through clearly in the marketing – and in the movie – is that Barbie evolved with the times and marketers leaned into that nostalgia to create a strong narrative about the Barbie story. If anyone is old enough to remember the first Barbie doll, think about what she looked like. She was white, had red hair, a very retro-looking black and white swimsuit and cat-eye sunglasses.

Making an Impact

Marketing for the Barbie movie covered the gamut – from an Airbnb Barbie DreamHouse rental and a Barbie boat cruise to pink burgers in Brazil and national insurance commercials.

Go to the doll aisle of a toy store or do a quick Amazon search and look at Barbie today. There are Barbies with varying skin tones, body shapes and hair colors. She has a plethora of jobs: doctor, soccer player, firefighter and wilderness guide, among others.

The marketing for the movie leaned into this nostalgia by showcasing dolls, including the first Barbie, a pregnant Midge, the short-lived Allan, Teen Talk Barbie and Earring Magic Ken. (Yes, these were all real!)

Many funeral homes – especially those that have been in existence for two, three, four or more generations – have a tremendous history to use to share as part of your brand’s story. You can also tell the story of how your business has evolved – what new things you are doing to meet the needs of families, such as webcasting and other technology, unique service planning, incorporating therapy dogs and offering green options.

Harness that story of where you have been, where you are now and what lies in the future to show your community who your firm is and why it is best equipped to serve them.

For those new firms, you obviously saw a need in your community that you felt you were best equipped to fill. Lean into the story of why you established your business and incorporate that into your brand’s story.

The Barbie movie also showed us that collaboration is critical. I think most business owners realize the value that collaborations can bring, but the Barbie marketing splash put them front and center. There were, of course, the obvious partnerships, but there were also the unexpected ones, like Burger King and Progressive.

Who in the community do you collaborate with?

There are the obvious businesses: florists, clergy, musicians, caterers, hospice. Consider what you can do to strengthen these natural relationships.

Perhaps more importantly, think about who your "Progressive" partner could be and examine some not-so-obvious opportunities for collaboration.

Listen and Be Creative

We know from the annual NFDA Consumer Awareness and Preferences Survey that families are increasingly looking to hold services in locations other than a funeral home, cemetery or church.

Are there other locations – art museums, galleries, parks, outdoor event spaces, hotels, banquet facilities, sports venues – with which you could form relationships? Are there other musicians with whom you could partner, perhaps ones who could offer more contemporary music?

The next time you’re at a funeral convention, look for vendors with new memorial keepsake offerings that are different than what you currently offer.

Are you connecting with other organizations and businesses that touch seniors and the older adults in your community?

It takes time and intentionality to develop these collaborations and partnerships, but the payoff will be worth it.

Next, look at your advertising budget. Is it getting you the results you expect? The Barbie movie was incredibly effective at using digital marketing, including social media, to gain traction among people of all demographics.

Even if you’re on a budget, there are many ways to leverage digital marketing. You could create interactive content on your website, run paid social media campaigns or invest in digital advertising to get your brand out to as many people as possible.

Remember, older adults are getting increasingly savvy in using the internet. More importantly, the children and grandchildren of your primary clientele are already digitally savvy, and it is this audience that is advising and guiding older adults. Make sure your marketing is visible to them on the channels they use.

We’re coming to the end of 2023 and looking ahead to 2024, making now the perfect time to look over how your firm is marketing itself – from brand identity and community collaborations and partnerships to social media recognition and beyond. All these things matter.

And when you consider marketing in a cohesive manner, as the marketers did for the Barbie movie, you can find meaningful success.

So, as you plan your marketing strategy for 2024, think pink!

Jessica Koth is NFDA director of public relations. She can be reached at jkoth@nfda.org .

By Edward J. Defort

(From the April 2023 issue of The Director)

For small-business leaders, finding top talent is hard enough, but competing to hire that talent is even more difficult. Lori Dann, founder of the Presidents’ Leadership Council, an exclusive forum for small-business presidents, CEOs and partners to engage and grow through peer support, has developed eight ways smaller employers can compete for top talent.

According to Dann, the current employment landscape makes it especially difficult for small employers to compete with large corporations. While they may not be able to throw money and traditional benefits at a candidate, however, there are ways to attract and retain top talent – and big business is missing it.

1. Hire for potential over experience.

Consider hiring a candidate based on their personality and behavior, i.e., a capable learner with initiative and integrity who can be taught the job responsibilities. They will be grateful for the opportunity and may be more loyal to the company in return.

2. Pay more attention to transferable and soft skills than quantifiable qualifications gained through training.

These are less measurable than hard skills but include such essential qualities as negotiation, problemsolving, listening, teamwork, confidence, adaptability and empathy.

3. Don’t draw hard lines around gaps in work history.

Gaps in work history are usually attributed to the candidate tending to non-careerrelated responsibilities that likely have enriched the person in some way. Explore the possibility.

4. Employees who feel purpose in their work are more productive, effective, resilient and healthy.

And they have staying power.

5. Provide growth opportunities.

Every candidate wants to understand what they must know to do the job, how they will be supported and what opportunities are available for growth.

6. Be a mentor.

The greatest benefit to working for a small business is the opportunity for mentorship. Imagine hiring a candidate who meets all the points above and then teaching that person the job, the business, the methodologies employed, even the entire industry. Not only will they be set up for a long and successful career, but tremendous loyalty to the business will also be built.

7. Allow for job crafting.

Be open to letting employees adjust their work parameters to align with their skills and preferences while still meeting company expectations.

8. Offer low- or no-cost employee benefits.

These could include a voluntary benefits menu, savings program, employee assistance program, additional paid time off or tuition reimbursement for work-related education.

"[The] feedback we get from our membership is that in today’s very competitive world, to find talent, small employers have to find other ways to make their jobs more appealing to candidates," stated Dann.

"Oddly, it isn’t necessarily about money anymore. There are lots of reasons people choose a job, and that’s the trick – figuring out just what those reasons are."

The Presidents’ Leadership Council is an exclusive membership organization for small-business presidents, CEOs, founders and partners who run businesses with three to 50 employees.

Forums of peers, in non-competing industries, are formed and meet monthly in a strictly confidential environment to work through challenges and opportunities together.

The Presidents’ Leadership Council is designed to meet the unique needs of the small-business leader.

Read Full Issues of The Director 

 

By Jessica Koth

(From the July 2023 issue of The Director)

Twitter has been all over the news ever since Elon Musk took the helm of the social media platform. Recently, he made headlines again, but this time, his actions may be impacting the families you serve.

In May, Musk announced that Twitter would be purging accounts that have had no activity for several years. In some ways, that’s a great thing – bots and inactive or bogus accounts can throw off metrics and are ripe for scammers to take over and use for nefarious purposes.

Some Dormant Accounts Help People Grieve 

Some of the dormant accounts that were deleted, however, belonged to individuals who have died, causing pain for some families and sparking some public outcry. The Associated Press published an article that subsequently appeared in newspapers nationwide about one such individual who saw her loved one’s account deleted. The article read:

"Emily Reed lost her younger sister Jessica more than 10 years ago. For much of the last decade, she’s visited Jessica’s Twitter page to help ‘keep her memory alive.’

Twitter became one of the places where Emily processed her grief and reconnected with a sister she describes as almost like a twin. But Jessica’s account is now gone.

Last week, owner Elon Musk announced Twitter would be purging accounts that have had no activity for several years. That decision has been met by an outcry from those who have lost, or who fear losing, the thoughts and words of deceased loved ones linked to now-inactive accounts.

Reed immediately returned to Jessica’s page as she had done a day or two earlier after learning of the purge. In place of Jessica’s page was an ‘account suspended’ message that suggested it may be in violation of Twitter rules.

Reed’s tweet recounting her shock over the loss of the account has received tens of thousands of responses. Others shared similar experiences of pain upon learning that the account of a deceased loved one had vanished.

‘Having these digital footprints… is super important to me,’ Reed, 43, told The Associated Press…

Reed talks about the importance of Jessica’s Twitter and Facebook pages during her journey with grief — from following her sister’s difficult journey with cystic fibrosis, a progressive genetic disorder Reed also has, to cherishing tweets that showed ‘the joy and… the vibrancy that came out of her words.’

Over time, the image and memories of someone who has passed away can slowly change in your mind, ‘like a fading photograph,’ Reed said. Having online resources, she added, can help keep a ‘person’s memory alive in a way that just your own personal memory can’t.’ "

Reed is not alone. Many people take great comfort in looking up a deceased loved one’s social media profile and viewing their posts and photos. Some even write messages to their loved ones – even years after their death.

Memorializing Social Media Accounts

Most of the major social platforms – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn – have formal processes for memorializing the account of a loved one. The process usually requires next of kin to provide proof that they have the right to memorialize the account, as well as their loved one’s death certificate. Facebook also enables users to designate a "Legacy Contact" – a person who, once an account is memorialized, can serve as a digital executor and look after the profile.

Twitter, on the other hand, has never had such a process for memorializing – or preserving – the account of someone who has died. Its website states:

In the event of the death of a Twitter user, we can work with a person authorized to act on behalf of the estate or with a verified immediate family member of the deceased to have an account deactivated.

Request the removal of a deceased user’s account. After you submit your request, we will email you with instructions for providing more details, including information about the deceased, a copy of your ID and a copy of the deceased’s death certificate. This is a necessary step to prevent false and/or unauthorized reports. Be assured that this information will remain confidential and will be removed once we’ve reviewed it.

Note: We are unable to provide account access to anyone regardless of their relationship to the deceased. Read more information about media on Twitter concerning a deceased family member.

Not all that long ago, issues like this were unimaginable. But with so many people using social media they can access with an device they hold in the palms of their hands, it’s a critical question everyone must think about.

Many of you regularly provide individuals and families with a checklist of organizations and companies families should notify when a loved one dies to prevent identity theft. Are you also sharing information about how to handle a loved one’s social media account?

As part of its array of free-to-members legal forms, NFDA has an informational handout you can share with families during an arrangement conference or meeting to preplan a service. It includes information about how social media accounts can be memorialized after the death of a loved one. Download it at nfda.org/legalforms (member login required). The form, titled "Information on Reporting a Death to a Social Media Site," can be found in the Miscellaneous Forms section.

These days, protecting your personal information online is just as important as protecting it offline. The families you serve would likely be very grateful that you took the time to share information about this critical step they need to take after the death of a loved one.
 

By Lynda Cheldelin Fell

(From the May 2023 issue of The Director)

While speaking at an event for funeral service professionals, I asked, "How do you de-stress after a difficult call?"

A participant’s hand went up: "I go shopping." Another hand: "I listen to heavy metal music."

No one else offered a personal strategy, which is not surprising. Historically, a funeral director’s role as last responder has gone largely unrecognized, with little thought ever given to coping strategies.

Yet times have changed. More overdoses, suicides, homicides and mass casualty events headline the news, with the expectation that funeral directors are equipped with the psychological armor to cope as usual. In essence, they are expected to just suck it up and move forward.

Maybe this is why more and more funeral professionals are burning out.

While both men and women are affected by stress, men are less vocal about their mental health. But not unlike law enforcement, funeral directors need – and deserve – support to protect their own well-being and that of their staff. After all, the wealth of a business is built on the health of its employees.

Studies show that women tend to talk more about personal things while men tend to talk more in business-focused contexts such as meetings. With that in mind, could an evidence-based coping strategy of team debriefings help support funeral industry mental health with the changing times? Absolutely. After all, if it’s good for first responders, it’s good for last responders.

Raise your hand if you’ve heard of debriefing. Not a single hand went up.

Stress debriefing is a process of communication that takes place between staff following a difficult case and is used to provide emotional support. Developed by Dr. Jeffrey Mitchell in 1974, the technique can be used for any group facing work-related stress. Studies show that debriefing can help reduce the risk of developing compassion fatigue and other stress-related disorders that can lead to burnout if left unchecked.

The goal of debriefing is to give staff the space to process emotions and release steam; after tending to the body of a 5-year-old who died from abuse, for instance – those types of calls. By adopting debriefing in the workplace, funeral homes can protect employee assets and support staff longevity through stressful days.

The keys to debriefing are structured yet simple: Provide a safe environment and use the time to externalize emotions without critique or judgment. If the traumatic call somehow went sideways, an analysis of what went wrong is done another time, not during the debriefing. Modified debriefings may also prove useful in the funeral home. Consider inviting the staff to stay after hours for pizza and talk through the difficult call before they leave for home. Even a quick and dirty debriefing is better than none.

No matter the setting, getting staff to externalize emotional steam is the goal.

If debriefing is a simple, cost-effective way to release stress, why haven’t funeral homes been engaging? Because historically, debriefing was applied to first responders, with little thought given to last responders.

Yet no profession needs to release stress more in today’s changing times than funeral professionals – because nobody can pour from an empty cup.

Lynda Cheldelin Fell is a founding partner of the International Grief Institute, author of the award-winning "Grief Diaries" anthology series, former firefighter/EMT certified in critical incident stress management and member of the continuing education faculty at Whatcom Community College. She has earned six national literary awards and five national advocacy award nominations for her work. International Grief Institute is dedicated to building community resilience through programs and trainings available exclusively for the funeral industry.
 

Just as we benefit from having an active support system when we are grieving, so too do we want to support others in our life who are experiencing bereavement. It is compassionate and healthy to be there for friends and family, colleagues and acquaintances who are navigating grief after loss. 

However, it might seem challenging to support our loved ones when: 

• We are feeling keenly the weight of compassion fatigue or realizing an increased proximity to possible burnout;
• We are ourselves actively grieving the loss of a loved one; 
• We are struggling to maintain emotional balance due to familial, workplace, national, or global stress;
• We are the “go to” person for everyone in our family system or social group.

Supporting others who are grieving is important work, but it should never come at the expense of supporting ourselves. If you are looking for ways to balance self-care with support for those who are grieving, the following tenets may help you in doing so:

Pay Yourself First

A common strategy in money management is to “pay yourself first.” That is, before allocating your income to bills or luxuries, one should first put some affordable amount into a form of savings. Similarly, consider how much empathy and energy you have at a given time. What can you afford to give to yourself before you begin to budget your support for others? (It shouldn’t be “nothing.”) 

Schedule time to prioritize both your own grief needs and your own well-being and remember that these aren’t mutually exclusive activities. This kind of purposeful self-care has several benefits. First, it will lessen risks of developing compassion fatigue when supporting others. Additionally, it will promote both physical and emotional health. Importantly, it will also assist you in developing and maintaining boundaries when supporting others.

Employ Empathy

Bearing witness to others’ losses means keeping the grieving person at the center of your conversations with them and giving them space for emotional ventilation. It also means validating the unique nature of others’ grief responses without judgment or redirection and avoiding comparing it to other losses experienced by yourself or someone else. Of particular importance, in employing empathic support, we must avoid categorizing or hierarchizing others’ losses or making assumptions about what that loss feels like to the bereaved. 

We know that the shape and weight of grief changes over time, so you should always meet grieving people where they are in their grief journey. Remember that everyone’s unique relationships, roles, and daily stressors may significantly impact differing responses to their loss – no two people grieve in the same way. 

See the Unseen Mourners

There are many individuals and populations who have been grieving throughout the COVID-19 pandemic but whose grief now and in “ordinary times” is overlooked. Both children and elderly persons often experience a lack of attention or support when mourning and frequently long to talk about their losses and their feelings. Assumptions, ageism, or apprehension might prevent others from reaching out to children or the elderly to talk about their losses and grief. 

Similarly, people who have not experienced a death loss throughout the last two years but who are experiencing adverse effects of non-death losses from the pandemic may also feel unseen and as if they have no right to grieve losses due to mental health complications, financial instability, disruptions within their family systems, or a host of other experiences. 

People whose vocations are directly involved with the pandemic, such as health care and death care professionals, are often working in spaces where the high saturation of death makes grief virtually inescapable. These individuals might feel that their own losses are secondary to the work they do or the people they serve. 

All of these groups of people, like all people, deserve empathic attunement and attention to their grief.

Maintain Your Own Support System

People who feel satisfaction in giving support to others are almost always those who have good supports in their own lives and understand that they cannot sacrifice one for the other. Remember that you are also deserving of an empathic ear and emotional validation; in fact, maintaining a support network means that you will be better equipped to help loved ones without becoming compassion fatigued, overwhelmed, or irritated. 

The center of your support system is you. Ensure that you are undertaking acts daily that promote your health and well-being, allow for relaxation, and encourage self-satisfaction. While for many of us this tenet can be challenging, strive for a balance between supporting others and yourself. Doing so will benefit you directly – and indirectly, through the more focused and purposeful care you will be able to give others. 

About the Author
Sara Murphy, PhD, CT, is a death educator, certified thanatologist (Association for Death Education and Counseling), and suicidologist. She is a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island and an affiliate faculty member in the Thanatology Graduate Program at Marian University. She conducts workshops on death, dying, and bereavement nationwide for professional organizations, schools, and community groups. Dr. Murphy is also a bereavement and suicide consultant and the author of the booklet, Grieving Alone & Together: Responding to the Loss of Your Loved One during the COVID-19 Pandemic, a free resource available to grieving families and helping professionals published by the Funeral Service Foundation. She can be reached at SaraMurphyDeathEducator@gmail.com.

For many in the community, the thought of visiting a funeral home carries an emotional stigma, one that has a perception of dreary, morbid places.  Dr. Tom McElheny offers modern ideas on making your funeral home setting into a more welcoming, calm, and comfortable environment.  It starts with creating an atmosphere that focuses on the comfort of grieving families.

1. Natural or Soft Lighting
The ambiance of a room depends largely on lighting.  Be intentional about light sources, ensuring the space feels calm rather than gloomy. Natural sunlight is a mood lifter and is ideal for daytime services. If concerned about privacy, consider using sheer drapes in place of dark, heavy curtains. Artificial lighting should be warm, best accomplished with bulbs that give off a soft white glow. Today’s LED lighting options even offer bulbs that mimic natural light.

2. Neutral Walls and Natural Flooring
Today’s modern funeral homes should feel like walking into a sanctuary. The environment can reflect one of tranquility through light, neutral paint colors in calming tones found in nature like sage, taupe, and eggshell. Neutral-toned carpet or flooring made of bamboo or hardwood also help to bring a warm feeling to the space.

3. Natural Decorator Accents 
Elements found in nature are soothing and help us feel grounded. Incorporating interior features like stacked stones, a small water fountain, or plants into the décor is easy and affordable.  Plants, like succulents, provide oxygen, are easy to maintain, and brighten up a room with vibrant color.

Consider your outdoor space as well. The healing power of nature is no small thing so consider incorporating an outdoor seating area or a peaceful garden that allows visitors to take in some fresh air as they walk around to quietly reflect.

4. Appeal to All the Senses

Sight
One’s visual sense is usually a guest’s first impression, so it is essential to pay attention to the appearance of your funeral home. A clean landscape, well-kept building, and soothing interiors put guests at ease. It allows them to relax and draw on their remaining senses for various levels of calming support.

Sound
Outside of lighting, a calming atmosphere is best achieved through sound.  The space should incorporate soft music, nature sounds, white noise, or a simple water fountain. You want guests to focus on the ambient sound to achieve tranquility.

Smell
Aromatherapy is used in many ways and can be an effective means to help guests feel calm. First, select a fresh and clean scent that isn’t strong or overpowering. Candles are a quick way to add aroma to a room, while a diffuser may offer more control over a scent’s intensity and duration.

Touch
Often overlooked, touch has the ability to ground us.  Velveteen textures used in the upholstery of a comfortable couch, plush carpeting, or throw pillows provide guests with something tactile, soft, and comforting to touch. Maintain these fabrics with regular cleaning for a safe and enjoyable space.

Taste
Consuming food or beverages (in moderation) also provides comfort. For example, offer your guests complimentary tea, coffee, or a light snack to create a hospitable atmosphere.

5. Comfortable Seating
Don’t make the mistake of using furniture that appears too formal. Instead, select inviting and comfortable pieces, like a homey couch or armchairs. Seating should support guests who have difficulty sitting due to a bad back or hip. Imitate the atmosphere of a home’s living room with a few simple yet attractive pieces. Add personal touches like a blanket or decorative throw pillow, which can be moved to create different looks.

Find the best way to utilize the space you have, considering function and appearance. For example, if you have a chapel in your funeral home, use comfortable, ergonomic stacking chairs for additional seating. They are convenient and don’t take up too much storage space.

6. Artwork
The right piece of art can provide a calming feeling. For example, a lovely landscape painting offers a great look and connects with nature. On the other hand, you could commission an artist to paint a recognized piece of scenery or a special event that incorporates a sense of community for a more local appeal.

7. Incorporate Technology 
When friends or family members can’t attend a service or if space in a viewing room is tight, an audiovisual broadcast is a perfect solution. When incorporating technology equipment placement in interior design, location and furniture placement are vital. Plants and cabinetry should assist in making sure cords, cameras, and sound systems are inconspicuous and positioned to not interfere with services.

8. Create a Space for Young Children
It goes a long way to help place guests at ease by offering a particular play area for younger children. Parents can allow their kids to play without concern that they may disturb others grieving in the viewing area. Stock the room with various toys, books, and appropriately sized tables and chairs.

9. Exterior Grounds and Building
Excellent curb appeal gives a first impression that is imperative for marketing your funeral home to the public.  Beyond that, how your building and grounds are laid out and maintained sets the tone for guests as they arrive for services.  

• The exterior building says a lot about your business, and you want to have a nice, clean look
• The grounds should feature well-maintained landscaping and sidewalks, steps, and parking areas free of trash and debris
• Make sure your funeral home’s sign is easy-to-read and well lit at night 
• Offering ample parking or valet parking if space is limited 
• Make sure directions to the building’s entrance is easy to find, notably in bad weather conditions 
• The entryway is essential, offer guests a place to hang their coats, check their appearance, or sit when waiting on other guests