If you’re a funeral firm owner, no doubt you have many concerns. I’m sure one that’s always on your mind is, “How do I stand out? How can I increase my service calls?” Well, part of the answer is using a secret weapon, keepsakes.
We all know families want, no need, keepsakes. I say need because keepsakes provide greater comfort and catharsis. It’s one of the final pieces capping a legacy of a life well-lived, or of one cut short. In both cases, families need something that will help them through such a difficult time and keepsakes are one of the best tools to help. For those skilled in embalming and restoration, I’m sure you often hear families say, “He’s looks so good.” Or, “That’s how I remember her.” However, once the service has passed and the loved one has been cremated or interred what will take that place when the family needs a reminder of the good times, memories shared and what they looked like at their best?
Keepsakes, especially funeral and memorial programs capture all that at once. It’s a ready source a family can go to and be able to say, “This was grandpa.” What about children curious about their heritage and history? Funeral folders, as they’re called in the south, are something that can start a conversation between a mother and her adult daughter. “If you want to know more about your father start here,” she may say. Then she can read about her heritage, see what he was like before she was born, and even times during her youth that can help her better understand herself and lineage.
I’m sure you know of families that hold onto funeral programs and memorial prayer cards of family and friends years after they’ve passed. Why is that? They need a reminder of the legacy left behind. On top of that, holding onto them is their way of showing their support. I see it all the time, at Cherished keepsakes. In fact, I tell families to print more than they need because there will always be family and friends that can’t make the service, but want you to mail them something. That something is a funeral keepsake; a prayer card, memorial bookmark, funeral pin, memorial button, or something else.
Keepsakes are becoming even more crucial during this time of pandemic where many cannot make the service yet need something for themselves that will help them deal with their grief. A hidden gem we’re seeing great responses from families and firms are online funeral programs. With online funeral programs, people who are attending virtually can view the same program and experience the same comfort those physically attending are because they’re viewing the same printed program. Thus the question arises, are you fully utilizing the power of keepsakes to help provide greater comfort to your families?
Enhancing the Overall Experience
I wrote about this on the Seize the Brand blog, when one thing is good everything is good. It’s like being at a restaurant. When the overall experience is good you find joy in every aspect of it. You’ll even forgive small mistakes. Yet, on the flip side if you’re unhappy with that experience you start picking everything apart citing all of it as a contributor to your unhappiness. Keepsakes hold that same power.
You know you do your best when serving a family. Why not put it over the top by providing the things you know the family will need after you’ve served them? That shows you truly value the privilege that family has entrusted you with. Some firms provide blankets and other memorial keepsakes physical or digital such as mobile portraits to families either as a courtesy or as a value enhancer. If you haven’t done so yet you need to get on board because this is the future. For those that want to get ahead read on.
When you incorporate providing keepsakes to your families as your standard operating procedure, or SOP, you’re making the statement that we’ll go above and beyond to honor the legacy you’ve entrusted us with. The challenge is how to ensure you can live up to it in a way your local competing funeral homes can’t.
It’s Everywhere and Not in a Good Way
Several of the firms we work with and many that have inquired of us all say they want to stand out. More specifically they don’t like that the programs they’ve provided to their family are also available at the firm down the street, across the street and the next town over. Invariably that causes families to treat you all the same. Yet, you want to be viewed as the BEST CHOICE not A CHOICE AMONG MANY.
If you’re all using the same local provider that’s going to happen. You might ask him for exclusivity, but he’s not going to give it to you because HIS service area is local, so he can’t alienate anyone and has to serve everyone in order to stay in business. Thus, you need to be able to provide keepsake designs or products that your competitors can’t feature. That can be done in two ways. One is by using an outside partner, like us at Cherished Keepsakes, since through our enrolling in our RAP you gain that exclusivity. The other way is by creating designs in-house that others can’t produce themselves. When you do either you begin to incorporate unique keepsakes or designs and begin to harness the power of your secret weapon.
The Two-Headed Dragon
It’s a fact that well-designed keepsakes are a contributor to firm growth. On the front end, you grow service calls since families are beginning to view you differently than the rest. They’re seeing that you honor their loved one in a way no one else in the area does and as a result continue to ask you to serve family member after family member.
On the back end, with the right provider or via in-house production you gain additional revenue through keepsake production.
As you do you’ll see how keepsakes are the two-headed dragon breathing fire on your firm fueling its growth.
Of course, the largest revenue gains regarding keepsake production are to be made via in-house production. However, before jumping into the deep end you want to keep in mind some cautions because if you don’t do it right then you will begin to turn families away.
In-House Keepsake Production Caution #1: Investment Cost
On the one hand you probably already have a copier like a Toshiba, Xerox, or Konica Minolta. If you’re using for keepsake production the cost of consumables like toner, drums as well as maintenance can quickly get into the thousands. Not to mention the paper, which I’m finding is often on backorder for weeks causing me to have to order way more than I need just to stay ahead. On top of that many paper suppliers have minimum order values you must meet to get paper since walk-in stores are closing down.
If you’re only using your machine to print a few office things there’s nothing to worry about. When you’re using that machine to run hundreds of prints multiple times a week things will go wrong. Plus if you have only one copier doing all that work you’re in danger! I have three copiers and another I’m trying to restore. My friends used to call my office the printer graveyard because I had so many. I was swapping parts from one unit to the other to get keepsake orders out the door on time. If you’re thinking of doing this in-house then you won’t be far behind me.
What happens when your only printer goes down, which it will, and you have to print keepsakes for an upcoming service? Now you’re in crisis mode because the service tech can’t come out today and the service is tomorrow morning. Invariably you’ll be at Staples praying the overworked, under-experienced staff member will be able to print your programs so you can be up all night folding them in time for the service in the morning. Do that enough times and it’s going to wear you out, your staff, and your family. You also have to keep in mind the elephant in the room.
In-House Keepsake Production Caution #2: You’re a Funeral Director, Not a Designer
You went to mortuary school, not design school. Many people think that because they have design software they’re a designer.
Now, I’m not knocking your creativity because art exists in everything. Your restorative skills are a form of art for sure. That’s why you’ve honed it for years. Designers hone their skills too. There’s a reason why design is a profession. We know what to create that will tug heartstrings and move people. It’s our job. If you haven’t gone down the road of in-house production then leverage a skilled designers’ talents to elevate your firm while you do what you do best. You both win! Lastly, keep in mind the biggest reason not to produce keepsakes in-house.
In-House Keepsake Production Caution #3: Your Time
Is spending hours on something you’re just ok at the best use of your time?
As the owner, your job is to grow your firm. That means working ON your business doing tasks that are a direct contributor to your firm’s growth. These are tasks no one but you can do. Designing programs and other printed keepsakes are, truth be told, working IN your business. Leave it for staff. Now if you’re dead set on producing them in-house or already are here are some things you can do to level up your game and make your firm stand out.
Raising Your Value #1: Unique Designs
You must create designs that only your firm can offer. On top of that, you must create a library of designs because they will be copied. That was a concern I had in my early days of building Cherished Keepsakes and it hindered my growth because I was too protective of my stuff. But someone on my advisory board told me to get over it and combat it by creating faster than they can copy. It worked. By the time I began seeing my designs copied by others I wasn’t worried because I created way more than what I was seeing. Additionally, I keep my competitive advantage by increasing the quality of my designs to a level only designers with my experience and skills could imitate. If you do the same you’ll begin to make your firm stand out and raise your value.
Raising Your Value #2: Good Quality Copier
Not all printers are the same. Believe me. I’ve had Xerox, HP, Kyocera, Toshiba and Konica Minolta. Personally, I prefer Toshiba the best because the maintenance is relatively low, it’s dependable, and has amazing quality. Invest in a good copier and it will do the heavy lifting for you.
Raising Your Value #3: Good Paper
This is actually the cheapest way to raise the value as opposed to the other two. For goodness sake stop printing on 20lb or 24lb bond paper and use glossy or at the very least 32lb digital paper. If your firm mainly does traditional burials then this is a requirement. Families are paying you thousands. Don’t skimp on cheap paper because it will come back to bite you.
Raising Your Value #4: Dedicated Staff
If you’re a mom and pop firm I’m not talking about your cousin or daughter that can use generic software. I mean a staff member trained in design. That is their primary role in your firm. You can also get a local freelancer and PAY THEM EXTRA to give you exclusive designs. If you’re staffing it in-house then pay for design courses they can take to level up their skills. Courses on design thinking, design principles, colour theory and using design programs from Adobe Creative Cloud are what they need to raise the value of your firm. It will pay itself back in dividends and your staff will love it too.
Design software does not a designer make
Leveraging Your Secret Weapon On Your Competitors
By levelling up the quality of the keepsakes you provide your families you create value that becomes difficult to mimic. Harness that power to make your firm the best choice in your community. Until next time I wish you much success honoring the legacies in your care and continuing the legacy you’re building in your Funeral Home. Best wishes from Cherished Keepsakes.
