From the Hep - For Funeral Professionals

Are You Serious About Marketing on the Internet?

2008-01-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

You need to watch this video - it introduces you to one of the best Internet Marketers in the world - Armand Morin. I have attended his seminars, taken his courses, and use his products. After the video, you can sign up for a free course for marketing on the Internet. The great thing about Armand is that he cuts through all of the crap and tells it the way it is.

Click here to sign up for the free course!

The Undertaking – a Review

2007-10-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

We as Funeral Directors serve the living.

This documentary - The Undertaking - is not about funeral directors or a funeral home – but it is about the families that they serve - the beloved father, the life-long spouse, the special aunt, and the precious child. These families bared witness about their grief and how Lynch and Sons Funeral Home assisted them.

PBS’s Frontline did an excellent job following these families through their time of sorrow – not only for the on air documentary but also with its extensive bonus material on its website. This program – anchored on Thomas Lynch’s The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade – serves as a window to what we don’t want to feel – loss - and to a place where we do not want to be - a funeral home. But in both, Frontline portrays a calmness and peace.

Lynch and Sons Funeral Directors – the Undertakers – with six locations in Michigan, represent the thousands of funeral professionals throughout North America who serve families like those featured in this program. With their understanding and grace, they hold these families’ hands leading up to, at the time of, and after the death. The Lynches reveal many of the day-to-day aspects of life in the death care business.

From talking with families about pre-planning and carrying out those arrangements at the time of death, to a glimpse into the sanitary care, embalming, and cosmetizing of the deceased; from the open casket viewing to the funeral service; and then to cemetery or crematory - an hour cannot depict all facets of funeral service, but what was most important was the lives that were honored.

The Undertaking has done what Six Feet Under or Family Plots could not accomplish – to give a real look into a funeral home operation sans the Hollywood-esque. Even though Lynch and Sons is more indicative of a smaller-town, traditional funeral home that does not have to juggle the social diversities as much as a metropolitan funeral home does, loss is loss and grief is grief wherever you live. This documentary will serve as a catalyst to many conversations of one’s mortality and hopefully, find some clarity for their own wishes of the many options that are now available.

Why should the public watch this documentary?
Whether you study the topics of grief, death or funerals – this program should help satisfy your curiosity. If you have ever pondered questions, such as:

Why plan your own funeral?
Why have an open casket?
Why have a funeral or a gathering?
How do you cope with the death of a child?

Then this is an important program for you to watch. The answers are provided – not by the funeral service providers – but by those who once asked the same questions.

Why should funeral directors watch this documentary?
It is a reminder of why we do what we do and to be proud to be a funeral professional!

For the cynics and critics of funeral service - those of you who question our relevance – your comments are not important to us – it is the families that we have served and those who we have yet to serve, whose comments validate our existence.

Thank you to the producers of "The Undertaking" from Frontline and PBS for your efforts to document one of the most difficult times in families’ lives and how they used the customs of funeral service to help them during their journey of grief.

Thank you Undertaker Lynch and your family for representing your chosen profession with the utmost fidelity.

Most importantly, thank you to the Verrinos, the Kings, Ms. Beardsley, and Mr. Kelly for sharing your emotions and feelings at a very difficult time – the funeral profession and the public at large will benefit from your honesty and courage for many years to come.

...Robin Heppell, CFSP, Funeral Director

Podcasting for Funeral Homes

2007-10-23T03:27:00.000-07:00

Funeral Home Radio - Host Your Own Radio Show through Podcasting

As a supplement to the November article in Mortuary Management magazine, this is a list for funeral homes wanting to take advantage of creating their own Internet Radio Show (Podcast).

Podcast Tutorial Websites

How To Podcast Tutorial - Jason Van Orden
How to Create Your Own Podcast - Corey Deitz
Other Podcasting Tutorials - Podcast & New Media Expo website

Podcast Hosting Options

Audio Software

Audacity - Cross Platform Sound Editor
iTunes - to convert to MP3

Sample 12 Month Schedule

Rabbi on what non-Jewish people should know about attending a Jewish funeral service
Hospice Counselor on talking about what families need to know to prepare themselves
Funeral industry technology expert explaining the about Memorial Video Tributes
Catholic Priest on acceptable cremation practices
Bereavement counsellor talking about helping children with grief
Cremation accessories supplier explaining the various memorialization options available
Funeral Celebrant on options for non-religious funeral services
Freemason on what’s involved in a Masonic funeral service
Casket vendor discussing the differences between solid wood, veneer, and rental caskets
After Care consultant talking about the various steps needed to be prepared to settle an estate
Cemeterian on new disposition options for cremated remains
Vault distributor explaining the differences between grave liners and vaults

This is just a sample of what a monthly radio interview schedule could look like. Also consider interviewing your own staff on various aspects of funeral service offerings and retired staff on the changes in funeral service (as long as it would be in a positive light).

What Caught My Eye at NFDA 2007

2007-10-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to highlight a few of the offerings that grabbed my attention - some are new and some are not, but in this every changing world we need to keep abreast of new ideas.

Silver Jewelry by Designs by Owen Thomas

This is where the family supplies a photograph and through their process the photo becomes part of the jewelry. Why I like this product is that it is not "At Time of Death" specific - just like the "Thumbies" families can purchase this at the pre-arrangement or at any time following the Death. www.designsbyowenthomas.com

Bamboo Caskets by Ecoffins

Two weeks ago I received an email from an environmentalist from California suggesting that we, the funeral industry, should be offering bamboo caskets as an environmental alterative. Here is an excerpt of her email:

I am writing you because you are a funeral futurist. I have an environmental sound idea that I hope you will share with your members and it will put the industry in a progressive light. I believe if your industry made BAMBOO caskets, which are ECO-FRIENDLY, it would generate more revenue plus be the right thing to do. Bamboo is a sustainable product unlike steel, walnut, & mahogany trees etc. If you advertised GREEN you would be seen as helping our home, MOTHER EARTH.

Well now I can let her know that bamboo caskets are available! www.ecoffins.co.uk.

Gold Dipped Roses by 24k Rose Co.

What really impressed me is that Greg and Ginni Greffin really understand "our process" - from first call and transfer to graveside and aftercare. I can see many applications to offer their products, check out their website at www.24karatrose.com.

Comfort Food by Sympathy Food

Created by funeral director, I think that this is a great compliment for you web savvy funeral directors who offer flowers and gift baskets online. In our busy and mobile world, many people are unable to bake a lasagna and drop it off at the family's house like they did years before. Now you have a choice to send a ham, turkey, etc. Just imagine how great it would be to have 10 family members breaking bread over a turkey that was send by a friend via your funeral home's website. www.sympathyfood.com

Hand Made Caskets by Art Caskets

In a time where the average consumer is seeing less value in caskets and leaning towards cremation, this company is going after a niche market where money is not an issue. From the northern Italy town of Caravaggio - known for its elegant, hand made furniture - these caskets use more than 450 different kinds of rare and precious woods. www.artfuneral.com.

Blogging Impacts Funeral Trade Show

2007-10-12T12:21:00.001-07:00

Just back from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) annual trade show and exposition and if you think blogging and the funeral industry don't mix - think again.

It wasn't the just the interviews that I conducted on behalf of the Funeral Gurus where we get insights from funeral professionals throughout North America. Although over the next month or so you will see 24 new interviews covering topics like funeral technologies, staffing, after care, catering, and higher levels of service.

The underground world of partnering and collaboration amongst the not-so-big-boys of vendors occurred due to the efforts of Final Embrace's Tim Totten. Tim arranged a meeting of the smaller vendors - many of them first-timers to the show - and shared many ways of working together to reduce advertising costs and gave them insight into the decision makers of funeral homes. Tim has many posts about the show, so make sure that you read his blog. For a sample of the some of the new opportunities to advertise with us, click here to send me an email.

But it wasn't the little vendors that benefited from the power of the blog, on day two of the show, one company was handing out printed versions of Funeral Maverick BT Hathaway's Funeral Words Blog recent post. Hathaway - a veteran of funeral conventions - let his thoughts be known through his blog about one of the biggest vendors new approach marketing its product - without showing its product. Hathaway's interuptation of this company's new approach was the infamous Happy Days Reference - Jumping the Shark.

I have scheduled an interview with BT Hathaway to recap the NFDA trade show and the follow up buzz. Monday, October 15, 2007 at 10:30 am Eastern - 7:30 am Pacific. You can listen live at www.blogtalkradio.com/funeralfuturist or go to the Funeral Gurus after 11:00 am. Don't miss it!

Internet Marketing Secrets from the Experts

2007-09-04T11:46:00.001-07:00

To continue to keep up on the leading edge of Internet and New Media Marketing, I too, attend professional development seminars - and the next one that I am going to is simply called the Big Seminar! They have a series of Experts that present at this seminar and I always like going outside our industry to see things from a different perspective.

If you are really interested in becoming the Internet leader in your area, attend the seminar with me and throughout the weekend we can discuss how these strategies can be applied to your funeral home or cemetery.

If you are undecided or cannot attend, you can still sign-up for the free tele-seminars leading up to the event. Over the years, I have learned a great deal from these interviews and I know you will too!

Once registered you will receive a reminder prior to each call giving you the...

- Name of the Expert Faculty Member Being Interviewed
- Call in information
- Time of the call
- A time zone converter

Don't miss these Important, FREE Training calls.
Click here to Register NOW!

Upload Your Funeral Home's "Welcome Message" to YouTube

2007-08-27T17:03:00.001-07:00

To gain more exposure for your funeral home or cemetery, take advantage of uploading a welcome video to YouTube. Currently YouTube is the fourth most popular website on the Internet and now Google – the most popular search engine – incorporates YouTube videos in its search results.

This explanation is does not cover the details of the actual upload process as YouTube has great instructions to create an account and upload videos. Here are those links:

The objective of this tutorial is to explain how to choose the words that you will help you get the best rankings in Google for your welcome message. Below is the window that you have to fill out to describe your video.

Title:
In the Title field, it is more important to have the terms ‘Funeral Home’ ‘Mortuary’ or ‘Cemetery’ before your company name. I would place your ‘City’ and ‘State / Province’ before your firm’s name as well. The reason for this is that the search engines place more importance on words in the beginning of the field and also most people are going to be searching for “Funeral Homes in Springfield, IL” and not particularly your Firm’s Name. Use up to 60 characters including spaces.
Example: Funeral Homes in Springfield, IL, Your Funeral Chapel, 62702

Description:
The description should state who you are, where you are, and what you do. When writing the description try to use words that people would use when searching for a funeral home or cemetery. Put more emphasis on types of services you offer instead of explaining your history – you can include the history part in your video. US firms place your zip code in the description as well as the zips of heavily populated areas and of smaller communities that you want to serve. Also include: “For more information, visit www.yourfuneralchapel.com.” at the end of your description. Although it will not be a ‘live’ link, it will allow viewers to copy it and go to your website.
Example: Welcome to Your Funeral Chapel in Springfield, Illinois, 62702. Our funeral home offers funeral and memorial services with burial or cremation. We serve all areas in Greater Springfield including Chatham, Rochester, Riverton, Sherman, and New Berlin. For more information, visit www.yourfuneralchapel.com 62701, 62703, 62704, 62629, 62563, 62684.

Tags:
Use relevant key words, the same main ones that you have used in your Title and your Description. You have up to 120 characters including spaces to list your tags– use all of them. US firms, include your Zip Code (around surrounding zip codes).
Example: Funeral Home Springfield Illinois IL 62702 Memorial Celebration Mortuary Cremation Planning Cemetery Burial Plot 62701

Make sure to use the many resources that YouTube offers, the Help Center and Video Toolbox are extremely helpful. I look forward to seeing your smiling face on YouTube - send me the link once it is up!

...Hep

PS: Here is my example: Funeral Business Management Consulting

Marketing Professionals See Opportunity for New Media in Funeral Industry

2007-08-09T08:27:00.001-07:00

Marketing Over Coffee is a podcast that I listen to on a regular basis. Co-hosts, John Wall and Christopher Penn are New Media experts and offer their take on how companies can use Web 2.0 services like blogs, podcasts, videos, and other social media services to connect to with your market. In today's podcast, they chatted about how podcasts, blogs, and email marketing can be applied to funeral service. I am always eager to listen to people outside the funeral industry and get their take on it. Click on the audio link at the bottom of the blog post to listen - better yet, subscribe to the podcast through iTunes. Click here to go directly to the post.

Webinar Notes: Funeral Homes & the New Internet - Web 2.0

2007-06-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Funeral Home & Cemetery Resources from the June 19, 2007 Webinar.

Helpful Resources:
Funeral Futurist eNewsletter
Death Care Web Tutorials
Upcoming Webinars

Definition of Web 2.0 from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

Time Person of the Year: You
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html

Social Networks:
MySpace
Facebook
LinkedIn
Friendster
Flickr
MeetUp
My Death Space

YouTube Videos:
Viewing the Deceased Video on YouTube
Viewing the Deceased Video with transcript on Funeral Futurist
Viewing the Deceased Video on Your Funeral Chapel
Other Funeral Futurist Videos on YouTube
Jewish Funeral Practices 101

Definition of Blog from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

Sample Blogs:
From The Hep: http://www.fromthehep.com/
Your Funeral Chapel: http://yourfuneralchapel.blogspot.com/
Funeral Words: http://www.funeralwords.com/

Free Blog Site: http://www.blogger.com

Definition of Podcast from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast

Google Tools: http://www.google.com/options/
Google Calendar: http://www.google.com/calendar
Docs & Spreadsheets: http://docs.google.com/
iGoogle: http://www.google.com/ig
Google Alerts: http://www.google.com/alerts

Questions Asked During Webinar:

Q. Are there privacy laws that funeral homes should be aware of when considering uploading video memorials / funeral services to YouTube?

A. I would refer to you YouTube's Policy & Copyright Guidelines:
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/topic.py?topic=10550
Also consult the provider of your music for your memorial videos and consider consulting your attorney.

Q. Are these Google tools free of charge or are there fees?

A. As of right now (June 19, 2007) all of the tools mentioned are free from Google. Google does have Enterprise solutions (for large companies) that have costs associated with them. Google monetizes many of its offerings with advertising, so in the future you may see ads associated with these tools and ads incorporated with some YouTube videos.

Q. You mentioned that Google then gives you a higher rating on search engines if you have something on their site (or YouTube). So, do you get a better search result even when searching Robin Heppell or just the video title?

A. It is hard to answer that since my name is in many sites, but conducting a search on Google for Robin Heppell today puts the YouTube video in 9th position with a lot of my sites as well as CANA, ICCFA and LinkedIn in the 1 - 8 positions. Regarding the title, when I search the complete title, "Why View Someone who has Died" the YouTube page is 1st and my page is 2nd. I actually prefer this since Google shows the image of the video, I would hazard a guess that if someone was interested in the question, they would probably watch the video for sure and may then look at other results. Then I would have established a greater connection with the person through the video and then they could connect to my site from the YouTube page. The goal is to have my message first, not just having my website first. As a "Search Engine" note, this blog will eventually rank high for the title of the video Why View Someone who has Died since it has been noted and in bold.

Q. Will Google Calendar synchronize with Outlook?

A. Yes, apparently there are some solutions. I am not promoting either one of these as they are for information only. Remote Calendars and Companion Link
This is one of this summer's projects so feel free to contact me to see what I have decided on.

Free Webinar for Funeral Directors - The New Internet - How will it Affect your Funeral Home

2007-06-04T10:37:00.002-07:00

Robin Heppell, Funeral Futurist, will be presenting the first webinar for the Funeral Gurus!

The New Internet - How will it Affect your Funeral Home

This session will identify the new technologies that make up Web 2.0 and how these services may affect funeral homes when helping families especially those who have experienced a death of the younger person - Generation X or Y. An example of Web 2.0 services are MySpace, Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and podcasts to name a few. This presentation will show how they work and how they can be used during the funeral process.

To Register Click Here

Letter to Bereaved Families regarding MySpace and Facebook Profiles

2007-05-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

Note to Funeral Directors: This letter can be used to inform families about MySpace and Facebook. Please feel free to use it or edit it to your liking when assisting your families.

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To the Families we serve:

During this time of the sudden loss of your child, I and my funeral home are here to support you and your family and also to assist you in creating a meaningful and personalized tribute for your son or daughter. Recently we have found that many young people belong to Internet social communities such as MySpace or Facebook and maybe your child was a member of one these.

These Internet services – called social networks - allow users to share their thoughts and interests and also connect with current and old friends and meet new ones. When someone who belongs to one of these online communities dies, their profile turns into an online memorial web page where their friends express their sympathies and condolences. These impromptu memorial sites can be a source of some comfort as many memories are shared. Families sometimes find hope, encouragement, and the discovery of the impact that their children had on the lives of others.

We would like to caution you though that these profiles sometimes can be a little surprising as users express themselves in what ever manner they wish to. Besides misspelled words, poor grammar and abbreviations, one may see profanity, suggestive photographs, and a uncensored glimpse into the personal lives of these young adults.

We suggest that you may have another family member or close friend to first review your son or daughter’s profile and then go through it with you. As well as being a source of support these profiles can assist in creating very meaningful funeral services. These profiles usually list favorite music, films, TV shows, books and even heroes – all information that can be incorporated into a personalized tribute service.

At this very difficult time, we realize that there is information coming to you from many directions and it may be difficult to absorb it all. We feel that it is our role to provide you with pertinent information and advise you how it may be used for the funeral and in the grieving process. I hope that this explanation has been helpful and please let me know if you need any further information about these online social networks or anything else about the funeral service.

Sincerely,
Robin Heppell
Your local funeral director

PS: A word of caution: There are other websites such as MyDeathSpace that chronicle the deaths of MySpace users. These new profiles are created when other users inform the website that someone has died. We are not promoting these sites but rather informing you that they exist. These sites get mixed reactions and if a profile of your son or daughter is created on one of these sites, you may choose to leave it on the website or you can request to have it removed.

ICCFA Presentation:Marketing to your Community through the Internet

2007-04-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, Nevada - ICCFA 2007 Convention at Mandalay Bay

Presentation Resources for
Marketing to your Community through the Internet

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Original Handouts:
Marketing to Your Community Through the Internet - Handouts

PowerPoint Presentation (.pdf format):
Marketing to Your Community Through the Internet - Presentation.

Supplemented Presentation Handouts:
Marketing to Your Community Through the Internet - Supplemented Handouts

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Order the Video of the Presentation on DVD
If you missed the presentation you can order a DVD recording of the presentation.

Excerpt of DVD
(Quality here has been reduced for Internet viewing)
ICCFA Special price of $35.00 (regular $49.00)

To order by phone or fax click here

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Tutorials on Internet Tools & Strategies
If you would like additional information and tutorials on how to apply some of the strategies covered in the presentation, there are 3 video CDs available:

Death Care Web 1.0

Checking & selecting domain names
Using additional domain names
Email address considerations
Using viral marketing to maximize web traffic
Creating & using email signatures
Using Google Toolbar & Google Alerts
Using a Anti-Spam checker

Death Care Web 2.0

Creating a Google Account
Creating a Blog for your firm
Creating Posts for your Blog
Personalize your Google Home Page
Creating your YouTube Account
Creating an Online Store with Amazon

Your Website vs. Your Competitors’ – A Case Study

Reviewing Website Codes (Metatags)
Checking Google rankings vs. competition
Checking Back Links
Applying strategies based on analysis

You will receive approx. 1 hour / CD of leading edge tips & tricks, interpreted for Death Care Professionals – applicable instruction that you can’t find anywhere else!

Sample Tutorial - Registering with LinkedIn

All CDs regular price: $49 ICCFA special: $35.
Order all three CDs for $75

To Order by phone or fax click here

Shipping included in North America. All fees are in US Funds.
Orders will be shipped immediately following release.

Funeral Futurist Explains the Many Ways of Reaching your Community via the Internet at ICCFA 2007

2007-03-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, Nevada - ICCFA 2007 Convention at Mandalay Bay

Over 150 delegates attended the Funeral Futurist's presentation on Marketing to your Community through the Internet. In his opening remarks, Heppell stated that Internet usage is rising faster than the cremation rate. The cremation rate in North America is approximately 35% - now double that to 70% and that is the number of Internet users in North America.

He stressed that Internet marketing is more the just website promotion and covered such topics as:

Considerations in setting up a Web site
The elements of an effective Web site
Email collection methods
Electronic newsletters and mailers
Viral marketing

Heppell revealed the results of his pre-convention eNewsletter campaign, which include many of the audience members, as well as informing them about the pros and cons of html vs. text newsletters.

His gem of the presentation was to do with Viral Marketing - using others to spread information. Heppell explained that after every arrangement he makes, and after uploading the obituary to the funeral home website, he sends the following email to all of the family members who provided their email addresses.

Kathleen and James...
I have uploaded the obituary notice to our website at www.YourFuneralChapel.com. You can go to it directly by clicking here. Feel free to forward these links to friends and family as we have found that it is an easy way to let a lot of people know about services times - especially on such short notice. Let me know if you need help with anything else.
...Rob (744-3595)

He then informed them, "This email would get sent to extended family and friends - probably the same people who would send flowers - so hopefully your website has the ability to receive orders!"

Heppell closed the presentation with a sneak peak into how Web 2.0 will affect Funeral Service. Web 2.0 includes blogs, podcasts, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr, Wikipedia, LinkedIn, and even the use of Google's tools such as its Calendar. (click image for video clip)

At the end of the presentation, Steve Moeller of Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was selected as the winner of the 30GB iPod drawing of those who responded to the pre-convention survey.

Following the presentation, Robin thanked the delegates and extended a special thanks to Linda Budzinski, Karen Gray, and all of the staff and board members of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association for an excellent convention!

Note: If you missed the presentation, want a copy of the presentation or handouts, or if you are interested in tutorials on how to apply the strategies discussed in the presentation - click here:
ICCFA Presentation, Handouts, Tutorials & DVD.

Photoshop for Funeral Directors: Memorial Folders – The Subtle Logo

2007-03-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

Normal Logo

You need to leave your mark on every folder, but you do not want it to have more prominence than the deceased. This tutorial will go through the steps of how to leave your mark – your brand – subtly. The three options that we will review today are:

The Foggy Logo

The Precise Logo

The Invisible Embossed Logo

The choice of which logo type you want to use will depend on other elements of the memorial folder, so it is advisable to try all of these effects, even customize them to your liking and then stick with 2 to 3 of them for consistency.

Want to Be More Progressive?

Use your URL (your domain name – www.YourFuneralChapel.com) instead of your logo. Using your URL has a three-fold benefit:

Letting attendees know that you have a web presence
Letting them know how to find your website
Still promoting your brand identity

Nowadays, even people who do not use the Internet understand what “.com” means so why not take advantage of letting 50 – 500 people know how to find out where they can find everything they could want to know about your funeral home.

The Initial Steps

The first steps are the same whether using your graphic logo or typing out your domain name.

Open the “Memorial Folder 2 Up Template.psd”
Place your brand identity near the bottom of the Outside Back quadrant

Logo: Open your logo file, copy it and paste it in your Memorial Folder Template, then size it and place in the desired location
URL Text: Select the Horizontal Type tool (Shift + T), drag a text box and type your domain name using a font similar to your logo and select Black as the text colour

Name this Layer Brand Identity : Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options (Right-click over desired layer in the Layer Pallet and click on Blending Options)
For all three of these styles you need to change the main Blending Options. This is accomplished by clicking on the top box in the left column titled Blending Options: Default (immediately above the Drop Shadow box)

Change the Advanced Blending, Fill Opacity to 0% (from 100%)

The Foggy Logo

Select the Brand Identity layer in the Layer Pallet
Go to Blending Options

Note: This style will use Drop Shadow, Inner Glow, & Color Overlay

Drop Shadow: change the default settings to:

· Opacity: 35%

· Distance: 20 px

· Spread: 15%

· Size: 55 px

Inner Glow: change the default settings to (see graphic):

· Opacity: 100%

· Color Palette: White

· Choke: 25%

· Size: 50 px

Color Overlay: change the default settings to:

· Blend Mode: Normal

· Color Pallet: Black

· Opacity: 100%

The Precise Logo

Go to Blending Options

Note: The Inner Glow, & Color Overlay settings are the same as the Foggy Logo, only the Drop Shadow settings change

Drop Shadow: change the default settings to:

· Opacity: 35%

· Distance: 10 px

· Spread: 5%

· Size: 10 px

The Invisible Logo

This style of logo works best when you have a colour image that covers the entire panel.

Go to Blending Options

Bevel and Emboss (not the sub categories of Contour or Texture): change the default settings to:

· Style: Outer Bevel

· Depth: 500%

· Size: 5 px

· Soften: 15 px

Optional: If due to the background image your logo cannot be seen, try adding a very fine outline (Stroke)

Stroke: change the default settings to:

· Size: 1 px

· Position: Outside

· Opacity: 50%

· Fill Type: Color

· Color: Black (or other desired color)

As with the Polaroid Effect tutorial, you should experiment with the various calibrations in the Blending Options to achieve your desired results. Once you have the styles that you like, you can save them by opening the Blending Options and click the New Style… button. Give this new style a name and check off both Include Layer Effects and Include Layer Blending Options. It should then appear at the bottom of your Styles pallet (Menu Bar > Window > Styles).

Remember, Memorial Folders are keepsakes for all who attend your services and although you cannot have it look like an advertisement for your funeral home, this subtle approach will let them know where the it came from.

You can download the working Photoshop (.psd) file named: “Your_Funeral_Chapel_logo.psd” by going to www.funeralfuturist.com > Resources > Tutorials

Note: If you have not used Photoshop for creating memorial folder before, please see the first tutorial, Memorial Folders – The Basics. It can be downloaded at:

www.funeralfuturist.com > Resources > Tutorials

Photoshop for Funeral Directors: Memorial Folders - The Polaroid Effect

2007-03-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

More than any other effect, I get asked, “How do you make a photo look like a Polaroid?” In this tutorial we will walk through the steps to accomplish this. If you have not used Photoshop for creating memorial folder before, please see the first tutorial, Memorial Folders – The Basics. It can be downloaded at: www.funeralfuturist.com > Resources > Tutorials

The Polaroid Effect

In an effort to get away from the dreaded feathered, oval vignettes that appear on so many memorial folders, this is one effect that will be very hard for the do-it-yourself families to emulate.

Note:

· Photoshop terms are Bold and titles are Bold Italics

· Menu Bar items and their paths are separated by “>” and keystrokes are in (brackets) – just use either the Menu Bar items or the keystrokes even though both are shown

Open the desired photo of the deceased in Photoshop.
You will need to resize the photo so the end result is a 2.5 X 2.5 inch square at 150 pixels / inch. Tip: When using the Rectangle Marque Tool – a.k.a. Selection Tool (Shift + M), drag the selection and hold the Shift key so that it will make a perfect square as the Shift key keeps the selection in proportion. Name this layer: Polaroid Photo: Layer > Layer Properties > Name (Right-click over the layer, click on Layer Properties > Name)
Go to Blending Options for this layer, click on Stroke, change the settings to:

Size: 1 px
Opacity: 50%
Color: Black

Expand your Canvas Size: Image > Canvas Size > Width: 4 inches; Height: 5 inches – make sure that the Relative box is unchecked
Create a New Layer: Layer > New > Layer (Shift + Ctrl + N), place it under the Polaroid Photo layer and name the new layer Polaroid Background
In this new layer, using the Rectangle Marque Tool (Shift + V), drag the selection so that it is 3 x 3.5 inches. Tip: Start dragging at the top-left and watch the dotted lines in the Ruler until they get to the desired size or you can watch the size measurement grow in the in the bottom-right of the Info Pallet.
Fill the selection with the colour white using the Paint Bucket Tool (Shift + G)
With the Move Tool (Shift + V) position the Polaroid Background layer so that it is centred behind the Polaroid Photo layer at the top, left, and right, leaving the extra ¾ inch white portion hanging under the photo
With the Horizontal Type Tool (Shift + T) make a rectangle over the white area under the photo and type the deceased’s name and years of birth and death – use a font that resembles handwriting such as “Brush Script”
We will now merge these 3 layers together so that they become one layer. Make sure that you have hidden any other layers, especially the Background layer if there is one. Also double-check the spelling since you will not be able to change it after this step. Layer > Merge Visible (Shift + Ctrl + E)
Now copy this image and paste it into your Memorial Folder Template and then position it in the Outside Front quadrant
Rotate this Layer approximately 2° clockwise to give it a “placed-on-the-table” look. Select the Move Tool (Shift + V), place your mouse near the top-right corner of the Polaroid image and when the cursor changes to a curved, double arrow, click and hold the mouse and move it to the desired rotation. If you cannot see the double arrow cursor, go to: View > Extras (Ctrl + H). Press Enter to accept the Transformation.
Go to Blending Options for this layer and change the settings for Drop Shadow, Bevel and Emboss, and Gradient Overlay

Drop Shadow

Bevel & Emboss

Gradient Overlay

Feel free to tinker with the settings if you wish. The Polaroid Effect is just an example of continually raising the bar for your personalization offerings. Please check future issues for more Photoshop tutorials. The next tutorial is Memorial Folders - The Subtle Logo.

Funeral Homes Beating the New Competitor

2007-02-10T05:14:00.000-08:00

Today, funeral home owners and managers not only face competition from other funeral homes, they have to fend off the threat of "substitutes" - those who are trying to expand their offerings into the funeral industry. This posting will identify some of the potential substitutes coupled with some strategies to keep them at bay or form a strategic alliance.

Costco (and other outsiders) Selling Caskets:
Due to past pricing strategies that put to much financial emphasis on funeral merchandise, third parties (those outside of the funeral industry) such as Costco, Casket Stores, and Internet Retailers are now offering caskets and other funeral merchandise for lower prices than offered by funeral homes.
Solution: Put a higher emphasis on your professional service fees and lower your merchandise prices. Many funeral homes and larger funeral corporations have already adopted this strategy. View this example: Bay Gardens Funeral & Memorial Centre, Burlington, Ontario.

Hotels & Golf Courses offering facilities for Memorial Services & Memorial Receptions:
As other industries are looking to horizontally integrate their resources into new markets, both Golf Courses and Hotels have large banquet facilities that are usually empty during the week. Their Event Coordinators are mandated to try to fill these vacant rooms with any type of event, but since a Memorial Service will usually bring in more revenues with catering and liquor sales over educational seminars.
Solution A: Have updated facilities that include reception and catering capabilities and even have the ability to serve beer and wine if the families desire that.
Solution B: Form a strategic alliance with the golf course / hotel event planner. The last thing that these event planners want to have to deal with, is having to organize a memorial service with a grieving family. We are the ones that have knowledge and the compassion, so we would be providing value to the event planner – making their job easier, and even though you may not be getting “Use of Chapel” fee, you can become the “Preferred Service Provider” for these venues, hence increasing your call base and touching more people.

Event Planners joining forces with Hotels:
Event planners - those who supply displays for conventions and home shows - have a huge inventory of various props for themed events. For example, they could have beach / cabana themes, gardening themes, golfing themes, gambling / Vegas themes, and even an Elvis theme for those who are fans of the King. Before these events planners start approaching hotels and convention centers (who they work with together on a regular basis) to see how they can make additional revenues, you can approach them, take a look at their inventory of props, etc., get pricing information, and maybe even have pictures of the various themes. Then you will be prepared the next time you get the request, "Dad and Mom met at Graceland and were huge Elvis fans, Mom would love it if we had something to do with Elvis at Dad's funeral."
Example: Island Displays, Victoria, BC.

Needing a Creative Consultant?
If you are trying to make your services more distinctive - different & better from your competitor and want to add some flare or panache to the front of your chapel, but you do not want to hire someone on a full-time basis. You may already be in constant contact with someone and not even realize it. Your local florist! They will naturally have more creativity than the average funeral director as that is what they do on daily basis. Florists often set up flowers for weddings and other events - why not at your funeral home? Maybe you can make a deal with them to arrive 1 or 2 hours prior to the service to set up the flowers and other memorabilia as a value-added service to you sending them all of your floral orders - and you can still ask for your commission as well. Florists today do not get the same number of orders for funerals as they used to so they too need to raise their level of service and you get your own "Martha" on staff!

Did the Little League Coach die?
Even though your chapel may hold 200 people, when the Little League coach dies in your town consider holding the service at the ballpark! Contact your local rental company and find out how much it would cost to rent and set up 200 chairs and a 20 foot stage in the infield. Views, smells, and noises at the ballpark can't be replicated at the funeral home. Even consider serving hot dogs at the reception out of the concession stand - how fitting would the smell of cooked onions be? Thinking outside the confines of your own facilities in this situation would be a home run. This same creativity is not just for baseball; hockey coach at the arena, football coach at the stadium, soccer coach at the field - plus these ideas can be applied for players as well as coaches.