Funeral Words

On the Lighter Side

With all the serious work we do day in day out, sometimes it helps to look at things from the lighter side. Take a look at Limbz Skeletal Replacement System, a complete system of adjustable PVC long bone replacements to use in your reconstructive work.

Please understand that I do not work often in the prep-room nor do I have direct experience with this product. It just looks like a much more flexible alternative to broom handles and other home made replacements.

If any one of you has used these, please post a comment and let us know how well they work.

They do not appear to have a functioning website yet. The brochure I brought home from the show includes 9 upper extremity appliances from a flexible shoulder joit to a full upper and lower arm replacement. They also make several lower exremity replacements and an adjustable spine. Worth a look.

You can reach them at 800-251-IVAN or email at limbz@voyager.net

Simple Solution Packed with Value

I waited a few days to post this. I wanted to get a better picture from the samples I had ordered but they have not arrived yet at the funeral home. Nevertheless, click on the photo and you will get a sense of what Cremation Solutions has in store for your consumers.

Yes, these look like and act as bird housed, however, these are designed to start out as scattering urns. In other words, they successfully answer the age old question, "What do I do with the container after the scattering???" Prices are reasonable for the containers themselves ($125 - $200) and they come to you packed with value. Each urn arrives with a seed cake to hang outside for the birds and each comes packed in wood wool with an explanation card which talks about setting out the packing materials for the birds to use in building nests.

Life Like Bronze Plaques

Some products just catch you off guard and Trigard's new approach to permanent memorials called "Engraved Bronze" hit me square between the eyes. They have the means to take snapshots, photographs (even screen shots from a computer system) and turn these into a permanent bronze marker with all the detail and shading preserved. Amazing.

They look pretty cool in the magazine ads but when you see them up close. Wow. Just look at the Pat Tillman marker above and see the detail of uniforms and facial expression. Or look at this second picture and see the detail in the hair and eyes. Seems like the possibilities are just about limitless and the basic prices they quoted for some of the items on display seemed very reasonable.

My only question is when will they come up with a complete urn receptacle which families could choose to place on their own property with the engraved plaque as the memorial. After-all, in lots of places cemetery costs are getting out of hand. We need to have less expensive options to offer families in place of the traditional process. This could be a great alternative.

Find out more at,  http://www.trigardengravedbronze.com/  or call 800-798-4900

Consumer Focus on the Web

I still have a number of other companies and products to mention from the convention. Let me not forget to talk about Beyond Indigo. This group developed the website for Hathaway Family Funeral Homes where I manage and work. Check it out at www.hathawayfunerals.com .

If you care about the families you serve, it is critical that you consider Beyond Indigo for your next web development project. Why you may ask? Because they have learned how to ask the right questions of real grieving people and they have learned to tailor their work to accommodated real people in the real world.

Urns with Style AND Margin

Four or five years ago Howard Miller appeared at the NFDA Convention with a small booth filled with prototype urns. I remember my curiosity about these beautiful lacquered boxes and then the stunned silence when the rep told me about the targeted wholesale price. He quoted prices less than half of comparable units from traditional casket manufacturers

Since then, I had lost track of their progess, up till my visit to the expo floor this year. The products have only gotten better since I first saw them and the prices still amaze. For instance, the above pictured clock with a sheet bronze insert costs all of $207.50 in oak or cherry. The face opens outward to reveal the urn and closes with a lock and key. No one needs to know this is anything but a mantel clock.

Precious Moments Series

We all have the tragic responsibility of serving families after the loss of a small child or infant. The stationary companies have all had books and cards to help us personalize our services but we have never had anything like this.

Messenger has licensed images from the Precious Moments line of figurines and created a new series of register books, acknowledgment cards, prayer cards, lamination pouches and even a special figurine to meet the special needs of a young family. The images provide a level of comfort and familiarity we have not been able to offer in the past.

I looked on the Messenger website and did not see any information about this new line. Nevertheless, here's the link for future reference. Messenger  You can also reach Messenger at 800-827-5151.

Portable Sound--Amazing

Over the next several days I will post my impressions of several key products and resources I discovered on the floor of the NFDA Expo in Chicago. I sought out options and alternatives that may not make it into the regular convention coverage but which represent the future of our business. I went at it with a particular eye for future profit opportunites, though some items (like the portable PA system pictured here) fall into the cool products category. Items you just need to know about.

Click on the photo above to get a closer look at the Fender P-10W ultra-portable public address system. No bigger than a lantern-battery flash light, this rechargable unit can go any where and work for 8 hours straight between charges. On the bottom you will find a threaded anchor which will screw on to the top of a standard microphone stand or just set the unit on a nearby headstone. Turn on the wireless mike and you have the most simple, portable and convenient speaker system in the business.

BT's Biggest Bargain

[Update: The recordings were done by MobilTape and they will have an order link up on their site in a few days. I will give you a direct link once it becomes available.]

WHEW!!! What a fantastic convention! NFDA put together a beauty here in Chicago and Chicago contributed brilliantly. What a beautiful city, to the point that my wife started talking about moving here after out kids have gone off to college. I will have to keep you posted about that one.

I have much to say about this convention and you will find a variety of posts over the next several days as I gather my thoughts (and my luggage) and head for home. Right now I think it paramount to mention my best bargain of the convention. Maybe, you can still get in on it too.

I presented at two seminars this week and I wanted recordings of each so that I could listen through them and review my delivery and style. I want to get better. I knew this would be an easy thing because NFDA has hired a firm to record all the sessions of a convention for years. Just run downstairs, fill out a form and I would have my "tape". And that's when I saw it, the ENTIRE CONVENTION in MP3 format for a fixed price of $150.00! Now, I know many of you sill have not delved into the world of MP3 music and players and all. Nevertheless, for any of you out there with young help, for any of you educators out that that wants to expose your students to quality programming, for anyone curious enough to try, $150.00 is a tremendous bargain for all that programming.

I apologize. For the moment I cannot tell you the name of the recording company. I will have to track down someone from NFDA to give me the information. Do watch right here on my site for a "podcast" version of the 60 ideas in 60 minutes program I led this Tuesday. This means you will have the ability to download the file and listen to it on you computer or a portable audio player. Just one more learning experience here in the realm of online living and communications.

Enough for now. Much more to come. Keep watching for convention details in the days ahead.

Oh, and safe, uneventful travels for all those headed home today and in the days ahead.

BT

The Virtual FD--ME!!

I know I have glazed over a few funeral directors these last few years with talk about the “coming” virtual world of funeral service. A place still some years in the future where we will need to knit together layers of technology and communication so that people can grieve in ways that fit a world full of virtual relationships. I knew that “someday” we would work as virtual funeral directors part of the time because some people (and eventually many people) would only know each other through email and weblogs and chat rooms and all the rest. Little did I think this idea would turn into reality THIS WEEK and would hit home (very literally) so soon.