The first step is to think outside of your funeral director mindset and think about how you would want to be approached about your end of life decisions. At NFDA this year, Bill McQueen revealed that over 60% of hospices are recommending that their patients choose a direct cremation. Could it be because there’s a lack of trust in funeral service? A number of funeral homes build trust with Hospice organizations by offering workshops at hospices for families on end of life decisions. That positions you as a go-to in your community for that. Once you build that trust, then it’s time to think about how to approach the consumer directly. Check out The Conversation Project’s website for ideas… it’s very personal and educational… great approach: https://theconversationproject.org/

Thanks, Alan. I’ll have to look into that foundation. Interesting, indeed. So many people see preplanning as a “scary” or “awful” decision to make. For example, I’m embarrassed to admit I watched the episode of The Kardashians where the mom preplanned her funeral, and her family got mad at her and said it was “creeping them out.” That view needs to be changed, because those conversations are more than important… they’re what will keep this profession afloat in 10 years.

Thanks for the comment Ana 🙂 I agree 100%. I think FD’s are sensitive to the needs, but not seeing the opportunity in helping them make their end-of-life experience count. That’s where the huge piece of the puzzle is missing…

Thanks, Jeff. The creativity definitely isn’t there. I think collaboration with other community organizations is where we’ll succeed.