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New Technology Tools Are Changing Our
Lives - Even How We Plan Or Attend a Funeral
By Christopher P Hill
New Funeral Technology is Improving the Great Value and
Support a Funeral Director Offers Families
The following is a true story;
"Not too long ago, a friend of mine approached me whose
aunt had just recently passed away. He was unable to
travel to the funeral service due to a serious prior
work commitment, but was comforted to hear that the
technology existed to broadcast the funeral service LIVE
on the internet. At his request, we contacted the
funeral home that was caring for his aunt and informed
them of the family's desire to broadcast their memorial
service LIVE on the Internet. Unfortunately, this
particular Funeral Home was not willing to expand their
services for his family's request and take advantage of
today's new technologies. I regret to say that my friend
was unable to participate in his aunt's life
celebration, and his family was extremely upset when
they heard about the incident." Curtis Funk, President,
FuneralRecording.com.
If you really think about this story, not only can I can
assure you that this person's family will be taking
their future business elsewhere, but I can also assure
you that there are many other people who will be hearing
about this story.
Now, maybe this story is an extremely uncommon
situation, but what I believe is most important here is
the underlying message. Funeral Webcasting, despite all
of the recent hype in the funeral industry, is by no
means a new technology. In fact, over the last few years
it has been quickly gaining traction to the point where
most family members are beginning to request it, or at
the very least, expect this to be a regular part of a
Funeral Director's recommendations and services. So I
cannot emphasize enough how important it that Funeral
Directors embrace the many new technologies that are
being so widely embraced today.
To further prove this point, in the March 2009 edition
of the National Funeral Director's Association's
Magazine, "Director", John D. Reed, NFDA's President,
had the following to say; "There is no doubt that with
today's technology, even the smallest Funeral Homes can
be more competitive and cost-effective and offer the
families they serve a wider range of products and
services...imagine how much you could increase your
bottom line by taking a bold step and incorporating
inexpensive technology into your business operations."
The reality is Funeral Webcasting is just one of today's
many new and innovative technologies that are widely
recognized in the funeral industry as common services
that help make a difficult situation a little easier. In
fact, in a recent article by Fox News regarding their
choices for the Top 8 Tech Trends of 2010, their #1 Tech
Trend was; "You'll Attend a Funeral Online".
I can also assure you that after recently experiencing
the personal loss of my mother in 2008, I firmly believe
there are also several other technologies that can
significantly benefit most families. In fact, our
surveys indicate that Funeral DVD Video Tributes and a
Memorial Websites are also among the most popular
technology tools families are searching for today.
Therefore, it only makes sense that these should be
viewed as standard services that today's Funeral
Directors recommend and provide.
The reality is that these new technologies can also help
every Funeral Director in multiple ways, such as help
strengthen their relationship their families and
communities, keep pace with the competition, increase
website traffic, receive more family referrals, increase
their credibility, and open up many more opportunities
for expansion and growth.
My strong suggestion for every Funeral Director is,
rather than sitting around and waiting for the families
to request these technologies before you begin offering
them, consider being proactive and taking advantage of
these new opportunities in the marketplace today. By
doing so, I am fully confident that you will see
immediate benefits for both your families and business.
It is also important to point out that if your
competitors have not already done so, you can be sure
they will be capitalizing on these new technology tools
and integrating them as a standard part of the services
they suggest and provide.
Our experience with both families and Funeral Directors
is that regardless of the family's situation, or the
size of your city or town, families of all kinds and
sizes will warmly embrace and accept these types of
services when they are correctly presented to them.
So in summary, here are some things we know for certain.
First, given the advent of the Internet and the constant
evolution of new and improved technology, we know for
certain that one of the many keys to the future of the
funeral industry is keeping pace with today's constantly
changing environment. Second, we know for certain that
Funeral Directors will do what they have done for
centuries, which is find new ways to adapt the these
changes. Our goal at FuneralResources is to help
facilitate this process sooner versus later.
Christopher P. Hill, Founder - FuneralResources.com |
