New technology is changing how we plan AND attend a funeral…
Both Funeral Directors and Families Benefit From New Funeral Technologies
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.
The moral of the story…
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 Directors Association (www.nfda.org) 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.”
New technology…or not?
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 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.
Just as they have done for centuries, most Funeral Directors are quickly adapting to these new innovations. One of the key ways a Funeral Director can measure success is through knowing the families they serve can make the most out of a difficult situation. Since these technologies can often add tremendous benefits to their valued public service, most Funeral Directors are being proactive by taking advantage of these new opportunities in the marketplace today versus sitting around and waiting for the families to request them.
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.
Two things we know for certain…
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 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 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.
Learn more about these 3 most popular funeral planning technologiesnow.
Christopher P. Hill, Founder