Strategic Brief:

Initiative:

This program revolves around the worthy ideal of being of service to others. The contents of the program are based on the life and work of Dr. Russell Herman Conwell.

Why Is This Initiative Important?

Dr. Russell Herman Conwell not only founded Temple University in Philadelphia, he also was instrumental in founding the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. Primary to Dr. Conwell’s ministry was his use of two life affirming experiences first is his story of “Acres of Diamonds” and second is his experience with a little girl named Hattie May Wiatt, and her 57 cents.

What Is The Goal of This Initiative?

It is always valuable for individuals in service professions to take a moment to reflect upon the substance of what service to others is. This is particularly true in these highly complicated times.

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

Simply use the program that is included in this mailing and the goal of presenting a worthy program about a worthy ideal will be achieved.

What Are The Other Opportunities For This Program?

The staff directory can be used for a variety of purposes.  You might set a stack of the directories out in the main foyer of the funeral home as a pick up item at visitations, and services.  You might also hand them to each and every family during the time of arrangements so they know who is who in your funeral home.  Certainly the directories ought to be handed out at each and every community presentation that you have.  This is a great way to create a visible long arm impact on the entire community for just pennies.

This program can be implemented in any service oriented group or profession in your community such as Rotary, Hospice, church organizations and all service groups.

TVB.

Resource Kit

• Action Plan Rituals: Word
• Data Disk Contents: Word
• Evaluation Form Rituals: Word
• Kit Intro Letter: Word
• Kit Intro Letter – Mail Merge: Word
• Script Rituals: Word
• Strategic Brief Rituals: Word
• Presentation Flyer: PPT
• Presentation: PPT
• Presentation – Grave Tour Authors: PPT

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected].

If you have any suggestions for additional resources that would make this initiative more successful for you, please let us know.

Please listen to this brief audio overview about the Clergy Relations program called Rituals Are Just More Than Ceremonies.

Strategic Brief:

Initiative: Rituals – The Other Language

The funeral profession, at its core, is basically a ritualistic experience.

Why Is This Initiative Important?

A continuing exploration and understanding of human rituals is important simply because so many human beings from all walks of life use rituals and ceremonies when significant life events, both planned and unplanned enter their lives. The more professionals understand about rituals, the more insightful will be the response when we are called to help.

What Is The Goal of This Initiative?

The overall goal of this program is to step by step analyze the basic components of rituals and how they relate and effect the human beings involved.

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

The content of this seminar is designed to achieve the goal of presenting valuable information to allied professional groups such as Hospice workers, clergy, nurses, etc. The PowerPoint program which is included will make this information easily presented and understood.

What Are The Other Opportunities For This Program?

In actuality the audience for this type of program is basically all the community, since basically everybody in every community is one way or another connected with and involved with rituals and ceremonies. This program can be used in general education seminars, in civic groups, and in fraternal organizations. If rituals are present in your own community then this program will be of value to everyone.

TVB.

Resource Kit

• Action Plan Rituals: Word
• Data Disk Contents: Word
• Evaluation Form Rituals: Word
• Kit Intro Letter: Word
• Kit Intro Letter – Mail Merge: Word
• Script Rituals: Word
• Strategic Brief Rituals: Word
• Presentation Flyer: PPT
• Presentation Rituals: PPT

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected].

If you have any suggestions for additional resources that would make this initiative more successful for you, please let us know.

Please listen to this brief audio overview about the First Scholarly Research Project called The Cocoanut Grove Fire.

Strategic Brief:

Initiative:

This program is designed to present to both hospice and clergy groups the fascinating story behind the first scholarly research project into the world of human grief.

Why Is This Initiative Important?

The results of this effort and study into the dynamics of human grief is of great importance to clergy and hospice workers in the efforts to further understand and be sensitive and informed as to the psychological dynamics of what happens to a human being when experiencing the emotion of grief.

What Is The Goal of This Initiative?

The goal of this program is to simply offer both the clergy and hospice people information that they probably have never been exposed to.

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

The plan is simple and direct.  Just follow the templates and instructions which have been sent to you, and get going.  These ideas are easy and economical.

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

The power point program which has been developed provides you an easy and professional way to make this important program available to both the clergy and hospice organizations.

What Are The Other Opportunities For This Program?

Basically the information contained in this program can be presented to most any group of people other than children because the information and conclusions of the study into the Cocoanut Grove Fire simply tells a fascinating account of what happened, but also combines insightful information pertaining to just living life on a day to day basis.

Adding to this powerful information is that simple fact that the story about the Fire is true, which makes it all the more compelling to audiences throughout your community. This program is powerful.

TVB.

Resource Kit

• Action Plan: Word
• Introduction Letter: Word
• Evaluation Form: Word
• PowerPoint Presentation: PPT
• Presentation Flyer: PPT

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected].

If you have any suggestions for additional resources that would make this initiative more successful for you, please let us know.

Please listen to this brief audio overview about the Clergy Relations program called Operation Raving Fans.

Strategic Brief:

Initiative:

This program offers two easy and simple ideas to enhance in a quiet unassuming manner the funeral homes relationships with the clergy in your community, as well as possibly others.

Why Is This Initiative Important?

The relationships what funeral homes build with their community clergy require little or no comment or analysis at all.  Part of quality funeral service has always included effective and healthy clergy relationships.  This relationship building is an ongoing process for there are never any guarantees concerning how people, the clergy included, view a particular funeral home.

What Is The Goal of This Initiative?

The goal of this program is to simply please the clergy with two small but effective courtesies.  There are no brass bands or bravado with these ideas, just dignified and kind attention expressed to significant people in your community.

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

The plan is simple and direct.  Just follow the templates and instructions which have been sent to you, and get going.  These ideas are easy and economical.

What Are The Other Opportunities For This Program?

The staff directory can be used for a variety of purposes.  You might set a stack of the directories out in the main foyer of the funeral home as a pick up item at visitations, and services.  You might also hand them to each and every family during the time of arrangements so they know who is who in your funeral home.  Certainly the directories ought to be handed out at each and every community presentation that you have.  This is a great way to create a visible long arm impact on the entire community for just pennies.

Because everybody has a car, the audience for the courtesy car wash program should, at the beginning anyway, be limited to the clergy.  That will be a good place to start, but over time who knows, you might branch the courtesy out to other groups (but not on a regular basis.)  For instance I know of one funeral professional who here and there, now and then, every once in a while gives a courtesy car wash coupon to their postal person, or their UPS person, or the flower delivery person.  It always provides a pleasant surprise, and is well worth the time and effort.

TVB.

Resource Kit

• Action Plan: Word
• Staff Bio Worksheets: Word
• Staff Directory: Word
• Car Wash Coupons: Word
• Letter to Car Wash Business: Word

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected].

If you have any suggestions for additional resources that would make this initiative more successful for you, please let us know.

Please listen to this brief audio overview about the Hospice Relations program featuring Dr. Cicely Saunders.

Strategic Brief:

Initiative:

Live presentation at your local hospice

Tile:

Dr. Cicely Saunders – The Lady Who Changed the Way People Die

Topic:

Dr. Cicely Saunders was the founder of Hospice and whose unwavering work and commitment to how to help people with terminal illnesses die with dignity.

Why Is This Topic Important?

The Dr. Cicely Saunders story is important to funeral directors for this major reason – most hospice people don’t know who Cicely Saunders was and have probably never heard of her.  If you as the funeral director can help fill in this void, you will be seen as a death expert – even more so in their eyes – as it is aligned with their passion and their work and won’t be seen as self-serving as a topic.

What Is The Goal of This Topic?

There are two goals that you can achieve by presenting the Dr. Cicely Saunders story.  First by educating this group on the story of the founder of their career path, they will naturally become more passionate about what they do as they will be inspired to follow and fulfill her vision.  Secondly, this topic is the perfect lead in to creating a relationship with your local hospice and giving you the credibility so that you can continue to provide future presentations.

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

For this month’s Hospice Relations topic, we have provided you with a 15 to 20 minute presentation (plus a number of discussion questions that should round out the half hour), complete with PowerPoint slides and accompanying script as well as a complete Resource Kit containing pre-written letters, check list and evaluation form.  The check list will be your guide to ensure that you follow all of the necessary steps so that this initiative will be as successful as possible.

You should expect to have a small group of 5 to 10 Hospice care workers – maybe more, but don’t let the small numbers discourage you as these people are very influential and over the course of the next five years they will be direct contact with hundreds of families that will need the services of a funeral home – and they will not forget your Dr. Cicely Saunders presentation for many years to come.  Just as my most popular presentation was the Assassination and Funeral of Abraham Lincoln – because it is a general interest topic for funeral directors – the Dr. Cicely Saunders presentation would be the same for hospice workers.

It is worth noting that you may not receive instant acceptance to your initial attempt to get this new program in the door but I am sure that with this topic – being completely aligned with what they do, and not necessarily with what you do – will get you closer than any other attempts.  If you receive any resistance from your local hospice, please email us at [email protected] so that I can provide suggestions on how to help you be successful in your attempts.  Remember that even if you end up never presenting this topic to your local hospice, you have started the relationship building process and by being “serving” and not “self-serving” and the law of reciprocity will eventually work in your favor.

What Are The Other Opportunities For This Program?

The other major benefits of the Dr. Cicely Saunders story is that you can use it many times over to a variety of different groups as it is a universal topic of interest since almost everyone has been touch by someone dying of a terminal illness.

I would suggest that you approach your local church groups – especially the ladies groups of the church, and for that matter any community women’s group as it will be of keen interest because of the fact the Dr. Saunders overcame so many obstacles in her life.  Other opportunities would be nursing home staffs, Rotary, Kiwanis, Rescue Workers and even Scout Groups.  I am sure that you can think of a number of different groups specific to your area who would also find this topic most interesting.

TVB.

Resource Kit:

• Action Plan: Word
• Introduction Letter: Word
• Evaluation Form: Word
• Presentation Script: Word
• PowerPoint Presentation: PPT
• Presentation Flyer: PPT

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected].

If you have any suggestions for additional resources that would make this initiative more successful for you, please let us know.