Strategic Brief:

Initiative:

This is the first in the series of “Rest in Peace” the grave tour of famous people. The first topic covered is the grave sites of famous authors.

Why Is This Initiative Important?

This program tells an interesting account of the final resting places of some of the most famous authors in history. Most everyone is interested in the stories that cemeteries have to tell, and for this reason our new series will have relevance to any community.

After giving a number of presentations about interesting topics, you will be seen as an expert when it comes to funeral related issues – a position that can’t be bought by advertising – and more importantly in this process you will be building relationships with all attendees – and that is what the Funeral Relations Mastery program is all about.

What Is The Goal of This Initiative?

The goal of the program is to entertain and inform.

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

Simply follow the script that has been provided in this program.

What Are The Other Opportunities for this Program

This program can easily be adapted to most any audience in particular library groups, and literary groups, and book clubs.

If you feel that there is any resource that is not provided and that would guarantee that you would take action, please let us know and if it is in our power, we will create it for you. Just email us at [email protected].

TVB.

Resource Kit:

• Action Plan: Word
• Script Grave Tour Authors: Word
• Introduction Letter: Word
• Introduction Letter (Mail Merge): Word
• Strategic Brief – People of Letters: Word
• Evaluation Form: Word
• Presentation Flyer – People of Letters: PPT
• Presentation – Grave Tour Authors: PPT

Please listen to this brief audio overview about creating a Funeral Information Line for your funeral home.

Strategic Brief:

Initiative:

This funeral home community outreach program provides a step by step, how-to program on implementing what is called “The Funeral Home Information Line.”

Why Is This Initiative Important?

This program was designed with the elderly population, who might not be comfortable with computer connections, a method of learning additional information concerning the variety of services offered by the funeral home, as well as additional information concerning information of general funeral interest by the public.

What Is The Goal of This Initiative?

This program has to goal of reaching audiences of people in each community concerning funeral service information in a very easy and extremely economical manner for the funeral home client.

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

Follow the blue print that is included in this month’s program package.

What are the other opportunities for this program?

The “Funeral Home Information Line” is so simple that in reality it can be altered, and/or added to with ease. In fact if any of our clients have specific topic requests that you would like to have specifically developed for your individual funeral homes simply contact us and Todd will write up an individual script to comply with the request. The sky is the limit concerning opportunities for this program.

Heppell’s Suggestions: After getting your Information Line setup and going, it doesn’t mean that you have to stop there. Here are two suggestions:

Take the same scripts and record them on your computer and save them as MP3 format. There is a free audio recording and editing program called Audacity which can be downloaded at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/. Once you have recorded the scripts, they can be uploaded to your website and installed with a Flash MP3 Player – your website master can do this for you.

Take the MP3s that you just recorded and import them into Windows Movie Maker (or iMovie for Macs) and create a still image(s) using PowerPoint or a graphics program about the topic. Then produce it as a web movie and upload it to YouTube and other video sharing websites.

If you feel that there is any resource that is not provided and that would guarantee that you would take action, please let us know and if it is in our power, we will create it for you. Just email us at [email protected].

TVB.

Resource Kit:

• Information Line: Word
• Information Line Flyer: PPT
• Strategic-Brief: Funeral-Information-Line: Word

Please listen to a brief audio overview of the Tips for the Widower program.

Strategic Brief: Tips for the Widower

Initiative:

This program is a first in our profession, and was developed with one aftercare idea in mind – helping the widower with dealing with practical aspects of living life after the death of a spouse.

Tile: “Tips for the Widower”

Topic:
This program covers some major life adjustment issues that are faced by most widowers. Namely: doing laundry, cooking healthy meals, cleaning up a house/apartment, shopping for groceries, and general overall personal hygiene.

Why Is This Initiative Important?

This program is very important simply because so many widower’s are left to their own devises after the death of their spouse, and this is particularly true when all the surviving children live in areas far away from their parent’s home.

What Is The Goal of This Initiative?

As with all the programs the goal is simple: to help and serve people. That’s it!

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

Just give this booklet out to each and every family you service. Many funeral homes quietly and simply put the booklet in packet containing the register book.

What Are The Other Opportunities For This Program?

In a general sense this program is universal, a type of “evergreen program.” You can utilize the contents of this information for most every human being who lives in your community. Also this program is an example of a “seed planting” program, whereby you just hand the booklet out and let the program take a life on of its own. This program is also very inexpensive – just paper, that’s it.

Email us at [email protected].

TVB.

Resource Kit:

• Action Plan: Word
• Strategic Brief – Strategic Brief Tips for the Widower: Word
• Tips for the Widower: Word
• Introduction Letter: Word

Please listen to this brief audio overview about the Foundation of your Community Outreach program.

Funeral of George Washington Initiative: This program is a literal catch all for any group in your community from pre-school to the senior citizens center.  George Washington is literally a part of the fabric of our country, and the story of his final days and funeral make for fascinating information regardless of what group you are presenting it to.  Most Americans know something about the Father of Our Country, but few if any will be familiar with this information. Tile: The Death and Funeral of President George Washington:  First in War, First in Peace, First in the Hearts of His Countrymen. Topic: This community outreach program covers the interesting events of the funeral rituals that were provided to President George Washington upon his unexpected death in 1799.  This program will last approximately 30 minutes. Why Is This Initiative Important? This program relates a very interesting story about the founding years of our country. The program is a time traveler to the past, and also documents an experience concerning the inherent value of rites, rituals and ceremonies. What Is The Goal of This Initiative? The goal of this program is simple and direct:  entertain, educate, and impress your community with a well researched and produced program on an interesting part of their own history.  The public enjoys this program very much. How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal? At your next staff meeting, brainstorm with the staff and identify at least 3 potential groups for the program. Follow the Action Plan and see the Resource Kit for complete details. What Are The Other Opportunities For This Program? This program is truly an “evergreen” program which means that you can take this program about our first president anyway and give it to basically any group.  Of particular interest will be the attraction of this program to your local Masonic bodies.  Washington’s funeral was basically conducted by the Masonic Lodge and the Masons in your community are guaranteed to find this account very interesting and enjoyable to witness, for George Washington is still the most famous Mason in the United States. TVB.

Funeral of John A. Macdonald Initiative: This program is unique, it captures a portion of Canadian history which has been given little attention, and however this program tells a fascinating story.  It is the story of the last days, death and state funeral of Sir John A. Macdonald – the First Prime Minister of Canada.  While most Canadians easily recognize Sir John A.’s name few if any will be familiar with this true account. Tile: The Life, Death and Funeral of Sir John A. Macdonald “Old Tomorrow – The Chief Architect of Independent Canada” Topic: This funeral home community outreach program covers the interesting events of the state funeral rituals, the last days, and the story of the death of Sir John A. Macdonald.  This program will last approximately 30 minutes. Why Is This Initiative Important? This special program, which is been produced exclusively for your funeral home tells a very interesting account about a portion of a famous man, a famous Canadian’s exit from this earth and the subsequent rituals and ceremonies that Canada afforded her first Prime Minister.  The program is a time machine in that it takes your audience back to Canada in 1891 and documents a state affair concerning the values of rites, rituals and ceremonies. What Is The Goal of This Initiative? The goal of this program is simple and direct:  entertain your audience, educate your audience and impress your community with this well researched and produced program on an unknown part of their own history.  The public enjoys these types of programs for they educate in a quiet and educational manner the values and purposes and benefits of the funeral itself.  No hard sell here, the story of the funeral speaks for itself all you have to do is present it. How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal? Just follow the instructions that are included in this program.  Follow the Action Plan and study the contents of the Resource Kit for the complete “How To” instructions and details. What Are The Other Opportunities For This Program? Basically this program is beneficial to every person living in Canada.  It is part of this history of the Dominion.  As such this program can be offered and presented to just about any type of group that is gathered and that you make speaking arrangements with.  Of particular interest are the Masonic organizations in your community.  Sir John A. was a practicing Mason and participated in many Masonic activities which is touched upon in this program. TVB.

Resource Kit:

• Action Plan: Word
• Presentation Files:
• George Washington
  • Washington Script: Word
  • Washington PowerPoint: PPT
  • Washington Flyer: PPT
• John A. Macdonald
  • Macdonald Script: Word
  • Macdonald PowerPoint: PPT
  • Macdonald Flyer: PPT
• Introduction Letter: Word
• Introduction Letter (Mail Merge): Word
• Groups & Churches Spreadsheet (Mail Merge): CSV
• Evaluation Form: Word

Please listen to this brief audio overview about the Foundation of your Community Outreach program.

Strategic Brief:

Initiative:

Create the foundation for your Community Outreach Program with Public Presentations

Why Is This Initiative Important?

The creation of a Community Outreach program based on public presentations is important to funeral directors for this major reason – it gives you the opportunity to provide a needed service for your community (as many groups are always looking speakers) without looking like the Grim Reaper always talking about the eventuality of one’s mortality and that pre-planning is the answer.

After giving a number of presentations about interesting topics, you will be seen as an expert when it comes to funeral related issues – a position that can’t be bought by advertising – and more importantly in this process you will be building relationships with all attendees – and that is what the Funeral Relations Mastery program is all about.

What Is The Goal of This Initiative?

The goal of the first module of the Community Outreach program is to lay the foundation for your own Community Outreach program and to get you to take action on it.  It’s fine for us to say, “Go give presentations in your community,” but without giving you all of the tools, we would be guilty of just giving you Lip Service instead of the True Service that we have promised.

A by-product of this initiative is to see who on your staff may be the one to run with it so be attentive to which staff member asks the most questions (not just negative comments like “That won’t work in our town – things are different here.”) about how the program works. Finding someone to run with it, and who becomes passionate about it, will be well worth your investment in this program as you can’t buy excitement or passion, but a program like this can be the catalyst for it for the right member of your time – and maybe that may be you.

How Are You Going to Achieve This Goal?

For this month’s Community Outreach module, we have provided you with a quick-start training program on giving Effective Community Presentations, your Action Plan, a Story Creation Worksheet,  a Letter of Introduction, and even a basic Brochure that you can leave with attendees after completing your presentation.

If you feel that there is any resource that is not provided and that would guarantee that you would take action, please let us know and if it is in our power, we will create it for you. Just email us at [email protected].

TVB.

Resource Kit:

• Action Plan: Word
• Training – Giving Effective Community Presentations: PDF
• Introduction Letter: Word
• Introduction Letter (Mail Merge): Word
• Groups & Churches Spreadsheet (Mail Merge): CSV
• Evaluation Form: Word
• Story Creation Worksheet: Word
• “Why” Brochure: PPT