Use What You Learn – Now!

Spring always brings a season of fresh plants, flowers and crops to our communities. So, too, does your State Association Conventions bring something new. These annual events introduce innovative ideas, best practices and the latest technology, all collected during the busy days you share with your peers, suppliers and speakers. Of course, this new information is designed to help your business prosper while you serve you families better.

Now, comes the hard part – you’ve returned home, and like most funeral directors, you’re committed to a 24/7 365 day-a-year career with few days off. So you step back into the daily routine; taking phone calls, meeting with families, putting out fires, addressing non-stop paperwork, etc.

But what about all that information you collected at the Conference? You know, the info that’s going to help you grow your revenue per case, create more efficiency in your operation, better maximize the resources available to you and provide more family time, not only for you but for your employees? Is it going to stay packed in your conference bag, laying in the corner collecting dust?

It doesn’t have to and shouldn’t be that way. Here are some simple but effective steps to help you maximize all that you gained at the Conference.

Share Your Information – Spread your enthusiasm and excitement about what you learned. If you spent the money to send an employee to the Conference, you would expect that person to bring back and share what he/she learned, right? You should to the same. It can only make your entire firm better. “Share your passion, it can be contagious.”

Make Time and Be Committed – Don’t let the ‘day-to-day’ tasks stop you from improving your business long term. Schedule time to focus ‘on’ the future of your business and do not waver from it. It’s not always where you are but where you want to go. “If you’re standing still, you're falling behind.”

Identify What Works – Be willing to change and try new things. As our culture, families and business climate changes, we must adjust with them. But don’t do it alone. Enlist support from your staff, peers and suppliers for assistance to achieve success. “Change is the only constant in life.”

Set Goals and Deadlines – Implement your ideas sooner than later but don’t try to do everything at once. Make a plan and set realistic deadlines – then stay committed! At Memories By Design, we have a post-convention checklist with deadlines that we use to make sure the information we’ve gathered will make us better in providing Tribute Videos to customers. “It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.”

Follow-Up – Once you put your plans into motion step back and review what you’ve accomplished. But don’t be afraid to fine-tune things. Be accountable to yourself and your business. Finally, repeat all of the above every year. “Dare to be exceptional.”

You owe it to yourself to take advantage of all the great information, materials and ideas you gathered at your Conventions and put them into action. The sooner you make the time to work on your business, the better you’ll be in your business.