Overview

What if you've been right all along?What if everything you think (but can't say) about funeral service is true? Death care isn't what it used to be. Cremation rates are sky-high, customers have changing expectations, and new competitors materialize every day. It's no surprise that an entire generation of family funeral home owners are wondering if this is the time to get out. This book has the answers. Author Eric Layer has spent his career helping brands navigate the winds of change, after spending most of his life in and around the family business of funeral homes and cemeteries. He leverages that unique perspective to paint a vivid picture of what today's funeral directors are getting right-and what they're doing wrong. The current uncertainty around death care is not morticians' fault, but it is their problem. The calling is hamstrung by mixed messages. It's tough for a modern funeral director to decide whether to be leader or follower, salesperson or confidant. But there is a right way to do death, and funeral professionals are experts. The future of the business will require a recognition of that truth so that those who work in death care can reclaim the soul of the calling and guide families with care and confidence. Layer's firm, McKee Wallwork + Co., has spent more than a decade meticulously researching and consulting with funeral homes and related businesses. The firm has been a pioneer in industry research, having fielded the first-ever national funeral consumer psychographic segmentation study and co-invented the Death Care Genogram, as well as the Death Disruption Index. In The Right Way of Death, you'll find a crisp and insightful portrait of the modern business of death that draws evenly from that extensive research, business case studies, and poignant personal anecdotes. An engaging, thoughtful, and surprisingly enjoyable rebuttal to Jessica Mitford's controversial 1963 book The American Way of Death, Layer's The Right Way of Death is a must-read for any American funeral director, cemeterian, or mortuary owner ready to do death better.

Full Product Details

9781735610924

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Clear, insightful, and directive. A path forward for our profession with an outlook well grounded in history and reality. Eric's poignant perspective provides a tonic for our times and a guiding light forward."" -Darin Drabing, CEO, Forest Lawn Memorial Parks & Mortuaries ""The Right Way of Death is not just another nice read, it is a textbook on creating value within the funeral and cemetery profession. Many books explain the what, this book explains the why and the how. A must-read for every funeral professional and those wanting to enter the profession."" -Jay Dodds, President and COO, Park Lawn Corporation ""The Right Way of Death accurately defines the funeral industry as it stands today. Layer's insight explains the importance, challenges, and opportunities of this profession while showing a path to the future."" -Mark Krause, President, Krause Funeral Homes, Wisconsin ""Eric has a unique degree of expertise that only comes from time and experience. In The Right Way of Death, he hits the proverbial nail on the head, addressing the profession's most critical issues today and the transformational thinking needed to confront them."" -Tom Antram, President and CEO, French Funerals, New Mexico ""The first thing I did after finishing The Right Way of Death was send my son a copy. I hope he will apply its insights to our funeral homes for decades to come. This should be required reading in every firm in America. We believe there is great opportunity for quality deferential care that puts service to families above all."" -Randy Bunker, Chairman of the Board, Bunker Family Funeral Homes and Cemetery, Arizona ""The Right Way of Death brings to life the real lessons of funeral service, past, present, and future. Truly a gift to all who choose this noble profession and treat it as a calling. Should you desire to chart your course and plan to continue to serve families and your communities in the future, this book is a must-read."" -J. Mark Busch, Busch Funeral and Crematory Services, Ohio ""The Right Way of Death is exactly the wake-up call our industry needs. Layer captures exactly what death care should be in the twenty-first century, identifies the roadblocks that are holding it back, and then provides practical and accessible advice on how to move forward."" -Tony Lloyd, President and COO, Buchanan Group, Inc., Indiana ""The Right Way of Death is a roadmap for where death care is going and a prescription for how we must adapt. I'd recommend this book to any current and aspiring funeral home owners."" -John J. Horan, CFSP, Horan & McConaty, Colorado

Clear, insightful, and directive. A path forward for our profession with an outlook well grounded in history and reality. Eric's poignant perspective provides a tonic for our times and a guiding light forward. -Darin Drabing, CEO, Forest Lawn Memorial Parks & Mortuaries The Right Way of Death is not just another nice read, it is a textbook on creating value within the funeral and cemetery profession. Many books explain the what, this book explains the why and the how. A must-read for every funeral professional and those wanting to enter the profession. -Jay Dodds, President and COO, Park Lawn Corporation The Right Way of Death accurately defines the funeral industry as it stands today. Layer's insight explains the importance, challenges, and opportunities of this profession while showing a path to the future. -Mark Krause, President, Krause Funeral Homes, Wisconsin Eric has a unique degree of expertise that only comes from time and experience. In The Right Way of Death, he hits the proverbial nail on the head, addressing the profession's most critical issues today and the transformational thinking needed to confront them. -Tom Antram, President and CEO, French Funerals, New Mexico The first thing I did after finishing The Right Way of Death was send my son a copy. I hope he will apply its insights to our funeral homes for decades to come. This should be required reading in every firm in America. We believe there is great opportunity for quality deferential care that puts service to families above all. -Randy Bunker, Chairman of the Board, Bunker Family Funeral Homes and Cemetery, Arizona The Right Way of Death brings to life the real lessons of funeral service, past, present, and future. Truly a gift to all who choose this noble profession and treat it as a calling. Should you desire to chart your course and plan to continue to serve families and your communities in the future, this book is a must-read. -J. Mark Busch, Busch Funeral and Crematory Services, Ohio The Right Way of Death is exactly the wake-up call our industry needs. Layer captures exactly what death care should be in the twenty-first century, identifies the roadblocks that are holding it back, and then provides practical and accessible advice on how to move forward. -Tony Lloyd, President and COO, Buchanan Group, Inc., Indiana The Right Way of Death is a roadmap for where death care is going and a prescription for how we must adapt. I'd recommend this book to any current and aspiring funeral home owners. -John J. Horan, CFSP, Horan & McConaty, Colorado

Author Information

Eric Layer has spent his entire life around funeral service. His parents were married in the chapel of the mortuary where they both worked, and his childhood was marked by firsthand experience with the funeral homes and cemetery where his family built their careers. Today, he leads the death care division at McKee Wallwork + Co., an internationally recognized marketing advisory firm that specializes in generating momentum for stalled, stuck, and stale industries and brands. There, he has consulted for a number of globally recognized funeral brands and has played an integral role in their campaigns, products, and research efforts. Eric lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his wife and two sons.

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