Mayes Ward-Dobbins` history dates back to

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Homesteaders
September 2015
Terry Pendley
Mayes Ward-Dobbins’ history dates back to
two competing businesses. John and Albert Dobbins
opened their Marietta, Georgia, funeral home in 1923.
Six years later, brothers Mayes and Harvey Ward
opened Mayes Ward Funeral Home on the other side
of town before moving to Church Street – just across
the road from Dobbins Funeral Home. Each business
operated independently until 1983 when the funeral
homes merged into one firm.
Today, Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home is owned and operated by
Terry Pendley, alongside 26 employees staffing two locations. “Everyone
has the same heart here,” he observed. “We all care about the families
we serve and the dignity and respect of what we do. We strive to
do everything we possibly can for each family to make them feel as
comfortable as they can.”
Pendley’s passion for funeral service dates back to a young age when
he was impressed with the care and love shown to everyone attending
the funeral of a family member. At age 15, he walked into what was
then Mayes Ward Funeral Home and asked for a job. As many funeral
professionals do, Pendley started by cleaning the cars, cutting the grass
and going on calls to support the funeral home’s ambulance service.
Today, what he enjoys most is serving families and feeling that every day
he gets to help the people in his community in a very special way.
“Most people don’t have that opportunity,” he reflected.
Anyone who has met Pendley and his staff can attest to their
friendliness and warmth. Their care and expert level of service are even
apparent on their website and Facebook page, both filled with heartfelt
testimonials from families thanking them for their respect and kindness.
One woman explained that the funeral was one of the best times she
had spent with her extended family: “Thank you for being the catalyst
that helped heal my family.” Another wrote, “We almost felt like ya’ll
were a part of our family!”
More
My
Homesteaders
Contents – September 2015 Issue
Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home....... page 1
Important Updates & Upcoming Events... page 4
The Homesteaders Life..............................page 5
Continuing Education................................page 6
What We’ve Been Reading........................ page 7
Why Do Pre-need? – Part 1.......................page 8
Executive Insights.....................................page 10
Note from the editor
Homesteaders’ customers rely on our expertise and
guidance as a leader in pre-need funding to provide
products and services that promote and support
advance funeral planning and end-of-life expenses.
We take this role very seriously and invest significant
time and resources into consumer research to
ensure we are providing you with the most up-to-date
information on what funeral home customers want
and need.
Mayes Ward-Dobbins
For Pendley, the business is an
extension of his family values
and commitment to service. His
three sons, Jason, Chad and
Shane, and his wife, Darlene, all
work at the funeral home. Each
of the Pendley sons graduated
from McEachern High School
before attending Gupton Jones
College of Mortuary Service –
Pendley’s own alma mater. “It’s
been an honor to see my sons
grow from young boys through
the years of graduations, the
years of marriage and the years
of professionalism,” he recalled.
Pendley oversees the day-to-day operations of the Georgia
funeral home alongside his sons, Shane, Chad, and Jason,
and his wife, Darlene.
One way we do this is by conducting our semi-annual
policy owner survey. Starting with this issue, we’ll be
sharing the findings from our 2015 survey in a fourpart series titled, “Why do pre-need?” We think you’ll
find the results convincing.
Pendley has partnered with
Homesteaders to develop
an active pre-need program,
ensuring that his sons will
inherit a strong, stable
business. “The families that
prearrange with us are going
to use our funeral home in the
future. It will increase business
later on down the road,
particularly for my sons who
will be doing this when I’m
gone,” he explained. “I know
they will be okay.”
In Executive Insights, VP-Field Sales Dan Lodermeier
offers advice on how to identify and hire people who
best fit your funeral home’s goals, values and culture
using behavior-based interview techniques. Speaking
of goals, are you on track to join us for one of our
2016 incentive trips to Panama or Las Vegas? To find
out, see page four for details on the agent tools we
provide to help you track your progress.
Hopefully, you’ve finalized your plans to attend the
NFDA Convention & Expo Oct. 18-21 in Indianapolis.
Be sure to stop by booth #904 to meet the
Homesteaders “Tech Team” and learn all about our
latest digital solutions to help you better serve your
families and grow your business.
Despite Pendley’s efforts,
they’d had little success
establishing a pre-need
program at their funeral home
until three years ago when
they began working exclusively
with Homesteaders and an
affiliated marketing partner.
Take care,
Barbara A. Bloomquist, Manager –Marketing & Communications
800-477-3633, ext. 7763 email: [email protected]
myHomesteaders is a publication of Homesteaders Life Company,
P.O. Box 1756, Des Moines, IA 50306-1756
Stephen R. Lang, Chairman, President & CEO
Editor: Barbara A. Bloomquist Designer: Ken Haas
Visit us at homesteaderslife.com.
Life insurance and annuity products are issued by Homesteaders Life Company. Products are subject
to state availability. Texas consumers visit www.prepaidfunerals.texas.gov for more information.
(continued)
More
Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home supports 26 employees
working at two Georgia locations, one in Marietta and
another in Powder Springs.
2
Mayes Ward-Dobbins
“We have tried working with several different providers,” he
said. “None of them measured up to our standards or our
satisfaction until we joined Homesteaders.”
“
We have
tried working with
several different
providers. None of
them measured up
to our standards
or our satisfaction
until we joined
Homesteaders.
With the help of his staff, Pendley works to educate his
community about the importance of pre-need. They hold
seminars at their locations in Marietta and Powder Springs
and invite other community leaders to share their own
messages related to end-of-life issues, including Social
Security, Medicare and veterans’ assistance. “Everybody is all
together,” he explained. “We try to educate people, let them
know what is available for them and make sure they think
about prearranging and take care of it before it’s too late.”
(continued)
Pendley credits much of their business’s success to the
seminars and programs they’ve implemented since adopting
a more active approach to pre-need. He and his staff rely
on Homesteaders for resources and support, placing high
value on our hands-on customer service and commitment
to honoring our promises. “We found that Homesteaders’
service is the same from the person who walks in the door
to the people we call every day,” Pendley affirmed. “When
you sign up with Homesteaders, they will take care of
you 100 percent.”
Pendley feels secure in the relationships they’ve built over
the last three years and confident that his sons will inherit a
successful business. “Now we have a pre-need
program in force that is as strong as anyone could
hope for,” Pendley described. “It has continued to
grow each year.”
mayeswarddobbins.com
”
Terry Pendley started in funeral service over forty years ago
by cleaning the cars and cutting the grass.
Check out
this short video
to learn more about
how Homesteaders
is partnering with
our funeral home
customers to help
grow their pre-need
business.
Pendley and his staff are committed to educating their communities about the importance of pre-need.
3
Important updates
PartnerPoints® can be redeemed
through November 30, 2015.
Homesteaders customers who earned PartnerPoints® last
year may redeem them now through November 30, 2015.
To see if your firm qualified for redemption or to check your
PartnerPoints® balance, visit the myHomesteaders.com
dashboard and scroll down to the “PartnerPoints®” tab.
Firms who elect to use their 2014 PartnerPoints® on approved
marketing support will earn $1.25 per point. This is a
great way to maximize the impact of the program. After
November 30, any remaining points will be cashed out via
check prior to the end of the year. Questions? Contact
your account executive.
We’re more than halfway
through 2015 – will we see
you in Panama or Las Vegas?
These getaways recognize agents’ outstanding efforts to
help thousands of individuals provide their families with
peace of mind. The Leaders Conference is designed to honor
the hard work of those who lead the way in production for
Homesteaders. In 2016, we’re taking the Leaders Conference
(March 2-6) to the beautiful Westin Playa Bonita in Panama.
We’re also excited to continue the Homesteaders Club
program April 7-10, 2016, at The Bellagio in Las Vegas. These
trips are our way of saying “thank you” for your hard work.
You can track your progress toward these trips through the
myHomesteaders.com dashboard. After logging on, select
“Agent Dashboard” from the “Dashboard” menu, and scroll to
the “Homesteaders Incentive Trips” section near the bottom of
the page. For more information about qualifications for these
incentive trips, please contact your account executive.
Upcoming events
Homesteaders values participation in industry
events, which is why you’ll find our staff attending
conventions throughout the year. In the coming
months, you can visit with Homesteaders experts
at the following events:
Independent Funeral Directors of Georgia Conference
September 20–22
Hyatt Regency | Savannah, GA
New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association
Convention
September 29–October 1
Bally’s Hotel & Casino | Atlantic City, NJ
National Funeral Directors Association International
Convention and Expo
October 18–21
Indiana Convention Center | Indianapolis, IN
Homesteaders is excited to once again be a sponsor of the
NFDA’s annual convention. Be sure to stop by booth #904
in the expo hall to meet our exceptional sales and executive
teams, and check out our new Tech Corner to learn about the
latest updates to our digital support offerings.
Visit our website for the complete list of upcoming events.
Homesteaders Board Member
Katie Roth has been named
Woman Business Owner of the Year.
Last month, six-term Board Member Katie Roth was selected
as the Des Moines Business Record’s 2015 CAPTRUST
Woman Business Owner of the Year. The annual award is
given to a business owner who has an exemplary personal
and professional reputation, a history of mentoring other
businesswomen, strong connections to the Des Moines
business community and significant professional achievement
and success. “Katie contributes invaluable insight as a
member of our Board of Directors,” observed Homesteaders
Chairman, President and CEO Steve Lang. “Her extensive
background in human resources and acute business savvy
help her oversee our company’s operation and performance.”
Click here to read more.
4
HOMESTEADERS
L i f e
At Homesteaders, we believe that
our positive corporate culture is the
source of the high level of customer
service and expertise we offer our
funeral home customers. Ask anyone
who works for Homesteaders and
they’ll tell you the days go fast – proof
positive that time flies when you’re
having fun and loving what you do.
Right now in the Home Office
Our staff is fighting to end world hunger.
In what has become a yearly tradition for our company,
several Homesteaders employees took time out of their
busy schedules to participate in last month’s 8th Annual
Hunger Fight. The event was organized by Meals from the
Heartland, a charity committed to alleviating life-threatening
hunger throughout the world. The Des Moines-based
organization raises money and recruits volunteers to package
meals enriched with soy protein and vitamins. Since its
founding in 2008, Meals from the Heartland has sent over
50 million meals to food insecure families throughout the
world. Homesteaders is proud to once again partner with this
invaluable organization and continues to look for additional
ways to invest in programs that make a difference in our
employees’ communities.
We’re celebrating the best state fair in our state.
There’s nothing quite like the Iowa State Fair – Iowa’s largest
event and an annual destination for many of our Home Office
employees. In fact, several of our team members find time to
enter a number of fair contests, including Digital Marketing
Specialist Alyssa McNab, who has won Best of Show ribbons
in the Fabric and Threads competition for the past two years.
“I have always lived in Iowa and have enjoyed fiber crafts since
I was a kid,” McNab explained. “Participating in the Iowa State
Fair contests is a great way to stay connected to both of these
important aspects of my life, and it also keeps me motivated
to improve my skills.”
Last month, our Employee Relations Committee decided to
celebrate the annual event with a whole week of fair-themed
activities to kick off the August celebration — complete
with zany contests, silly prizes, tasty treats and a lot of fair
memories. One lucky employee even won tickets to attend
this year’s fair.
Right now on the road:
Account Executive Eolo Nizzi
is serving firms in Oklahoma.
We are pleased to announce that Eolo Nizzi has joined the
Homesteaders field sales team as our Oklahoma Account
Executive. For the past year, Eolo has provided exceptional
service to funeral professionals in the Home Office region,
and he is excited for the opportunity to build relationships
with customers in a new territory. He and his wife, Jenn, are
in the process of relocating with their two children, Hannah
and Henry. We are confident our Oklahoma funeral home
customers will love his enthusiasm, experience and passion
for University of Oklahoma athletics. Go Sooners!
During our state fair food on-a-stick contest, our expert panel of judges discovered that, among other valuable skills, many of our
Home Office staff have a talent for making tasty treats. (L to R: Jody Galloway, Steve Shaffer, Krista Frank and Pam Kleese)
55
Continuing education opportunities
Certificate in Strategic
Business Management
October 6-8 | Des Moines, IA
The Certificate in Strategic Business Management is a
three-day classroom experience designed specifically for
owners and operators of funeral homes. In partnership
with Drake University, we are pleased to offer this program
to funeral professionals who want to adopt the latest and
most innovative business practices. Funeral homes who sell
Homesteaders products exclusively may be eligible for a
special 2-for-1 discount, and those who have PartnerPoints®
available can use them to cover their enrollment fee.
Contact your Homesteaders account executive
or click here to read the brochure.
Homesteaders also hosts several continuing
education programs throughout the year which
qualify for state insurance, funeral director and
ethics credit hours. In September, we will be
hosting six classes:
Wyomissing, PA
• Insurance Ethics Considerations
(Sept. 8 from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.)
• Insurance 101 (Sept. 9 from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.)
Monroeville, PA
• Insurance Ethics Considerations
(Sept. 10 from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.)
• Insurance 101 (Sept. 11 from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.)
Pana, IL
• Insurance Ethics Considerations*
(Sept. 22 from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.)
• Insurance 101* (Sept. 23 from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.)
The fee for each course is $75 and includes the registration/
filing fees, lunch and refreshments throughout the day.
Visit our website to learn more.
*Valid for Illinois and Indiana credit hours
6
WHAT we’ve been reading
Getting Married at a Funeral Home?
A few months ago, we shared the story of a North Carolina
funeral home that had enjoyed great success upon opening
an event center adjacent to its primary location. This trend is
one that has taken hold among many in the funeral profession,
as more and more firms are opening their doors to community
events – even weddings. We found this article particularly
interesting as it touches on this trend and incorporates
some interesting thoughts from the NFDA’s Public Relations
Manager, Jessica Koth.
Reaching Your Community on Social Media
In May, Social Media Today reported that Baby Boomers
spend 20+ hours each week consuming content online.
Social media offers a great platform to reach this important
audience, but many funeral professionals are unsure
how to utilize this valuable tool. This article from Funeral
Social shares some advice for how funeral homes can use
social media to share their service offerings with their local
community. Looking for more great tips on incorporating
social media into your pre-need marketing plan? Contact
your account executive for additional insights.
Productivity Tips for Busy Professionals
Funeral professionals’ office hours extend far beyond those
of traditional workers. Many of you are on call 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. Finding time for the details of your
day-to-day operations can be a challenge when juggling the
needs of at-need families with the demands of a successful
pre-need program. This infographic offers some helpful tips
on incorporating more productive time into your day. While
some tips (like getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night) may be
a challenge for on-call funeral directors, others present some
creative ways to increase your overall productivity.
Ten Things You Need to Know
about Marketing to Baby Boomers
It’s no secret that baby boomers and other older generations
are likely to pre-arrange and pre-fund their end-of-life
expenses. This helpful article lists some of the characteristics
shared by many in these older generations, information which
could provide guidance as you plan your pre-need marketing
strategies. Our favorite takeaways: baby boomers are mobile,
social and happy.
The Funeral Director’s Guide to Statistics
The latest edition of The Funeral Director’s Guide to Statistics,
sponsored exclusively by Homesteaders Life Company,
is now available from Kates-Boylston Publications. The
2015 edition provides more than 100 pages of up-to-date
information to help improve customer service and boost
market share. The guidebook includes valuable insights from
industry experts, including information about buying habits,
cremation trends, pet funerals and demographic shifts.
This year’s edition also includes exclusive content
from Homesteaders Director-Marketing Information Pam
Kleese and Digital Marketing Specialist Alyssa McNab.
Click here for details.
Want more great content?
Connect with us on social media or subscribe to our
blog for additional industry information, tools and tips.
7
Why do pre-need?
part one: pre-need satisfies a consumer demand
Pam Kleese,
Director–
Marketing
Information
As part of our effort to stay up-todate with the wants and needs
of our funeral home customers,
Homesteaders invests time and
resources into consumer research,
including focus group studies and
our semi-annual policy owner survey.
The results from these projects
demonstrate that pre-need is a
valuable tool for funeral professionals,
something we will continue to
underscore throughout this
four-part series.
Rational Motivators
Our survey results show that the primary motivation for
individuals to prearrange is rational – a desire to lift the
burden from surviving family members so they can focus on
supporting each other during the time of grief. In addition,
we’ve learned from focus groups that, by prearranging,
individuals seek to make things as easy as possible for their
loved ones, ensuring the pertinent information is easy to
locate while also avoiding arguments which could stem from
differing opinions.
The survey also shows that eliminating the financial burden
from loved ones is another powerful incentive to pre-arrange.
Nearly 90% of policy owners cite this as an “extremely
important” motivation, hoping to guarantee their funeral
cost and alleviate emotional overspending while
simultaneously preventing the stress of trying to find
funds for end-of-life plans.
More and more Homesteaders customers are finding that
pre-need is not only a necessary component of a strong
funeral business, but that it satisfies a consumer demand.
Patrick Campbell, funeral director and certified pre-need
consultant at McDougald Funeral Home has found that
the Anderson, SC, community highly values their pre-need
offerings. “Not only is pre-need a great marketing tool, but it
also provides a service that families really want and a service
that families need,” he explained.
“While the older generations have life insurance and savings,
we’re seeing more and more younger families living
paycheck-to-paycheck,” observed Jaime Martinez, owner
of Mt. Carmel Funeral Home in El Paso and Irving, TX.
“Pre-need is a good option for these families. It locks in the
cost and eases the financial burden. It’s gratifying when we
can say to them, ‘This is exactly what your dad wanted, and
what’s more, he’s already paid for it.’ That can be a huge
comfort for the family.”
This sentiment is echoed in Homesteaders’ semi-annual
policy owner research. According to findings from our 2015
survey, 100% of Homesteaders policy owners reported some
level of satisfaction with their decision to prearrange, and
96% reported that they were completely or very satisfied.
Our findings also confirmed that there are many important
motivations which prompt a policy owner’s decision to
prearrange, including both rational and emotional triggers.
Our policy owner survey also shows that emotional
motivations – incentives that are based on how a policy
owner feels – play an important role in driving the decision
to prearrange. These considerations are often fueled by an
individual’s desire to fulfill their responsibility to their loved
ones, something 97% of our survey participants rate as
“extremely” or “somewhat” important.
Emotional Motivators
More
8
Why do pre-need?
part one: pre-need satisfies a consumer demand
“
Overwhelmingly,
our consumer
research suggests
that consumers
want to have
the option to
prearrange and
prefund their
funerals.
”
“In today’s world, one of the most caring, loving things
someone can do for their family is to go ahead and make
those decisions,” observed J. Wells Greeley, President of
Wells Funeral Home in North Carolina. “It saves the family
the heartache of having to do it at a time when they’re not
prepared to do it.”
One focus group participant explained that her motivation
to prearrange stemmed from a desire to shield her children
from the emotional stress of planning her funeral at the time of
need. “I told my daughter that we had already done that, and
she said thank you,” she recalled.
Our focus group studies also find that for many policy owners,
the decision to prearrange is fueled by a desire to ensure
that their funerals will be accurate reflections of their values
and preferences. “I think it’s important to talk to your loved
ones and let them know your feelings about the funeral,” said
another participant, explaining her preference that “Amazing
Grace” be played during the service. “I would feel good if my
loved ones knew how I felt.”
When asked to stereotype the kind of person who
prearranges his or her funeral, focus group participants
described individuals who are organized, competent,
(continued)
intelligent, loving and thoughtful. These same participants
recalled feeling smart after completing their prearrangements.
“It’s like when you buy a dress on sale. You feel good. You’re
saving money. You’re pleased with yourself,” characterized
one respondent. Others reported positive feelings of
happiness, including relief at having completed the task.
Overwhelmingly, our consumer research suggests that
consumers want to have the option to prearrange and prefund
their funerals, something that is further underscored by the
success of our funeral home partners. “When we decided
to do full-scale pre-need marketing with Homesteaders, we
were surprised to discover our local population was eager to
advance plan and fund funerals,” said Dale Groce, co-owner
of North Carolina’s Groce Funeral Home. “It turns out our
clients did want to arrange their own funerals, and they did
want to take the decision making and the burden away from
their families.”
In the next installment of this series, I’ll explain how pre-need
can present opportunities for positive public relations while
simultaneously securing future business for your firm.
“The families who take
advantage of pre-need
are absolutely relieved,”
explains Dale Groce,
co-owner of Groce Funeral
Home in Asheville, NC.
“It takes a burden off
their minds, and it takes
a burden of their
survivors’ minds.”
(L to R: Bill, Scott,
Trey and Dale Groce)
9
Executive
Insights
Dan Lodermeier
VP-Field Sales
Homesteaders’ industry-leading
account executive program provides
value to our funeral home customers,
reinforcing our commitment to
developing mutually beneficial
relationships and promoting the
value of funeral service.
As Vice President of Field Sales, I work to empower the
Homesteaders sales team to better serve our customers,
providing you with individualized attention and delivering
solutions to issues that matter most to you. Because our
Account Executives are such an essential part of the services
we offer our funeral home partners, we’ve developed
processes to ensure that we hire sales experts who share
our values.
Similarly, funeral home professionals have a lot at stake
when seeking new talent to join your staff. In addition
to determining which candidates possess the skills and
knowledge needed to fulfill the job responsibilities, you also
have to identify the people who best fit your funeral home’s
goals, values and culture.
Using behavior-based interview techniques similar to what
we use to select new Account Executives can help you zero
in on how candidates will respond to various scenarios in
the workplace. These questions delve into how candidates
handled specific job-related situations in the past, which
will help you decide if their experience and personal
characteristics will make them successful members of your
team in the future. After all, past performance is often an
indicator of future success.
Effective use of a behavior-based approach requires the
interviewer to structure very pointed questions to elicit
responses aimed at determining if the candidate possesses
the characteristics and experiences you need. You want to
make a good decision based on these pointed questions
to ensure that the person offered the position has the best
opportunity to succeed.
It is important to focus on discovering how an applicant
acted in specific employment-related situations. To do this,
you need to ask the candidate to describe past behavior and
experiences, rather than inviting a list of accomplishments.
In general, behavior-based interview questions begin the
following way:
• Tell me about a time…
• Describe to me…
• What did you do when…
• Give us an example…
• How did/do you…
• Describe one obstacle…
You’ll notice that none of these questions can be answered
with a simple “yes” or “no” – rather, successful candidates
will need to describe situations and events at length,
allowing you to get a more complete understanding of
their past experience.
It’s important to plan ahead for a behavior-based interview by
writing out your questions in advance, taking thorough notes
and asking follow-up questions whenever necessary. It’s also
a good idea to allow for some silence during these interviews.
Often, candidates will fill any gaps in conversation, allowing
you to learn even more about their personal and professional
background.
By mastering behavior-based interview techniques, you’ll
be equipped to gather the information you need to hire
employees who will add value for your client families,
workplace and bottom line. You’ll also learn effective ways
to review your new staff members’ progress after they have
been hired, so you can help them continuously improve the
service your funeral home provides.
Check out
this short video
to learn more.
10