How to Adopt an Innovative Mindset: Sunset Memorial Park

So much has happened over the last few years that it can feel like anything more than “treading water” is a miracle. For the innovative funeral homes we’ve talked to, change is just a part of the process, and their staff are used to moving quickly. Being proactive doesn’t mean you’ll get it right every time, but it does mean you’re trying. Anticipating families’ needs will prepare you for anything, even changes you didn’t see coming.

Having an innovative mindset

To anticipate your family’s needs and have solutions ready, you have to approach change with a proactive and innovative mindset. Take a look at how one funeral home in Albuquerque, NM, did this:

Sunset Memorial Park wanted to create more brand awareness and draw people to their cemetery. The challenge was, how would they get people to come to a cemetery with no one to bury?

They teamed up with brand agency McKee Wallwork to find a unique solution. While researching, they found that 1 in 5 families had cremated remains in their home they had never scattered or placed anywhere. They could have easily created marketing materials and campaigns to sell more urns. But, instead, they approached the problem with a different mindset. They wanted to offer something more interactive and beneficial for families, so they created an event called Scatter Day. Sunset Memorial Park opens its cemetery to the public and allows anyone to scatter their family’s ashes there. They now attract over 1,000 people a year.

Because of their mindset, Sunset Memorial had a huge impact on their community and the families that were given a chance to grieve and give their loved ones a final resting place. Funeral homes, like Sunset Memorial Park, with an innovative mindset, are not trying to fight change. They’re looking for ways to change. Even if things are working, they’re constantly asking, “Yes, but how could it be better?”

Now you know about the 3 different mindsets, and hopefully you’ve been able to identify with one or more of the mindsets. Now it’s time to take the first steps toward having a more innovative mindset in your funeral home. You, your staff, and your families will be better for it. 

Download our full eBook to discover more ways to innovate at your funeral home here.