J. Asher Neel College of Sales & Marketing
J. Asher Neel College of Sales & Marketing
Dean Gary O'Sullivan, CCFE
Dean Gary O'Sullivan, CCFE
The principles of sales and marketing don't change; only technique and application do. Learn how to take the tried-and-true principles of cemetery and funeral sales and apply them within today's highly mobile, multi-cultural, high-tech, information-driven marketplace.
Friday, July 20
2:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Registration and Check-in
4:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Freshman Orientation
5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
University Reception
6:00 p.m.
University Dinner
Saturday, July 21
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
What Great Sales Managers Know That Good Sales Managers Don't
Gary O'Sullivan, CCFE
We hear a lot of talk among business people about how to go from good to great. In this opening session, you'll discover the five things great sales managers understand and employ that good sales managers don't. This is a session that may change everything if your desire is to be a great sales manager.
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
How to Market and Serve Multi-Cultural Markets
Barry Bamford, CCE
As our communities change and become more culturally diverse, it's important for us to understand a variety of cultural values and traditions. The better we understand what is important to different cultures, the more effective we can be in serving their needs. Learn how best to approach various niche markets with your cemetery and funeral marketing and sales messages.
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
How to Create Positive Teamwork
Dick Perl, CCFE
The better people work together, the better they work. Without question, getting your staff to gel as a team can have a positive impact on your business. In this interactive session, you'll learn why teamwork is important and how to foster it, and what you as a leader can do to maintain a positive, productive atmosphere.
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
How to Stop Focusing on Volume and Start Focusing on What Really Gets Consistent Results: Part I
David Shipper
When a typical sales manager is asked, "Why were your sales so great this week?" or "Why were your sales so bad this week?" most have no idea. Learn why this happens and how to get the answers to these questions. By the end of this session, you will know the causes of good and bad weeks and what you can do about it.
5:00 p.m.
Dinner
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Annual Sports Tournament
Join your ICCFAU colleagues for a friendly game of volleyball.
Sunday, July 22
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Master the Art of Top-Down Selling
Barry Bamford, CCE
Top-down selling is one of the most effective ways you help your prospect understand all the options they have. It gives client families a better understanding of your product mix and a compelling understanding of higher-end ownership opportunities. In this session, you'll discover how top-down selling adds greater dimension to your sales staff, elevation to your sales averages and satisfaction to your customer base.
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
How to Stop Focusing on Volume and Start Focusing on What Really Gets Consistent Results: Part II
David Shipper
Following up on what you learned yesterday, Part II of this session will be a workshop in which you will take what you have been taught and apply it to your particular company. At the end of this session, you will have a clear blueprint for your company's sales success that will help you drive repeatable and predictable sales and achieve sales outcomes like never before.
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
How to Plan, Prepare and Conduct Influential Sales Meetings
Ty Lohman
You don't meet with sales, you meet with people, and in this session you'll learn how to plan a meeting that is effective and motivating. The purpose of a sales meeting is to educate and motivate staff to become more so they will do more. After this session you'll better understand how to do both.
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Keys to Keeping Your Sales Team Productive
Dick Perl, CCFE
When sales people are productive, doing the right things and getting the right results, they make sales. Learning the essential keys to keeping your staff productive is critical in reducing turnover and producing consistent volume. Learn how to keep your sales team active, productive and selling.
5:00 p.m.
Dinner
Monday, July 23
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Creating Community Connections That Generate Returns
Ty Lohman
In this power-packed session, you'll learn how to promote and conduct various types of community seminars—seminars that will help you connect with your market in a meaningful way so that you can build your brand and generate preneed leads.
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Building Your People Beyond Sales
Andres Aguilar
Finding the right people to sell and lead within your organization is one of your biggest challenges as a sales manager. The next biggest challenge? Building, growing and keeping them. Training people is one thing, but truly developing them is another. In this session, you'll discover how building people beyond their sales skills can be an important catalyst for creating more sales and can lead to a culture where good people want to come and stay.
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Creating Your Brand: Going Beyond Advertising
Tiffany Gallarzo
What is your brand? How does your community view your firm? What is your competitive edge? If you don't know what makes your firm unique, neither do your customers. Learn how to develop and execute your own strategic marketing plan, from a system for organizing what you know and what you have to do next to a schedule for reviewing your progress. Walk away with effective marketing strategies that will build your brand and enhance your company's reputation.
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Doing the Right Things for the Right Reasons
Poul Lemasters, Esq.
Achieving sales targets is just one aspect of your role as sales manager. Equally as important is how we do what we do. Doing things right means more than simply learning how to make an effective sales presentation; it also means doing things ethically and legally. In this session, you'll discover how pervasive ethics and the law are in numerous areas of sales leadership.
6:00 p.m.
Dinner
7:00 p.m.
Cryptones concert
Tuesday, July 24
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Branding from the Inside Out
Tiffany Gallarzo
Whether your sales team consists of one person or 100 people, brand integration is the key to success. In this session, you'll learn that "the way we've always done it" isn't gonna cut it anymore. In today's world, we must create a culture and an environment for development and growth that will unite your staff to increase retention, enhance your company's reputation and ultimately increase sales.
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Where to Find and How to Interview Top Sales Talent
Mike Hays
Where is the best place to look for top sales talent? Is it the Internet, the local newspapers, or are there other sources that work? Once you find your top candidates, what are the keys to the interview process to ensure you find the right fit? In this session you'll find answers to these questions and gain additional insights to help you acquire the people who are the best fit for you and your company.
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
The Next Generation of Lead Generation
Robin Heppell, CFSP
What will be the next big thing in lead generation? Can you generate leads on the web? How do you compete against online classified ads? What can Google AdWords and Facebook Ads do to help? What is happening today, and what do you need to do to get ready for what's next? In this session, you'll discover both.
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Preneed Cremation: The Secrets to Selling Tribute and Memorialization
Jim Hammond
Regardless of the types of cremation products and services you offer, you won't be able to sell it if the value isn't clear to your staff and to the market and if it is not marketed effectively. In this session, we'll discuss the important elements of educating cremation clients and marketing cremation memorialization.
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Graduation/Reception for Students Completing Four Years
Wednesday, July 25
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
The Ultimate Role of the Sales Manager
Gary O'Sullivan, CCFE
Being a sales manager means many things to many people; however, the role does have an ultimate end. Many people would say it is to produce volume, but Gary O'Sullivan disagrees. In this session, you'll discover the three things required to fulfill the ultimate role of the sales manager.
10:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Diploma and Class Pictures