Is Your Dog Emotionally Smarter Than You? Register Now to Get a Leg Up on Rover and Become a More Effective Leader

Ongoing research at the University of Lincoln, England, suggests that dogs have a fascinating ability to decode the human face and "read" human emotions. As far as scientists know, no other animal has this relationship with the human face. Dogs don't do this with each other; humans don't do this with each other either. This suggests that dogs have acquired skills over thousands of years enabling them to communicate with us on an emotional level in a way that other animals, and even other humans, cannot. Isn't it time we tried to evolve and raise our emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) to Fido's level?

Join your fellow industry "top dogs" at the ICCFA Fall Management Conference, September 21-23 in Naples, Florida. This year's keynote speaker, Dr. J.P. Pawliw-Fry, will focus on emotional intelligence and teach you how to pickup on emotional cues that will improve your ability to lead, engage and develop your staff and, in the case of this profession, to better serve families. You'll also receive a workbook filled with tools and techniques for improving your emotional intelligence so that you can:

• understand and manage your own emotions as a leader
• better engage your staff
• make those on the front lines feel as though they have a voice within your organization
• guide and assist your staff in dealing with the range of emotions they encounter as they work with families at a time of loss
• build stronger, more productive team relationships
• improve performance throughout all levels of your organization
• improve job satisfaction—both your staff's and your own

Additional conference sessions include breakout discussions on marketing to baby boomers, communicating the cremation value proposition and providing leadership in times of change. Numerous breaks and receptions and the Fall Management Golf Tournament offer excellent opportunities for networking with many of the most successful and future-focused executives in the profession today.

Full program, hotel and registration information is available at www.iccfa.com.

PLEASE NOTE: The ICCFA drastically-reduced hotel room rate of $179 at The Ritz-Carlton will no longer be available after September 2. If you have not already reserved your room, please do so today by calling 1.888.856.4380 and use code TIETIEA.

Perfect Your Sales Moves at 2012 Wide World of Sales Conference

So you think you can sell? Take two days this January to learn how to improve your sales steps at the Wide World of Sales Conference, January 18-20, 2012, at Bally's/Paris Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. You'll find training sessions filled with useful, practical tools you can take back to your office and implement immediately.

Join us for the world's largest sales and marketing conference for death care professionals, offering:

• Business relationship expert and best-selling author Garrison Wynn will deliver a keynote address on what the top 1 percent of salespeople do differently as well as a high-impact workshop that shows you how a three-step presentation process can move your prospects to "yes."
• Sales trainer Paul Lushin will share his insights on what to do when you start to lose control of the sale, the sales advice he learned firsthand as a district manager with Fortune 500 company ECOLAB.
• Sessions on prospecting, presenting, cremation sales, social media and more!
• Two solid days of educational seminars offering practical tools and techniques for boosting sales
• ICCFA take-home binder filled with handouts and "how to" instructions
• Registration directory of all attendees to facilitate networking with more than 400 of the best industry sales counselors and managers from around the world
• Wednesday evening Welcome Reception
• Lunch and learn: You and your colleagues will share best practices and prepare to present one idea to the conference
• A chance to win cash and prizes
• and much more!

Register online now or download the registration form here. Seating will be limited to the first 425 registrants, and we expect this conference to sell out, so make your plans now. Bally's Las Vegas is offering attendees the discounted room rate of just $99 per night. To make your reservation, call 877.603.4389 and use discount code SBCCF2.

Printed copies of the program will be mailed out within the next few weeks. Sponsorships are still available. Download the sponsorship packet here.

Highlights From ICCFA University

	ICCFA President Ken Varner, CCFE (left), and ICCFA University Chancellor Tom Roberts, CCE (right), present valedictorian Tanya Scotece, CFSP (center), with her graduation diploma

The 2011 ICCFA University has once again created an industry-wide buzz. Check out our coverage on our Facebook page. Highlights include:

• A record 177 people attended this year's University—proving those who have attended are spreading the word about the importance and uniqueness of the ICCFAU experience.
• Tanya Scotece, CFSP, Farley Funeral Home, Inc., Venice, Florida, was selected by her fellow graduates as this year's valedictorian.
• "The U" is serious fun. Yes, it's fine days of intensive training, but it's also five days of networking, making new friends and taking in the experience that only the University can offer. See photos from ICCFAU on Facebook

We'll see you again next year at The Fogelman Conference Center on the University of Memphis campus.

Pet Loss Training Program: Seats Limited, Hotel Cutoff Sept. 2

Take the first steps toward earning your Certified Pet Loss Professional (CPLP) designation!

The Pet Loss Professionals Alliance will offer its charter session of the CPLP training program—a mandatory requirement for earning the CPLP certification—October 2-4, 2011, in Fort Worth, Texas. The training will help you increase your companies' professionalism and expand your pet loss business. The CPLP program sessions include:

• Becoming the Best at What You Do, Joe Dwyer
• Achieving Personal and Professional Success, Rena Tarbet
• Grief Management: Helping Families Deal with the Loss of a Pet, Claire Chew
• Operating a Pet Loss Business: Best Practices, Dewayne Cain and Marty Dumas
• Best Practices for Pet Cemeteries, Bill Remkus
• Providing Pet Funeral Services: The First Call and Beyond, Kate Moore, CFSP, and Terry Branson, CFSP
• The Devil is in the Details: Customer Loyalty is Not Built from 30,000 Feet, Doug Gober
• Increase Your Sales Using Social Media, Zachary Garbow
• Unraveling the Mysteries of Marketing, Coleen Ellis
• Improving the Efficiency of Your Pet Crematory, Jon Remkus and Ron Salvatore

Your registration fee for this course includes:

• Two full days of training
• Numerous opportunities to network and share ideas with colleagues and suppliers
• Bus transportation, admission, dinner, line dancing and a photo opportunity at Monday night's Kickoff Party at Billy Bob's, the world's largest honky tonk
• Two morning coffee breaks
• Two lunches
• Afternoon refreshment breaks
• Happy hour

A full schedule and registration information is available at www.myplpa.com. Cost is $389. Registration will be limited to the first 60 applicants, so register early.

The PLPA has secured a discount hotel room rate of $139 per night at the Embassy Suites Fort Worth—Downtown. To reserve your room at this special rate, call 817.332.6900 NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 2 and indicate that you are with the ICCFA conference.

Attendees who wish to apply for the CPLP designation can find the application at www.iccfa.com/files/CPLPapplication_2011.pdf.

Thank you to our Corporate Partners: Paradise Pictures • Matthews International Cremation Division • Terrybear Urns & Memorials • Let Your Love Grow • Memory Vessels • FuneralSuccess.com • Newnak's Pet Caskets • Monarch Advertising-Monarch Resources • A Keepsake Company • Custom Air Trays

Suppliers interested in sponsorship opportunities should contact ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700 or via e-mail at hq@iccfa.com.

Earn Your Pet Loss Grief Certification in Ft. Worth

In three days, earn your pet loss & grief companioning certification, October 6-8 at the Embassy Suites Fort Worth—Downtown. Instructor Coleen Ellis, Two Hearts Pet Loss Center and PLPA Co-chair, will help you to understand the basics of the grief process through the companioning skills needed for a mourning heart, and of self-care needed for this emotionally charged role. Attendees will hear firsthand this informative material, complete with stories of pet loss experiences to aid in the learning process.

Registration for this program is separate and can be made through Two Hearts Pet Loss Center. For more information and to register, visit www.pet-loss-grief.com.

The PLPA has secured a discount room rate of $139 per night at the Embassy Suites Fort Worth—Downtown. To reserve your room at this special rate, call 817.332.6900 NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 2 and indicate that you are with the ICCFA conference.

Crematory Operator Certification: Hotel Cutoff Sept. 2; Arranger Program Visits Pittsburgh Dec. 2

The ICCFA is offering its one-day Crematory Operator and Arranger Certification programs this fall.

Cremation Operator Certification: October 5 in Fort Worth, TX, held after CPLP Training Program
Wednesday, October 5, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with sign-in and continental breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Presented by ICCFA cremation coaches Julie Burn, CCrE, CSE; Poul Lemasters, Esq., principal, Lemasters Consulting; and Larry Stuart Jr., general manager, Crematory Manufacturing & Service Inc. The extensive training curriculum includes:

• professional terminology
• incinerator terminology
• principles of combustion
• cremation and the environment
• incinerator criteria and design
• basics of operating cremation equipment
• general maintenance and troubleshooting
• forms and record keeping
• handling and exposure control

All attendees will receive a comprehensive Operations Manual covering all aspects of crematory operation and maintenance.

Attendees are invited to join CPLP participants for the 40 on 40 event on Tuesday evening (a ticket must be purchased).

REGISTRATION
Cost is $369. You may register online by choosing to attend just the Crematory Operator Training on October 5 or by attending both the CPLP and Crematory Operator Certification programs (save $50 by attending both!). You may also download a registration form.

LODGING
The ICCFA has secured a discount hotel room rate of $139 at the Embassy Suites Fort Worth—Downtown. To reserve your room at this special rate, call 817.332.6900 NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 2 and indicate that you are with the ICCFA conference.

Please contact Julie Burn if you have any questions at julieb@iccfa.com.

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Cremation Arranger Certification: December 2 in Pittsburgh, PA, at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science
Friday, December 2, from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. with sign-in and continental breakfast beginning at 8 a.m.

The only program of its kind, the ICCFA Cremation Arranger Certification offers six hours of in-depth training on how to arrange and create meaningful cremation tributes, how to create unique options for memorialization and how best to communicate all of this to your client families. You'll learn:

• The cremation consumer
• Effective arrangement consultation
• Liability and staff training
• Presenting consumer options
• Cremation code of ethics

Registration includes:

• Six hours of cremation arranger training
• Certified Cremation Arranger certificate
• "Cremation Best Practices" white paper
• Continental breakfast
• Lunch

The program is presented by Julie Burn, CCrE, CSE, ICCFA director of cremation services; Ernie Heffner, CFuE, president of Heffner Funeral Chapel & Crematory Inc.; and Mark Krause, CFuE, president of Krause Funeral Home and Cremation Service Inc.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Cost is $349; $79 for students. You may register online or download and complete the One-Day Crematory Arranger registration form.

Please contact Julie Burn if you have any questions at julieb@iccfa.com.

'What the Grieving Pet Parent Needs' Webinar: Sept. 20

The needs of an owner grieving for a lost pet are different than if he/she were mourning for a child, sibling or parent. While not a human, there's a reason they call canines "man's best friend." Learn the specific nuances of the pet loss process, step back to think about a "pet parent's" state of mind and, more importantly, what you can do to offer assistance during this difficult time and stress the value of your services.

As a pet care professional, being comfortable with the grief process and knowing how to walk with a pet parent after the loss of a pet and in their grief journey requires special skills. Together, the Pet Loss Professionals Alliance and Two Hearts Pet Loss Center answer your need for this learning. Enhance your skills in helping a family through the loss of their beloved pet by participating in monthly pet loss and grief webinars.

Upcoming dates:

• September 20: What the Grieving Pet Parent Needs
• October 18: Marketing Your Pet Loss Services
• November 15: Various Age Segments & Pet Loss
• December 20: How to Conduct a Pet Loss Support Group

Each session will be conducted via webinar from 5 to 6 p.m. Eastern time on the dates listed above. You will be contacted closer to the date of each event with instructions on how to participate in the webinar. COST: $39 per session/$30 per session for PLPA Members. For more information, visit www.iccfa.com/node/2562/Events#griefwebinars.

Online Store Sale: 'Rest In Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in the Twentieth Century'

In 1963, Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death shocked the nation and provoked scandal throughout the funeral industry. Mitford portrayed undertakers as exploitative businessmen eager to turn a profit off of a poor man's grief. Her book climbed the bestseller list and put the growing and profitable funeral industry on the defensive.

Forty years later, Laderman comes to the industry's defense with the thoughtful book, Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in the Twentieth Century, which became an instant classic.

He presents the industry's history from its inception during the Civil War period up to the present. The author explores American attitudes toward death through various lenses, including cultural, religious and psychological history, which demonstrate a pervasive fascination with death and a desire to share an intimate moment with the dead as a part of the grieving process. In the last chapter, Laderman discusses current and future challenges facing the industry-such as a desire for cremation and "the rise of death-care giants"-and the industry's successful attempt to deal with them.

Available for the first time in our online store at a special sale price of just $12 (plus shipping). Order your copy now.

• POSITIONS WANTED
  • Cemetery Operations Manager (eastern United States)
• POSITIONS AVAILABLE
  • Top Sales Director Needed (New York)
  • Sales Management Professional (Michigan)
  • Managing Partner and Sales Manager Opportunities (Florida)
  • Sales Manager (Lake Worth/West Palm Beach, FL)
  • Marketing Professional (Pennsylvania)
  • Funeral Director (Webster, TX)
  • Location Manager (Dallas, TX)
  • Several Sales Manager Positions (northern Florida)
  • Sales Director Positions (Baltimore, MD/greater DC area)
  • Sales Managers and Assistant Sales Managers (mid-South and Midwest)
  • Cemetery Director (Gulf Coast)
  • Sales Manager of Chicago Jewish Cemetery and Funeral Service (Chicago, IL)
  • Great Management Opportunity at 1 Cemetery and 2 Funeral Homes (Orlando, FL)
  • Funeral and Cemetery Sales Manager (Baton Rouge, LA)
  • Preneed Sales Manager (western WA)
  • Funeral Home Location Manager (northern Los Angeles)
  • Sales Manager (central TX)
  • Funeral Director/Embalmer (Lubbock, TX)
  • Regional Management Positions (IL, OH, LA, MS, WV, AR, MO, KY, TN, NJ, MD, DE, PA)
  • Funeral Director/Embalmer (Killeen, TX)
  • Sales Management Opportunity (Midwest)
  • Funeral Director (Abilene, TX)
  • Funeral Home Location Manager (El Paso, TX)
  • Bilingual Funeral Home Manager (Harlingen, TX)

Place your classified advertisement with ICCFA today!

• ICCFA Wireless classified ads cost just $100 and must be prepaid.
• Ads run in two consecutive issues, and include free placement on the ICCFA Web site for four weeks.
• Ads include a link to the company Web site and/or e-mail at no charge.
• Ads with a box number for confidential reply are available for an additional $15.
• Ads must be no longer than 250 words. Cost is $0.50 per additional word.
• A company logo may accompany an online ad for free. A company's logo may run in Wireless for an additional $50.
• ICCFA reserves the right to limit the number of ads per issue on a first-come, first-served basis.
• All advertising is subject to the publisher's approval; advertisers assume liability for all content of advertisements printed and for any claims arising therefrom against the publisher.
  
  For more information or to place an ad, contact Rick Platter at rickp@iccfa.com or call 800.645.7700. See more classified ads at www.iccfa.com/classifieds.

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