ADVANCE your Business Strategy & Leadership Skills with CANA’s Deathcare Business Administration Certification 

Featuring insights and expertise of Bob Boetticher, Jr. and Doug Gober 

WHEELING, IL— In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, training methods have evolved dramatically. Traditional conference settings provide that satisfying social component, while the convenience of a zoom webinar often lacks interaction and idea sharing. That’s why the Cremation Association of North America’s Deathcare Business Administration Certification combines the connection and attention you love about a CANA event with the convenience of an online and self-paced program. Get training in knowledge, skills, and ideas that bring your career to the next level! This unique education experience kicks off April 1, 2026. 

The CANA Deathcare Business Administration Certification is a 10-week, fully digital program designed for both current and aspiring leaders in deathcare. Built for the modern busy professional, the entirely virtual format allows participants to learn anytime, anywhere. Bi-weekly interactive meetings bring real-world scenarios and practical application to this self-paced online training course on management. A practical approach is emphasized in all discussions, where small group conversations go beyond ‘what we learned’ to sharing best practices and strategies that can be used to create on-the-job impact.  

Modeled after an executive MBA curriculum—but streamlined into 10 weeks—the CANA Deathcare Business Administration Certification equips your team with the tools for: 

1. Organization-Wide Leadership 
   Align your team’s vision and goals across departments, using agile strategies to serve the right customers and adapt to an ever-evolving business environment. 

2. Mastery of People Management 
   Learn how to hire, define success, and coach your teams to excel. With systems like one-on-ones and team huddles, you’ll build a culture of empowerment. 

3. Demystifying Financials 
   Focus on building more profitable firms by understanding financial statements and key ratios. Gain practical tools to use in your daily decision-making. 

To deliver this transformative experience, CANA is working with the expert-led learning platform GoalMakers to offer our profession a solution that strengthens your leadership team and directly improves your bottom line. Led by John Cioffi, Chief Content Officer and co-author of The Winning Manager’s Playbook, and program guide Jeremy Wall, the team is enriched with input from leaders from across the profession. Gain invaluable insights by hearing directly from the experts. You’ll be joined by: 

With more than 35 years of frontline and executive experience, Bob “BBJ” Boetticher, Jr. has built a career defined by operational excellence, business leadership, and a deep understanding of funeral home, crematory and cemetery management. He is a second-generation funeral director, Past President of the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), and currently serves as Assistant Vice President, Field Digital Experience for Service Corporation International (SCI). Widely respected for his operational fluency, leadership acuity, and ability to bridge the gap between technology and real-world field execution, BBJ continues to shape the future of funeral service through innovation, advocacy, and hands-on expertise.  

Doug Gober began his funeral service career more than 45 years ago as a sales representative in the casket industry. He has earned numerous national awards from various organizations within the death care profession. In his quest to provide funeral and cemetery owners successful business solutions, Doug partnered with The Foresight Companies in October 2018, enabling him to expand his service offerings to include Transaction Advisory, Succession Planning, Business Valuations, and Financing. 

The Deathcare Business Administration Certification targets both emerging and seasoned leaders, ensuring you grasp the intricacies of financials and learn how to apply these skills to maximize your team’s performance, serve the right customers, and enhance their hiring processes—creating an immediate impact on your organization. 

We invite you to learn more about the Deathcare Business Administration Certification and gain practical skills you can apply immediately to grow your business and advance your career. Schedule a meeting with program guide Jeremy Wall and talk about your goals and whether this program is right for you: learn.goalmakers.com/meetings/jeremywall/informational 

Take this opportunity to invest in your team’s growth and gain all the essential business knowledge you need—without years of study or student debt. You’ll earn up to 8 hours of CE from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice (APFSP). 

Registration is $995, with discounts available for pairs and groups from the same company. In December 2025 and January 2026, register two employees and a third attends for free! Beyond the financial savings, teams that go through Deathcare Business Administration Certification together can make the most significant impact with a shared language of leadership and the tools to create positive change. 

Enrollment is open—secure your spot in this exclusive certification program! Register now at: goalmakers.com/cana 

About CANA 

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization. 

Customer service and client family support are the pillars of your funeral business. 

(And if you need the  science and research to prove it here ya go).

If you don’t already know that, this blog offers a great opportunity to learn more about what makes great customer service.

Below we’re going to cover some of the most important skills of customer service at your funeral home, and how you can put them to practice. We hope these skills inspire your level of customer service at your funeral home!

Check them out below:

#1: Epic communication skills

If you think being a “good” communicator is good enough, think again. Client families are in their most vulnerable, tender state during the times you work with them, so it’s important to have absolutely impeccable communication skills. 

We recommend taking a course on communication, or reading the book on Non Violent Communication (NVC) which helps you navigate tough moments & conflict like a champ.

Below is a breakdown of the NVC model, check it out for yourself:

#2: Emotional Intelligence

It’s one thing to fix a client family’s issue. It’s another thing to go the extra mile for them, because you put your feet in their shoes. One of our favorite examples is with the brand Chewy, a dog food brand. Although they aren’t a funeral business, this example sure is inspiring, and addresses the topic of death. 

In this example, one of their customer’s dog passed away, and they had an unopened bag of dog food left. What Chewy did in response left us speechless… (find out how they responded in the image below).

We love this example because it shows that a little more effort towards serving families goes a long way. This level of customer service is what creates a lifetime loyal customer base.

#3: Deep breaths

You’ll never underestimate the power of a deep breath until you’re in a moment where a deep breath saves the day. Tensions can be high when families are planning funeral arrangements. If you notice tension or stress, one of the best things you can do is take an audible deep breath, and invite them to do the same and pause before saying anything else. 

A deep breath not only helps to regulate your nervous system, but it also gives everyone a moment to take in what’s happening and find more presence. You can even invite your client families to take 1 or 3 deep breaths in a row, to regulate them. You’ll thank us later for this one!!!!

#4: The art of reflection

One of the greatest tools in the toolbelt: reflection. If a client family brings something to you, especially in a conflict, this tool is very helpful! Reflection is essentially repeating back to your client family or customer what you heard them say. It sounds stupidly simple, and it is, but who ever said simple wasn’t powerful? 

When you reflect back to your client families, it ensures you understood what they said correctly. And,  it helps them to clarify in themselves what they meant, too. And, sometimes, simply reflection can help resolve the issue on its own!

Here’s an example of reflection offering resolution on its own:

Client family: (visibly anxious & upset) I have no idea how I’ll manage to pay for my father’s funeral!?!?! 

Funeral director: (takes a deep breath) Thanks for letting me know that. So you’re saying that you are feeling uncertain about whether you’ll be able to pay for your dad’s funeral? 

Client family: That’s right. Well, actually, I do have some money in savings I could start with. Do you offer payment plans?

Funeral director: Yes we do! Let’s chat about them.

In this example, a simple reflection helped the client family realize that they didn’t actually have “no idea” how they were going to pay for the funeral. Instead, they realized they did have a little savings they could use, and the reflection helped them get inspired to ask about payment plans. These types of conversations are very common when you use reflection. Try for yourself and see.

#5: Responsibility (rather than deflection)

As we just discussed reflection above, it’s important to consider deflection, too. An example of deflection is that when a client family brings an issue they have with your funeral home or services, and you deflect it by:

• Ignoring it
• Invalidating it
• Avoiding it
• Telling them it’s their fault
• Saying it’s not your fault
• Avoiding responsibility for it

When it comes to customer service, anything other than a sincere apology or at least validating their experience is considered deflection. It’s very important to take responsibility for what is yours to take responsibility for in your funeral business. If something didn’t go well or right, own up to it, and try not to shame yourself for it. 

If you don’t feel it’s your responsibility for what has happened, offering a reflection (as mentioned above) and asking what you can do to assist them is a great place to start.

A great way to take responsibility is using NVC (mentioned in the beginning of this blog) saying:

• The observation (what you heard them say)
• Repeating back the request they made or the need they have
• Offering an apology
• Saying what you can offer them/how you can support them

Try this format and let us know how you go!

#6: Lastly, the willingness to adapt and learn

Who likes talking to a stubborn know-it-all? Not us, that’s for sure! That’s why it’s so important to avoid phrases like “Ma’am, this is how we’ve always done XYZ” or “Sorry, that’s our company policy”. We think adaptability and flexibility is crucial to great customer service. Otherwise, you can potentially lose a client family for good. 

When it comes to flexibility, one thing I always ask myself is: would I rather be right, or helpful? Hopefully the latter, and if so, flexibility and willingness to learn from your mistakes are foundational to being helpful.

What other skills do you feel are important to customer service at your funeral home? Let us know below!