Promote the role of sympathy flowers in the bereavement process and address the issue of the “in lieu of flowers” phrase in your community. Send a copy of the press release and a list of alternative “in lieu of flowers” phrases with the suggested letter below to local funeral directors and state funeral industry trade publications.

Instructions:

1. Copy the suggested letter below and print it on shop letterhead.
2. Personalize the parts in (bold).
3. Download and print the SAF Press Release (PDF) and include it with the letter.
4. Download and print the “In Lieu of Flowers” Alternative Phrase Sheet (PDF) and include it with the letter.
5. Send with a floral arrangement to capture their attention, showcase your work and demonstrate the positive emotional benefits of flowers.
6. Remember to follow up and schedule a meeting.
7. Let SAF know about your local efforts, e-mail info@safnow.org

 

(Date)

 

(Name), Funeral Director

(Business)

(Street Address)

(City, State  Zip)

Dear (Name),

We want to thank you for the important part you play in helping bereaved families experience the comfort of sympathy flowers and to let you know what a pleasure it is to work with you.

Flowers continue to remain an important part of a funeral or memorial service. To demonstrate just how much, we would like to share with you information from the Society of American Florists (SAF) about a study by researchers at Harvard University that demonstrates the positive effects flowers may have on the bereaved. Please see the attached press release for more details.

The release also discusses the continuing use of the “in lieu of flowers” phrase in obituaries, which is a major concern for us. We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss how the use of this phrase affects our work to help people express their sympathy, and how (shop name) and (funeral home name) might work together to minimize the use of the negative phrase (starting with the attached alternative phrases). Our goal is to help you address any concerns you have about handling flowers and to best serve your needs. This will benefit both companies and, most importantly, our valued mutual customers.

We would be glad to come to your offices or welcome you to our shop for a tour. I will be in touch to set something up. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at (phone number) or (e-mail address).

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to meeting with you.

Sincerely,

 

(Name)

(Shop Name)