The Hospice Referral Factory (Will de Michaelis) #70

Will de Michaelis, Client Success Manager at Parting Pro and licensed Funeral Director, has finally returned to share a growth strategy that feels refreshingly human: build relationships with hospice teams through education.

He calls it the “Referral Factory,” and the name fits. This approach does not rely on one lucky call, one cremation ad, or one direct mail campaign. Instead, it creates a repeatable system that helps a funeral home, cremation provider, or online cremation services brand become the trusted resource healthcare workers remember when families need guidance.

The Big Idea: Market to the Family’s Trusted Resource

Most funeral website marketing focuses on families directly. That still matters. Digital ads, cremation advertising, online funeral arrangements, and a strong cremation website all play a role in generating leads.

But Will makes a sharp point: families often trust someone before they ever meet a funeral director.

That person may be a hospice nurse, hospice social worker, hospital discharge nurse, or skilled nursing facility nurse. These professionals enter the family’s life weeks before a death occurs and build trust quickly. When a family later asks, “Who should we call?” their recommendations carry serious weight.

Why Hospice Relationships Matter

Will centers the episode on hospice because hospice workers sit closest to the moment of need. He notes that hospice teams play a powerful role in the death and dying ecosystem.

The math makes the opportunity even clearer.

A cremation lead from pay-per-click ads may cost around $200 per case. That can still work, especially when paired with the best funeral home software, cremation software, or a funeral management system that helps staff respond quickly.

But compare that with a $200 in-service visit. If a funeral home spends that amount on coffee, donuts, printed flyers, and simple leave-behinds, the first referral costs $200. By the tenth referral, the cost drops to roughly $20 per case.

That is why Will frames hospice outreach as a long-term referral engine, not a one-time networking event.

Education Beats Selling

Hospice workers do not need another folder filled with slogans, package pricing, and “we have served this community for 80 years” messaging. They need practical knowledge that helps them do their job better.

Will recommends leading with education on topics such as:

• Death certificates: what they are, how families use them, and how many copies they may need
• Social Security benefits: including spousal and dependent benefit basics
• VA burial benefits: explained in plain language families can understand
• The cremation process: from first call and removal to paperwork, cremation, and return of remains
• Disposition options: a clear overview of available choices without turning the conversation into a sales pitch
• Powers of Attorney: What does a Power of Attorney need to be valid for funeral or cremation arrangements

This support closes the knowledge gap between hospice care and funeral service. It also makes the funeral home easier to call when questions arise.

The Step-by-Step Referral Factory Plan

Will gives listeners a clear homework assignment, and it fits into any funeral home management routine.

Start by mapping hospice providers within a 10- to 15-mile radius of your business. Use Google Maps, Yelp, or your own local knowledge. Then identify the right contact, usually an administrator, nurse leader, or social worker.

Next, reach out with a specific offer: a short educational in-service for their team. The goal is to earn 30 or 40 minutes during an IDT or IDG meeting, when the team already gathers.

Bring useful handouts, a warm attitude, and a small goodie bag. After the in-service, invite the hospice team to tour your funeral home or crematory as a second in-service. That behind-the-scenes understanding can deepen trust.

Where Funeral Tech Fits In

This episode focuses on relationships, but funeral tech can strengthen the strategy. A funeral director app, mortuary software, crematory software, or funeral arrangement software can help your team track outreach, follow up with hospice contacts, manage referrals smoothly, and keep every funeral arranger aligned.

The same goes for funeral planning software and funeral arranging software that make online cremations and cremation arrangements easier for families. When a hospice worker recommends your firm, the family experience must match the trust that referral created. The right funeral service software—and for digital-first firms, the best online cremation software—helps you deliver that consistency.

The Takeaway for Death Care Professionals

Will’s advice lands because it respects the reality of modern death care.

“Families need clarity.”

Hospice workers need resources and education. Funeral homes need sustainable case growth.

The Referral Factory brings those needs together. Lead with education. Show up consistently. Become the person hospice teams call when they have a death certificate question, a cremation process question, or a family that feels overwhelmed.

That is not just smart marketing. It is community-building with real business upside.

Learn more and watch the full episode! 🎧 > https://youtu.be/VKhyrQMa27A