How to Get Your Patients to Refer in Droves

By Stewart Gandolf, Lonnie Hirsch and Paul Herreras

Here are three remarkably easy-and highly effective-ways to encourage patients to refer family, friends and colleagues to your practice. The cost is almost nothing, so your Return On Investment (ROI) is through the roof.

This is the closest thing you'll find to guarantee success in internal marketing, and with a little practice and persistence, it's almost effortless to generate patient referrals.
The only tough part is making the commitment and doing it.

1. ASK PATIENTS FOR REFERRALS

Yes, you really do have to ask. That's rule one. You look busy to the patient and they don't think to refer. Brochures or signs are passive-helpful as reinforcement tools, but they don't engage or inspire the patient directly.

Far more than half of the doctors we talk to have heard of "asking for referrals," but-here's the tough part-many shy away...embarrassed, uncomfortable, or afraid they'll look needy. In fact, most patients would happily refer and would love to be asked.

Consider the patient's perspective. If they are pleased with your professional services, they are grateful, appreciative and naturally ready to say "thanks" in return. So ask. Not asking is more than an omission, it's a costly mistake and a golden opportunity lost.

Here's how to get beyond the stage fright (or other excuses) and get into the habit.

Doctor Talk. It's best if the doctor does the asking because that's the highest level connecting point for the patient, and the most direct channel for appreciation.

Timing is Important. Pick a moment when you know the patient is happy and when you've achieved great results. (Not when they are in pain from surgery.) Ask a "checking" question or two to make sure they're up on the satisfaction curve: "Did we do a good job for you?" or "Are you looking forward to showing off those new pearly whites at your sister's wedding?" Or when a patient volunteers a compliment: "I'm so glad you took care of that for me!"

Script it. Rehearse it. Keep it short and sincere. With a little preparation, you will not need the script, but it helps you focus your message. One of the best we've heard is to sincerely say to
the individual that you like having them as a patient, and that you would love it if they'd send their friends because you know they'd be great patients too.

Make it a habit. Look for opportunities to ask for referrals and do so often everyday as part of your regular routine. Mark the chart so that you (or your staff) only ask once (otherwise, you may look needy).

2. GIVE PATIENTS A ONE MINUTE COMMERCIAL

Here's how to generate specific types of cases in your internal marketing.
Contrary to what you might think, the typical patient knows very little about all you do in your practice. They know what you did for them, but that's just about it. You see the big picture but unless the patient has a need, there's no reason for them to be aware of the full range of services in your office. So tell them just a little more about the practice.

Reserve a minute near the end of each patient visit, and present a short, informative "commercial" about ways you help other patients in the practice. Make your message brief, conversational, informal-but focused on something you'd like to promote.

An anecdotal approach is casual and effective-simply tell a story about how you helped a patient recently, or how a procedure or approach you use is being successful, or that your office now provides something many patients have requested.

For example,

Tell every patient you see for a month-no longer than one minute in length-and mark the chart so you don't repeat yourself.

And keep in mind that the spirit of this needs to be conversational, not obviously promotional.

3. INSPIRE PATIENT AMBASSADORS

Among patients who refer to your office, some individuals will become repeat referral ambassadors for the practice. And when you encourage referrals, it inspires more of the same. Rewards after the fact not only work better than contests, they are free of the ethical and image problems created by making up front promises about referrals.

So here's how to reinforce the referral behavior:

• With the first referral, personally make a brief "Thank You" phone call. Doctors who do this routinely find the time (it doesn't take long) and always find it rewarding. Have a staff person make it easy for you by pulling together the names and phone numbers for you, and you can call referring patients on your way home. Best of all, you'll find your patients LOVE this. After all, when was the last time they were EVER personally called by their doctor and thanked for something.
  
  
• With every referral, send a brief note of thanks. Some offices use simple postcards, thank you notes are better, but consistency is more important than an elaborate format.
  
  
• Consider a small gift item when it's practical and appropriate. Perhaps lottery tickets, skin creams or something simple and low cost to reinforce the second or third referral.
  Over time you'll discover many patients who step up and give you referrals on a consistent basis, and eventually you may even want to create an annual "Friends of the Practice" event, typically scheduled around Thanksgiving.

Tools to Help Patients Refer...

Here's where topic-specific brochures and/or posters can reinforce the patient referral process. They are reminders to them to make the referral and an informative tool to aid the referral process.

Find out how these ideas fit within the larger context of your practice. Attend our 2-day practice marketing seminar, and we'll write a custom practice marketing plan for you.
Or call us today at (888) 679-0050.

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