Dental Professional Referrals

This is the traditional marketing method for most dental specialists, and still for many of us is the main method we use to attract new patients. By using the "Referral Test" you can easily analyze and evaluate your stance with your referral sources. This tool is a valuable guide that will show you how to improve your image to referral sources, how to keep them loyal to you, and how to make them talk about you.

Marketing your practice to general dentists or other specialists through a few random lunch meetings is not enough. There are a number of things that you can do, as well as a few things that you shouldn't even try.

Before doing anything, though, you need information. We have developed the "Database" section to help you follow the marketing task systematically. The first thing you need to do is to develop this database. In other words, you have to know your prospective "customers" and what it is they want before you are able to market yourself efficiently.

You want to obtain as much background information as possible about the practice, doctors and staff. Remember, in order to convince a GP to refer to you, a few things need to happen:

1. They should need your services.
   A general dentist with an in-house periodontist may not be eager to send his crown lengthening patients to you! This is just one reason why I believe any marketing campaign should begin with developing a comprehensive database.
    

2. They should know you.
   There are a number of ways to make yourself known by potential referral GPs. Some effective ones are:
   
   - Participating in local dental meetings
   You should seize any opportunity to attend local dental meetings, or to speak at them.
   
   - Writing in your local dental society journal or local newspapers
   There are various local publications that appreciate free articles. In return, you'll have your name in the paper.
   
   - Direct marketing to GP offices by mail (more on this later)
   This method should follow an organized campaign through the use of the "Referral Database".
   
   - Networking with friends and old classmates
   The dental community is a small community; even if you are practicing in a city far from where you went to school, chances are your old friends will know someone in your area who can introduce you to his colleagues and classmates.
   
   - Planned lunch meetings
   Again as part of a planned campaign following the "Database" information.
   
   - Hosting study clubs
   For this to work you need to have teaching abilities and interpersonal communication skills, otherwise you may do more harm than good! One way to organize such a meeting with minimal cost and hassle is to do it in conjunction with a dental supply company. For example, if you are a periodontist I am sure your implant rep would love to assemble a small group of potential customers that you can talk about implants to. They can also serve as great potential referral sources for you. Or if you are an endodontist you can arrange something with the rep for rotary instruments, and so on.
   
   - Sending newsletters
   This is a professional way to introduce yourself to potential referral sources without looking like a random marketer. Check Solution21inc.com for resources on marketing newsletters to dentists.
   
   - Email marketing:
   The Internet has become an increasingly effective marketing tool. Familiarity with spam laws will allow you to market to potential referral sources without any complications. Check Dentistry21.com for methods of permission-based marketing emails for your referral sources.
   
   - Staff networking (using your staff as marketing reps)
   Your staff can be extremely helpful in advertising your practice. They see other staff members at lunch, in your building, on the street, and in many other places. If they are trained and know what to say, they can be a valuable marketing resource.
   
   - Referrals by you
   Yes, you can initiate a communication line with a potential referral source by referring a patient to him first! Once in a while you come across people who need dental services. Instead of sending all of them to one friend you have, send them to different good doctors, who you hope will refer to you in the future. You expect them to take a chance on you, why shouldn't you do the same with them? This is also a great mean of developing relationships with potential referral sources.
   
   - Luck
   A patient may find you through a variety of ways, but you will eventually be given the chance to introduce yourself to his/her general dentist. As you will see later, we truly believe your contacts with potential referral sources should not be random. You need an excuse, and talking about a mutual patient can be a very good one.
    

3. They should trust your clinical skills.
   Later on when you review the "Doctor's Image" and the "Doctor's Skills" sections, you will find out how you can be perceived as the good practitioner that you are.
    

4. They should believe that you will not damage their reputation by your image, but will actually improve it.
   When a GP refers you a patient he/she is risking their reputation. Have a plan to show your referral sources how professional you are and how impressive your office is, so they have nothing to worry about.
    

5. They should remember you first.
   If there is more than one specialist who meets all the above criteria, then you must be at the top of their list to be selected as the one who receives a referral. How you can do that? There are a few things to keep in mind:
   
   - Always keep in touch
   You should constantly find reasons to remind your referrers that you are available for their patients! This can be done by sending gifts (Follow the "Marketing" rules) or through various correspondence (consult and treatment reports, follow up reports, newsletters, birthday cards...).
   
   - Separate yourself from the crowd
   Let me ask you a question. Why do you think you are better than your competition? Can you give me a few reasons why you should be the one chosen as a specialist of choice? If you do have good reasons, do the potential referral sources know about them?
   
   What I am trying to say is simple - if you have exceptional customer service, modern high-tech equipment, you need to find a professional way of telling your GP offices about these unique advantages. If you can't think of any advantages, maybe you should come up with a few!
    

6. You should be available.
   Lastly, you should be accessible. Location-wise, you can expect people to travel a few miles to get to you. But if you are too far from a referral source and there are other specialists on the way, you are obviously at a disadvantage.
   
   As mentioned in the "New Practice" section, you need to be available in your office at least four days a week. You do not have to be there the entire day but when your staff has to tell a patient or a GP office that you are only in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays, it creates an inconvenience for everyone. This may also cause a patient to go to another office, where the practitioner's availability better suits his needs. If you work in two offices, try your best to schedule time working half a day in each office; this way you are available every working day in both offices.