Asking For Patient Referrals

Many dentists will shy away from asking patients for referrals because they might feel like it’s an awkward, pushy or tacky thing to do. This is not the case! In fact, word-of-mouth is the best way for you to bring in more patients; it’s the most valuable marketing tool for your dental practice. The trick is in knowing how to ask your patients to refer your office to their friends or family members.

Successfully Asking For Referrals

Below are three things to do when trying to gain patient referrals for your dental practice:

• Put Yourself In Your Patients’ Shoes – From the second your patients enter your office until the second they leave, make sure that they’re having a good experience. In the procedure room, in the waiting room, checking in at the front desk, all of these stops during their appointment should be aimed toward providing your patients with a great experience. The happier they are with your office, the more willing they’ll be to provide a referral.

• Provide Opportunities For Compliments – If your office and your staff are doing all they can to provide the best in customer service, the compliments may begin to roll in. If your patient tells you that your front office staff is kind and helpful on the phone, or that they hardly felt the shot you had to administer, use this opportunity to hand them a few business cards and ask them to pass the good word along!

• Start Providing Take-Home Bags – If you aren’t already providing take-home bags for your patients, you may want to begin. Many offices include a toothbrush, travel toothpaste, a container of floss, a refrigerator magnet, etc. Whatever you choose to include in the bag, make sure you’re also adding a few business cards that your patients can share with friends and family.

Your patients will need to be reminded that you’re always accepting new patients, and most of them will very willingly provide a referral to your office! All you need to do is make sure you’re providing the reminder in a warm and tactful way.

For more tips on how to ask for referrals, or for any other dental marketing questions, please contact CTC Associates today. Your success is our success!