The Art of Creating Family Referrals
Are you getting a fair amount of referral business from your patients' family members? If not, you may want to think about the many ways you can market to different members of the same family.
For family practitioners and other practitioners who routinely see both children and adults, the opportunities to increase referrals are abundant. Think about it…
When a parent brings his or her child or teen into your office, do you treat the child or teen without attempting to sell that parent one of your adult services? If your answer is “yes,” then you are missing our on money-making family-referral opportunities and the increased revenues they bring.
There is wisdom in the old adages that tell us “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” and “strike while the iron is hot.” Your adult patient is in your office with his or her offspring. While you provide treatment to one, you have the opportunity to market other services to the other, face-to-face.
How to increase family referrals
If you are a dermatologist and a parent brings her teen to you for acne treatment, sell the mother on the new laser treatment you offer (to reduce facial wrinkles, remove unwanted hair, etc.).
ENT practitioners treating children for allergies or chronic ear infections should remember to mention the new treatment they offer for snoring abatement or chronic adult sinus problems.
Gastrointestinal specialists treating children should consider telling parents about the highly successful treatments for adult GERD that are now available.
Busy practitioners often make the mistake of just treating the patient who is sitting in front of them. They forget that every patient has family members and friends who could benefit by knowing about some of the other services readily available to them.
Remembering to take every opportunity to sell the additional services you provide will greatly increase your family referrals and your practice revenues. If you don’t have time to do the selling yourself, appoint one friendly member of your staff to chat with each and every patient and to tell them about your other services.
Consider creating a patient survey that includes questions like “Do any of your family members suffer from:” and list the ailments you treat. Then say something like “If any of your family members or friends suffer from any of the conditions above, ask us about the effective new treatments we now have available through our office.”
Give your staff member the patient’s completed questionnaire and have your staff member talk with the patient to find out who in the family has what condition. Your staff member can inform that patient about the great solutions available through your office and sell them on the idea of bringing their relative in for a free consultation.
You’ll be amazed how many times you will hear a patient say, “I didn’t realize you treated that.”
Many patients are only concerned about their immediate medical need. It’s up to you to ask about the needs of their family members and to tell your patients about the many other services you offer to meet the needs of their loved ones. If you do this with every patient, your practice revenue will literally grow exponentially.
For family practitioners and other practitioners who routinely see both children and adults, the opportunities to increase referrals are abundant. Think about it…
When a parent brings his or her child or teen into your office, do you treat the child or teen without attempting to sell that parent one of your adult services? If your answer is “yes,” then you are missing our on money-making family-referral opportunities and the increased revenues they bring.
There is wisdom in the old adages that tell us “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” and “strike while the iron is hot.” Your adult patient is in your office with his or her offspring. While you provide treatment to one, you have the opportunity to market other services to the other, face-to-face.
How to increase family referrals
If you are a dermatologist and a parent brings her teen to you for acne treatment, sell the mother on the new laser treatment you offer (to reduce facial wrinkles, remove unwanted hair, etc.).
ENT practitioners treating children for allergies or chronic ear infections should remember to mention the new treatment they offer for snoring abatement or chronic adult sinus problems.
Gastrointestinal specialists treating children should consider telling parents about the highly successful treatments for adult GERD that are now available.
Busy practitioners often make the mistake of just treating the patient who is sitting in front of them. They forget that every patient has family members and friends who could benefit by knowing about some of the other services readily available to them.
Remembering to take every opportunity to sell the additional services you provide will greatly increase your family referrals and your practice revenues. If you don’t have time to do the selling yourself, appoint one friendly member of your staff to chat with each and every patient and to tell them about your other services.
Consider creating a patient survey that includes questions like “Do any of your family members suffer from:” and list the ailments you treat. Then say something like “If any of your family members or friends suffer from any of the conditions above, ask us about the effective new treatments we now have available through our office.”
Give your staff member the patient’s completed questionnaire and have your staff member talk with the patient to find out who in the family has what condition. Your staff member can inform that patient about the great solutions available through your office and sell them on the idea of bringing their relative in for a free consultation.
You’ll be amazed how many times you will hear a patient say, “I didn’t realize you treated that.”
Many patients are only concerned about their immediate medical need. It’s up to you to ask about the needs of their family members and to tell your patients about the many other services you offer to meet the needs of their loved ones. If you do this with every patient, your practice revenue will literally grow exponentially.