One of the best ways to get referrals from your patients and dentists is to have conversations. Rather than keeping everything strictly business and always being matter-of-fact, start a conversation that is not about treatment. If you know one of your patients loves soccer, bring up some games and ask if they play. If you know that patient has a birthday or an appointment coming up, see if you can surprise the person with a couple of tickets to the local game. Whatever it is, there are ways to have conversations with the person and to also surprise them, creating memories and bonds with your office.
While you don’t want to seem like a stalker, do make an effort to get to know your patients. Learn …show more content…
more about them, their interests, and the things that they like to do. Then find ways to start conversations about those things. When you show an interest in who they are as a person, rather than just as a patient you are about to do treatment on, you will be forming meaningful connections. Those who feel connected will love your office, they'll want to come back again, and they'll be excited to tell others about your office. You will be providing them an experience that is above and beyond, rather than just meeting their expectations. Plus, when you can chat about something they love for even a minute, you will be anything but boring.
Don't Be Boring
I’ve said this many times, and I’ll say it many more—people don’t talk about what is boring.
If going to your office is the same old boring thing and it doesn’t stand out in their mind, then it’s not going to get talked about much afterward. People don’t share information about boring. Nobody wants to listen to boring, so for the most part, boring simply isn’t discussed.
So make every effort to ensure your office is not boring. If what you are doing is boring then you are not going to get referrals no matter what you do. This is especially an important thing to remember when it comes to spending your hard-earned dollars on advertising and marketing. While you may be pouring money into these things, they may be falling on deaf ears if what you are putting out there is boring.
When you put out ads, promotional materials, or whatever it is that you are doing, don’t spend the money without first asking if what you are doing is boring. If it is, you have to change it before spending the money or it will never give you the return on investment that will make it worth your while. If what you are putting out there is interesting, fun, and memorable, then go for it. But still always track it to see if it was worth the effort or if further changes need to be
made.