How to Grow Your Dental Practice Through Patient Referrals

How to Grow Your Dental Practice Through Patient Referrals

When it comes to dental practice marketing and increasing patient volume, nothing beats referral marketing.

While you can use popular and effective marketing strategies, a significant part of attracting new patients includes getting them through referrals from existing patients. Getting referrals from existing patients is one of the most successful marketing activities that you can put in place. This is primarily because new patients referred by existing patients are more likely to be happy and satisfied than patients who find your practice on their own. Patient referrals are a much easier and cost-effective way to gain new patients than finding them through traditional marketing tactics.

Importance of Patient Referrals

Importance of Patient Referrals

The success and profitability of your dental practice depend on ensuring a continued stream of patient referrals. Gone are the days when you would succeed in increasing the number of patient referrals just by offering a free consultation during the holiday season. For your dental practice to grow, you should see 25 to 50 new patients every month. Moreover, a majority of your new patients should come from patient referrals. At times your staff may seem reluctant to ask for referrals from existing patients, but you should not shy away from this practice if you wish to gain new patients. It is important to make conscious efforts to keep your name at the top of your patients’ minds and encourage them to refer your services to their family and friends.

While the main benefit of referrals is the number of new patients that it can deliver to your dental practice, there is a secondary benefit you might have overlooked: the quality of patients who are delivered.

Some marketing channels tend to attract discount hunters who are not the ideal patients in your target demographic and are likely to visit only once. In contrast, referred patients are the friends of your existing patients, so they are a great match for your target audience and tend to become loyal, longstanding patients. They are also predisposed to liking your offerings before they even try your products or services because their friends have been spreading the good word about you to them.

Are Referrals Right for Your Practice

Are Referrals Right for Your Practice?

While there are no hard-and-fast rules as to what type of dental practices can benefit from patient referrals, there are some key factors to consider:

Underlying patient satisfaction

The happier your patients are with your services, the more likely they are to recommend your practice to their family and friends. A high Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a good indication that referral might work well.

Demographic

Referrals can work for any demographic, but some tend to be more effective. Women are said to recommend more than men. In addition, while the older demographic tends to recommend less, their recommendations tend to convert better.

Impulse or thought-after decisions

Since dental procedures require consideration, it may take longer to get a referral program off the ground as potential patients who receive a recommendation may not yet be ready for your services. However, the seeds of consideration are sown.

Heavy discounts

Does your practice discount heavily? Lack of discounts and freebies might make it difficult for the referral offer to stand out. If your discounts are less generous than other offers in your local area, then referrers are unlikely to share them within their circles.

Take the first step to protect your online reputation and request your Online Reputation Assessment.