Soliciting another doctor’s office for referrals can be an awkward task for any healthcare provider. Nevertheless, establishing and nurturing genuine relationships with other medical professionals is often the lifeblood of a successful medical practice.
Whether your practice is new or established in the area, there are several ways in which you can approach a fellow doctor’s office to ask for their referrals to you. Here are some suggestions on how to easily get started:
- Introduce yourself to new or existing physicians or healthcare providers in your area. Welcome new healthcare providers to the area, and offer your professional support to established practices. This can be done with a note or a personal visit. Then follow up with your contacts shortly thereafter to reinforce the message.
- Cast a wide net to build your physician referral network. At first, you’ll want to contact as many practices as you can find. Gradually, however, you should become more selective in the practices you associate with. If a referring doctor is not providing you with the referrals you were hoping for, you might want to re-evaluate your relationship. The long-term goal is to improve the quality of your networking and your referred patients.
- Make it as easy as possible for referring healthcare providers to refer their patients to you. Provide them with clear contact information, and consider establishing a secure link to a referral form on your website. It’s also a good idea to have a dedicated phone line exclusively for doctors providing referrals to you. That way, referring physicians can leave a patient’s name and number on the line, enabling your office staff to follow up.
- Show your appreciation to referring doctors. Building lasting relationships with referring doctors takes more than just a quick visit and a handshake. If you receive a referral from a doctor, be sure to send a thank-you note. Make sure you have referral specialists consistently in their office creating value. Some doctors make the mistake of only showing up a couple of times a year or only during the Holidays. If you continue to receive referrals from them, be consistent in creating value for them.
- Keep the referring physician in the loop about the patient’s progress. This can be done with a phone call or a quick email. This form of reciprocity lets your referring physicians know that you are truly committed to their patient’s care.
Premier Doctor Referral Services for Your Practice
Not all medical specialists have the time or expertise to focus on building a doctor referral network. Fortunately, Doctor Referral Institute has an experienced team and proven system to increase the quality and number of your patient referrals and, in the process, your bottom line.
Unlike other marketing companies, we’ve owned and operated a healthcare practice – so we know exactly what it takes to successfully obtain condition-specific patient referrals for healthcare practices of all types and sizes.
To learn how Doctor Referral Institute can meet your specific marketing needs, contact us today by calling us at (888) 703-9167. We look forward to helping you build your practice!