Primary ObjectiveUnderstanding the impact referrals have on your practice.

1. The Importance of Referrals

Five Key Topics:

2. Internal Customer Service Review

4. Using Social Media to Refer

3. The Referral Brochure

5. Internal Marketing Tactics

The Importance of Referrals

• The most telling indicator of a practice's growth potential is the propensity of its customers to refer its services to their friends and family.

• Customers are retained longer and customer acquisition costs are minimized

• Customer defections are kept to a minimum

The most powerful fact associated with customers making referrals is that they are willing to put their reputations on the line. When this happens, the customers are basically becoming the practice's external marketing department.

The Importance of Referrals

Two factors related to referrals. 1. Trust. Being referred to someone (or someone referring a person to you) comes with an implied endorsement. People don't like risks, and they don't want to belong to the burned buyers club. So by simply opening themselves to the idea of asking others who they recommend, they move closer to acceptance and action required to make a buying decision.

2. Risk elimination. Essentially the endorsement (or recommendation) eliminates the need for the potential client to look at normal depths with your products and services. Of course, the risk is not entirely eliminated, granted. But the normal methods of sales channels and marketing methods designed to influence, a decision, those are typically side-stepped.

The bottom line with both of these factors: Risk association and the potential for loss is minimized when someone gives you a word-of-mouth referral.

Summary

They are less likely to be “dentist-hopping”

They usually have fewer objections

They are more likely to be long-term, loyal patients

They are pre-screened

It is more cost effective to market through existing patients

Internal Customer Service Review

How to Improve Customer Service

1. Know who is boss – Never forget that the customer pays our salary and makes your job possible.

2. Be a Good Listener– Take the time to identify customer needs by asking questions and concentrating on what the customer is really saying

3. Identify and Anticipate Needs– Customers don't buy products or services. They buy good feelings and solutions to problems.

How to Improve Customer Service

4. Make customers feel important and appreciated. Treat them as individuals. Always use their name and find ways to compliment them, but be sincere. People value sincerity.

5. Help customers understand your systems. Take time to explain how your systems works inside your practice. Be careful that your system doesn’t reduce the human element of your organization.

How to Improve Customer Service

6. Appreciate the power of "Yes". Always look for ways to help your customers. When they have a request (as long as it is reasonable) tell them that you can do it.

7. Know how to apologize. When something goes wrong, apologize. It's easy and customers like it.

8. Give more than expected. Think of ways to elevate yourself above the competition.

How to Improve Customer Service

9. Get regular feedback. Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you could improve.

10. Treat each other well. Employees are your internal customers and need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are.

Ask Yourself One QuestionWould you do business with you?

Marketing to Women

What Do Women Want in Dental Care

• 90% influenced by short/or no wait time

• Source – 80% personal recommendation, 17% online, 2% yellowpages, 1% billboards

• 92% - friendly staff & Doctor

• 98% - has referred at least 1 or more friend

• 96% - visits once every six months

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), 90% of U.S. adult women are responsible for health care decisions for themselves and/or members of their family.

• 75% - influence of office atmosphere

* Survey conducted by Moxzee

What DON’T Women Like in Dental Care

• Unfriendly Staff & Doctor

• Dentist that don’t explain procedures

• Dirty or Cluttered office building

• Long waiting time

• Hidden fees

• Hard to contact

• Not up-to-date with latest technology

• Poor Service

Start With Your Office Building• Look around to see if there’s anything that needs to

be fixed.

• Fresh Coat of Paint – colors: warm colors, rich colors, and soft colors.

• Updated Magazines

• Fresh flowers

• Clean Bathrooms

• Play area for kids

• Make sure Office smells good

• It’s the little things they remember

How to Ask for Referrals

Has someone ever asked you for a referral? Did it go something like this: "Hey Mary, by chance would you know someone who could benefit from my services?" Mary thinks about it and eventually says, "Well, not off the top of my head, but I'll keep thinking about it."

Posing the question this way has a 90% chance of failing. Why? It’s to broad.

People need a frame of reference to help them narrow down potential referral candidates.

Get Personal. By knowing your customers likes and interests, it allows you to narrow down the field. This is far more effective , and your request will stay with them long after you've asked it because they’ll visualize your services with much greater intensity.

The Referral Brochure

The Benefits of a Referral Brochure

• Provides more information than a business card

• Makes a lasting impression with powerful imagery

• Eliminates complicated verbal scripts

• Provides an incentive for potential clients

Easy as 1-2-3-4

Step 1 – Patient finishes dental services

Step 2 – Doctor or Staff member asks patient for referrals

Step 3 – Staff member explains referral brochure and gives to patient

Step 4 – Track referrals internally

Using Social Media to Refer

How Often Do Women Use the

Internet

The most important needs for women revolve around personal growth, as well as their interdependencies on others in their social circle.

• Women purchase more things on the internet than men do• 76% spend time on social media websites.• On average women spend 5.5 hours a month on social

media websites.

What Do Women Use Social Media For?Women use social networking tools to make connections, while men use them to raise their status.

Top five ways women use social media:

• News/Politics

• Technology/Gadgets

• Cars

• Careers/Business/Personal Finance

• Health/Wellness – Doctors, Dentists, Beauty

What type of information is being shared?

• Tips & Advice

• Photos & News

• Deals & Savings

• Personal Recommendations

Internal Marketing Tactics

• Display in office thanking everyone who referred for that month. (picture)

• Rewarding staff for referrals

• Free samples

• Handwritten thank you notes

• Patient Gifts (Flowers, tickets to events, gift certificates)

• Occasion cards (Birthdays, get well, condolences, congratulations)

Questions and Answers