Ways To Get More Dental Patient Referrals

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Every dental business must secure new clients. However, each business must realise that the biggest source for getting new clients is through the referrals given by the existing clients. When your existing clients are satisfied with your products and services, they share their experiences with their friends and family. These references and recommendations are much more effective than any other means of marketing.

Moreover, there is no cost associated with this kind of marketing other than good service and care. For any established business, 50% of the new customers must come from referrals of the existing clients. However, customers have to be constantly educated and reminded about such programs to pay attention to your needs.

Referral Cards

It makes sense to run a dedicated dental referral program to utilise your existing patients to refer their friends and family members. This can be done through referral cards. The referral cards can be given along with the pay bills. Your existing patients can distribute these to a prospective patient with his/her name written on it so that the referring patient can be identified and an incentive could be given for future treatments or check-ups.

These incentives along with superior service keep the existing patients looking out for prospective patients and help spread the word about your dental practice around.

Gift Vouchers

You can offer gift vouchers as a part of your referral program. You can tie up with a café or a restaurant and give free vouchers for referrals. For instance, you can offer a $20 worth of coffee voucher for you and your friend or a free Burger for you and your friend! This is a win-win as the café or restaurant you are tying up with also improves its sale. So, they will give you a handsome discount on such vouchers.

Social Media Referrals

You can ask your patients to leave their feedback on your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you have a recommendation post prepared, they can share the recommendation post with their friends and relatives. Social Media dental referrals are taken seriously by people. Rewards could be given for a certain number of posts that the current patient shares or likes! These will in turn increase your following and thus your credibility as well.

Website testimonials

Website is mostly the first door that the patients enter through. Hence, positive testimonials, experiences, and feedback of existing customers with their names & photograph builds trust in the new patients who are looking for specific services. The patients must be asked for their feedback on the services that they have received. This feedback must be taken at an appropriate moment and while their service experience is still fresh.

This feedback can then be posted on the website. There could be a section on your website where existing customers can enter details of prospective customers like their name, mobile numbers, and email ids so that you can contact them through calls or emails and send them regular newsletters.

Ensure that you have a responsive website that can be accessed from both desktops as well as mobile. This makes it easier for them to give their feedback and dental patient referrals from their personal mobile phone.

Ask them….

Ensure that your receptionist is asking the callers about any other family member requiring dental treatment or check-up after they are done with booking their appointment. Every new patient must ask this magic question during her first appointment.

Make your clients your brand ambassadors

Ask first-time visitors about their expectations about how they expect their experience to be before they go through the treatment. Convert everything they expect negative, which could go wrong into a positive experience. Children are the best contenders as they fear dental treatments. And if you can turn them into your fans……a lot is told about you without you speaking a word.

Go an extra mile

Keep a note of small things about your clients like their birthdays and wedding anniversaries. Send them an email or a message for such occasions. Give your client a hand-written Thank you card to the patients following their first appointment. These gestures make them see you like a family member and they will shed their inhibitions if any.

Want a specialist consultation

We have specialists at One Stop Dental Marketing who can evaluate your dental referral programmes and suggest new ways to improve your patient referrals. We can look at your overall marketing needs and design a customised dental marketing strategy for your dental practice to grow at a swift pace. We are equipped with the latest trends and techniques to effectively market your dental business. Give us a call on 1300 867 699 to seek our assistance to get more dental referrals.

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