Orthotown January/February 2020 - 46

new patients coming from referring doctors.
There are simple ways to reward referring
dentists-and, perhaps more importantly,
their hygienists and front desk staffers.

Seven signs of a good program
Here are few easy ways to build your
doctor referrals and reward them.
1. Become intentional with your lists.
Not all referring doctors are alike, and
you shouldn't treat them as if they're
the same. Segment the general dentists
in your area by the amount they refer,
their location or even their size and
potential to refer.
2. Customize your gifts.
Keep a list of how many team members
are at the referring doctor's practice
and note any favorites or dislikes you
know about. Update this information
at least every six months; that way,
you're always ready to send a custom
gift when a patient is sent your way.
3. Think outside the gift basket.
Don't send the expected generic
gift basket on the expected generic
holidays. Everyone gets a basket at
Christmas; how will yours stand out?
Don't send something impersonal-
that makes it feel like you don't have
a real relationship with the doctor
and your gift will highlight that. Be
original, and make sure it's obvious
who sent the gift.
4. Be where the referring
doctors can see you.
Seeing your practice's name or your
name around town adds credibility
to your practice. And the patients
see it, too! For instance, if a pediatric
dentist sponsors the local elementary
school's outdoor movie night, you
should, too, as the local orthodontist.
Not only will potential patients see
your banner but the pediatric dentists

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 // orthotown.com

see your name, too. You will scoop
up new patients and potentially add a
referral source.
5. Don't forget the team. Of course, you
need to target the owner-doctor of
the practice, but don't forget that most
patients trust their hygienist's opinion.
They look to the hygienist for what
they should do after the doctor makes
a recommendation. And if the doctor
is recommending a list of five or six
options, the patient will look to the
hygienist or even the front desk to help
them narrow down the choices.
6. Don't let your ego trap you.
You'll never be too successful not to
accept a little help. The goal is for you
not to need it to survive. So, make
sure you don't stop rewarding general
dentists who refer to you, and don't stop
welcoming new dentists to the area.
7. Delegate as needed.
If your time or talent is the reason
you're not doing well at something,
delegate it to someone in your
office. Who's the social butterfly on
your team who doesn't get enough
opportunity to interact with new
faces? That's probably someone who'd
enjoy this and be good at it. It doesn't
mean you're making him or her more
important than you; it just means
you're delegating the responsibility of
paying attention to this, making a plan
and executing it on your behalf. You'll
still need to sign the cards, show up at
the open houses, make personal phone
calls, etc. The relationship should start
with you but include your team.

Lastly
I'll always be the champion of the
independent doctor, but I think we need to
stay true to what works and "go back to the
well" to what makes us successful. Doctor
referral programs are one of those things. n
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