Patient Referrals

In an age where people are sucked in by advertising and expensive marketing campaigns, sometimes consumers look for a personal touch and patient referrals are an excellent, cheap way of attracting new clients. Everybody needs a dentist and many people will ask people they know for advice when it comes to choosing a dental practice, especially if they are new to the area. If this is the case, you want your patients to encourage their friends or relatives to go to your practice, so make sure you offer the best possible standards of care and customer service and take time to reward your patients’ loyalty.

Why are patient referrals important?

Most people trust the judgement of their relatives, friends and colleagues, so patient referrals are a highly effective means of marketing. If your clients are happy with the service you are providing, they are likely to tell people they know about your practice and recommend your business.

Rewarding existing clients

It is easy to get carried away with trying to attract new clients but you also need to keep your current patient list happy. Dentistry is an increasingly competitive market and people have the power to research other practices and services and they may get lured in by other practices offering introductory offers and enticing incentives. In order to keep your existent clients happy, it is always beneficial to offer them incentives in return for their loyalty; for example, you could offer them a free treatment after five years.

You can also reward patients if they refer somebody they know. So, for example, if a new patient comes for treatment at your practice because of a recommendation from a friend, you can give both parties a discount or a voucher to use as part payment for a treatment.

It is also important to say thank you to your patients for their business, especially in the competitive market that is modern dentistry. All dental practices are going out to try and attract new clients but many patients will be inclined to stick with their dentist if they appreciate the service and feel that they are valued as a customer.