Even though you may want new patients, many of your existing dental patients just assume you have all of the business you need. Patients look at all of the charts on the wall or hear other patients in nearby operatories and they figure you are the busiest dentist in town. But what if that’s not the case? What if you really do need more new patients?
Then you and your team will benefit by asking for referrals. As you have probably experienced, your best new patients come from existing patients, but your clientele will not refer friends and family if they assume your practice is closed to new patients.
Dental teams, however, often struggle with asking for referrals because they do not want to seem desperate; they do not want to seem pushy or insulting. But consider a professional who you really appreciate who provides great service for you, someone who also has an outstanding team. If one day that professional asked you to refer a friend, would you feel insulted? Most of us would take the request as a compliment. Your dental patients will feel the same way.
If patients appreciate you and your dental team, they will want to share the experience with friends and family. When you ask for referrals, you not only compliment your patients, you also remind them the door is open for new business. And the best times to ask for referrals are at the end of hygiene appointments, when you finish with treatment, and anytime a patient offers a compliment.
If you and your team will consistently ask for referrals, your existing patients will send more of their friends and family. And this internal marketing strategy will have a measurable impact on your practice growth.