Your Current Patients Are Your Best Referral Source

There is no better or more readily available source of new patient referrals than your current patients. Current patients have firsthand experience with you, your staff and your practice. Current happy patients can be your best ambassadors. The only caveat: You have to ask for their referrals…

The Perfect Opportunity to Ask Patients for Referrals

The best time to ask for a referral is when a patient thanks you for your care or expresses satisfaction with their outcome. At that moment, the patient is giving you an open invitation. Instead of just smiling politely and thanking the patient, this is a perfect opportunity for you or your staff to say something such as:

“I really appreciate hearing that, Mrs. Davis. I joined this profession so I could help as many people with [condition/disease/illness/problem] as possible. If you know someone – a family member, friend, co-worker or business colleague – with [condition/disease/illness/problem], please have them call me so I can help them, too.”

It’s that simple. You have expressed your appreciation and enlisted the patient’s help. You have asked for a referral without appearing needy, greedy or unprofessional. And you’ve created additional goodwill between yourself and your patient.

If the patient makes a similar comment to a member of your staff, you might follow up with a personal note to the patient expressing the same sentiment as above. Better yet, make sure every member of your staff is trained to encourage referrals. Ask for referrals every chance you get, and watch your patient referrals add up quickly and almost effortlessly.