Make the Referral Process Easy

By Paul Martin, PT, MPT, CBI, M&AMI

If you are a company that makes regular contact with your referring physicians, consider a new strategy. As opposed to simply telling the physician why your services are so much better, or that you deliver higher quality over your competitors, why not lead with some questions? In our experience, physicians hear pretty much the same thing from every provider, and the majority of physicians do not see a considerable difference in quality from one provider to the next.

So why not have your marketing person or practice liaison lead with some great questions with the goal of finding out what could distinguish your practice from the rest of the providers in your market? While there are a number of questions to ask, how about, “What can we do to make the referral process easier for you and your office?” And then listen, respond, and deliver!

Paul Martin, PT, MPT, CBI, M&AMI, president of Martin Healthcare Advisors, is a nationally recognized expert on health care business development and succession planning. As a consultant, mentor, and speaker, Paul assists business owners with building value in their companies. He has authored The Ultimate Success Guide, numerous industry articles, and weekly Friday Morning Moments. He can be reached at pmartin@martinhealthcareadvisors.com.