Business Accounter

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Want to Attract New Dental Patients Think About a Referral Contest

Referral contests are one of the best ways to attract new patients. People love contests and competition for two reasons: 1 Competitiveness is a part of human nature. And, 2 people love to win stuff.

Just think, the most widely watched shows on TV are competitions. Sporting events and reality shows dominate the TV ratings because they are competitive contests. And, the thrill of getting something for nothing is basically second nature for Americans. If you dont believe this, consider the billions of lottery tickets sold each week.

The contest format of referrals is successful due to the fact that it covers the two main factors of attracting referrals to any business. Those two factors are: Reward and Recognition.

As I said, people like winning stuff, and they love to be gratuitously singled out as doing something good. Referral contests are a great way to make this happen in your practice. They are not difficult to set up, and actually take very little effort to run. All you need to do is promote your contest correctly a patient newsletter is a good way.

Here are two great examples of successful referral contests that worked wonders.

Example 1:

A dentist was looking for a way to promote and gather referrals in his practice, and the idea was brought up to give away 1000 to the person who referred the most patients.

Each person who referred would get a gift of some sort. I believe, in this case, it was a gift certificate to a local restaurant, and the person referring the most patients at the end of the contest would receive 1000 in cash.

If you run your contest without the small gift for each referral, you will scare some people away. Giving the small gift as a "thank you" to your patients is a good draw for even the shy person that does not care to try for the 1000. The small gift also draws attention to the fact that you get something even for referring one person.

Well, during the 3 weeks that this contest ran, the office generated 44 new patients.

If we do the math in this case, basically, for 1000 this office gathered 44 new patients an average of just under 23 per patient.

The success is based on the treasure. If the top be grateful for was 100, there might tolerate been less of a reaction. For 10,000, you can bet staff may be flying their friends, relatives, and the family dog to the place of business.

For a handful dentists 1000 may seem akin to a big chunk of change. Chew over around this, in comparison: As an alternative, you may well use up 1000 to send one or two immediate mail pieces to your society to catch the attention of 10 or so new patients... OR, you can provide the equivalent bulk of change to pass through your patients quote their friends and family to your maneuvers. Take note of, your patients will labor under before now sold their friends and relations on the benefits of your drills and your dental warmth. Meaning, they cherish you bask in the get-go and are prepared to be constant patients from the occasion they walk in your gate.

In another, vastly similar, case there were two ladies at the top of the agenda who were neck and neck and each esoteric. And, every epoch one of the opposite sex may possibly say a patient in, the front place of business team of workers may possibly invite the variant lady to vigilant her. This went on for the duration of the game.

Finally, near the end of the match, one of the opposite sex actually drove a patient to the practice for the eventual referral that lastly won the bout for her.

Now, you dont go through to go that far, but you can see how a straightforward match can induce a big ecstasy right through your patient base that will plainly knowledge themselves shooting patients to your place of work.

There is an extra, enormously various way, to run a bout in your exercises. This initially development, said more than, is the "certain-referrals-wins" competition, and essentially plays on peoples competitiveness.

If that sounds too extreme for you, there is in addition the example under. The "weighted caricature" game is an additional trouble-free and trouble-free way to run a bout without eliminating any one referrer relishes producing a uncertainty to win the splendid be grateful for.

Case in point 2:

This dentist rapidly runs this brand of game and throws up a new value every quarter. His prizes go through, so far, included computers plus flat screen out monitors, and a hefty 47" Plasma TV. He is currently leaving in other places 2 round go back and forth airplane tickets to somewhere in the Jointly States.

The match format is easy. For every referral that realizes a new patient seek advice from, the referrer receives one entry into the drawing. Name one creature, and you experience one unpredictability to win. Point out 10 workers, and tolerate 10 accidents.

At the end of the quarter, all of the chances are compiled in a bowl and the winner is attracted. The champ after that gets their notice carried and the health worker and the prize, and that envision gets positioned in the weekly newsletter. The picture is at that time accompanied by the briefing of the subsequently competition and the after treasure.

Keeping the prizes novel is audacious for the patients and keeps one another tied up in the algorithm. If you rapidly contribute away the equivalent revalue, staff will get fed up and the competition except it is a big savor similar to 1,000,000.

The envision is a incredibly central step DO NOT Leave out THIS If you do not market a winner, employees will not get agitated regarding the next game.

Oh, the rejoinder... anyhow, in conversing to the health worker a partners of weeks ago, he reported that the new patients he gains derive pleasure referrals, on their first check with abandoned, basically brings in an added 35,000 per per annum and pays for their patient newsletter to go out.

Thats cleanly the proceeds from their initially visits "The relief is gravy." He named.

There is one key that both of these referral demanding situations knowledge in general. That key is crusade to your patients. Without the precise cause, both of these demanding situations dishearten. If you dont enlighten recruits whatever they crave to do to win a value, they wont do it.

Both of the on top of examples utilized a patient newsletter to publicize the competition. Appearance your patients that people are in reality coming first the disputes, will support class each other perceive reminiscent of they, too, can win and will requested to at slightest try.

Similarly, in your newsletter, incorporates referral cards that can be used as the "comic strip" cards for your bout. Theyre interest cards that your patients can write their bring up on to certify they get accurate credit and hand out to their friends and clan.

Referral disputes are not a robust mania to set up. Cleanly resolve on how you demand to set it up and variety definite your patients absorb regarding it. Get them excited. And, consider, if you dont style a big transaction concerning it, neither will anyone in addition.


Just about the Originator

James Erickson is the President of

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