Mentoris writes: Getting referrals going

When I speak to practice owners about their new patient growth plans, many cite referral by word of mouth as their most important source of new patients. Most, however, do not have a strategy for amplifying this, instead leaving its success largely to chance.

The general default position is that happy and loyal patients will refer their friends, family, and colleagues. It is interesting to challenge this assumption and consider how true this really is. How many of your patients refer to you? How can you amplify this effect on your business? Also, it is worth considering where else referrals come from and what other sources of referral might add even more value to the practice.