Successful acupuncturists understand the importance of referrals in growing a practice; however, most practitioners would benefit from prioritizing this task. It may be challenging to know where to begin, but it does not need to be overwhelming. Once you identify and implement a process, asking for referrals becomes second nature.
For most practitioners, there are two types of referrals to consider: referrals from patients and referrals from medical practices. Happy patients are the key to both.
Referrals From Patients
Referrals always begin with a happy patient. When your client sees positive results from your treatments, they share them with others. So, make it easy for a patient to provide feedback by sending a short survey after every appointment. As part of the survey, ask if they know of others who would benefit from your services, and consider offering a discount to sweeten the deal.
Examples of offers could be additional services, gift cards or "friends and family" consultations. The possibilities are endless, so ask other practitioners what they do for their customer loyalty programs and modify them for your own practice.
Getting Started: Establishing a patient loyalty program is a great way to get referrals. There are several ways to set this up, including via membership or by points per visit. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you keep it simple for the patient. Whether it be a button or form on your website (prominently displayed and never hidden), or through an automated post-visit email, minimize a patient's efforts for a referral and always follow up with a message of thanks for their support.
Referrals From Medical Practitioners
Getting referrals from other medical practitioners may seem unattainable, but it does not have to be complicated. Many of your patients will see multiple practitioners simultaneously, such as a Western doctor, chiropractor, nutritionist or physical therapist. Establishing a positive relationship with these other practitioners can lead to great referrals and the opportunity to share your expertise with the greater medical community.
Getting Started: The best way to get the ball rolling is simply by asking your patients. Start with the providers your patients frequent and ask for an introduction. Let the practitioners know you accept new patients and have appointment openings. Remember to familiarize them with your areas of expertise, and always emphasize how you can complement their own practices.
The biggest key to building that relationship is establishing trust from the very beginning. It may start with a phone call and an email introduction or an invitation to lunch. It is essential to communicate your ideal patient to them, so they know which patients to refer to your practice.
Another critical relationship is with other practitioner's office staff. Receptionists, nurses and office managers often function as physicians' gatekeepers. Frequently, they are the ones doing most of the referrals, so be sure to build trust and a positive relationship with them. And make sure you follow-up often to keep them updated with news from your practice. When they do send a patient your way, show your appreciation by sending a personalized thank-you card.
Finally, remember that referrals are a two-way street, so recommend your own patients see other physicians when appropriate. They are there to complement your practice, too!
Chronic pain afflicts over 20% of the adult population. Sadly, most MDs have essentially no education in treating pain, beyond offering a few toxic medications. Then they tend to steer people with pain away from those health practitioners who are trained. This puts the acupuncture community on the front lines for addressing this epidemic.
When the body is going through a stressful event, the sympathetic system is activated. This activation will help the body with a life-threatening situation. If this state is activated for prolonged periods of time, it starts to consume energy. These traumatic events that generate stressors in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) will eventually become internalized.
| Digital Exclusive
One of the things that makes acupuncture so difficult to measure is that the medicine actually does contain some esoteric aspects. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the neurochemical reasoning behind why acupuncture points stimulate the autonomic nervous system to enact change However, not all the benefits of TCM can easily be measured by randomized, controlled trials. But does that make them fundamentally and definitively untrue?
| Digital Exclusive