Increase referrals
Answered
Hello. I am in the second year of operating a solo private practice and would appreciate any suggesions on how to increase referrals. I live in a rural community. Thanks
-
Shuntoya I get ALL my referrals from Psychology Today. The first year prior to signing up with PT was very slow. The phone began to ring immediately when I joined PT. I decided to post a photo of myself after the first year with them and for some reason, having a face to put with a name makes people more comfortable with their selection.
I called a few therapists on their site when considering signing up and everyone I spoke with told me they advertised no place else and had all the clients they needed. I've found that to be 100% true. I've even had to refer clients to a colleague of mine since my schedule is as full as I want it to be. The cost is $29.95 per month and worth every penny.
All the best and phenomenal success with your practice!
-
I also live in a rural area (town of 5,000 and we are the largest town in the area). Networking is the most important part of doing busines. I would send a letter to all the doctor offices (rural so there's not a lot to target) about every 4 to 6 months. Massage therapist offices can also be included in that. Partly because the doctors change at the clinic and then it reminds them that I still exist. A website, where my web developer does something to optimize when people search by county or the three major town names, is where I get most of my business. I also contacted to all the other counselors in the area and started a once a month network meeting where we got to know each other, then we referred to each other as the established ones had too much business. Also allowed us to refer people to counselors who preferred certain type of clients for a better match. Now I am established at 4 years in practice and passing on more business than I can handle to other providers. One counselor in our area writes a monthly column in the local paper for referrals. Join Chamber of Commerce, it won't get you clients directly but it gets you listed as a local business and that is exposure. And above all do good services for the word of mouth. Year two in business is the hardest, the newness worn off and the business not quite flurishing. At the next health type fair in your area, man a booth with your business cards. Give your business cards to the police station and other first responders. Some real estate companies have welcome packets so ask them to put your card in there. Attach business cards to community bulliten boards. Let school counselors know you are in practice, even if you don't see kids, they see parents. And make sure you return every phone call that you do get. One of the biggest complaints I got from people searching for counselors in our rural area was that most of the other counselors did not return the messages in a timely manner that were left for them. I landed a lot of clients just by answering the phone in person as often as I can.
-
Eve, great suggestions! I have followed a lot of these myself and found it fruitful. Networking and meeting people in person are key :) Also, online presence has helped, I have received inquiries from my Facebook page. Speaking of which, do you mind liking my page: https://www.facebook.com/talktomicheletherapy/
Thanks!!
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
11 comments