What goes into making a successful call on a referring doctor?

Read on for the top 9 tips and tricks for making successful calls on referring doctors.

1. Know where you’re going

Do you prefer to hop in the car and wing it?  Thankfully, the days of using Map Quest for every single call point are over.  So if planning ahead is not your strong suit, there are several apps such as Route4Me or Badger Maps to help simplify your routing.

Make a plan for who you’re going to see.  Map out where you’re going ahead of time and the best route to get there.  This will allow you to maximize your time in the field instead of wasting valuable time sitting in traffic or driving aimlessly. 

2. Know why you’re going 

Are you trying to gain new referrals?  Grow existing referrals?  Repair a relationship?

Think through what you’re trying to accomplish and how to adjust your messaging to fit the circumstances.

3. Know what you’re going to say

Every minute that you spend with a referring provider is a minute they are not spending with a patient.  If you’re not equipping them with valuable information for their patients and their practice, it’s wasting their time.  

What are you going to talk about?  How will that impact their patients and practice?  Features and benefits are O.K. but referring providers really need to know what your message means for their practice and how it will benefit their patients.

4. Listen

It’s easy to get so caught up in your “important” message only to realize that everything you just talked about wasn’t important to your customer at all.  Take the time to listen to your referring partners.  What are their needs and how can working with your organization meet those needs?

5. Be genuine

No one likes a phony, and most people can spot one from a mile away.  Be yourself and express genuine interest in your referring partners.  This builds trust and referrals are built on trust.

6. Help them meet their goals

Referring doctors are not looking for another sales presentation, they are looking for a strategic partner they can trust to take great care of their patients.  How does working with your practice solve their referral pain points and meet the needs of their patients?  

7. Leave something behind

You want your customers to remember you were there long after you are gone.  Leave something behind for them to remember you by; brochures, patient education or an interesting article.  

8. Remember…  The plan doesn’t always go as planned

Weather, traffic, busy patient schedules, challenging gatekeepers…  When the plan doesn’t go as planned, stay calm and readjust.  Find out when it might be a better time to come back.  Learn what you can from the experience and try again another day.

9. No doesn’t mean forever, it just means not right now

Learn not to be discouraged by the “No”.  Stay positive and persistent.  There may be an objection you still need to uncover or address.  Perhaps this practice needs more time to get to know and trust you. Continue to listen and help them meet their goals.

And no matter what… 

Don’t give up.