The conversation goes something like this…

Practice: We’d like to grow our referral volume and improve our relationships with referring doctors.

Me: That’s great! How do you plan to do that?

Practice: We’re going to send our trusted [insert staff member title here] out a couple of days a month or half day a week to call on referring doctors.

Me: What are you hoping to achieve by doing that?

Practice: To grow referrals.

Here’s the thing…

While the intentions are great, the methodology is flawed. 

Our recent article, Mythbusters, has generated a lot of discussion, so we’re digging a bit deeper into the most common myths practices believe about referral networks (and what to do instead).

Myth: We’re going to send one of our trusted team members out a couple of days a month or half day a week to call on referring doctors and generate more referrals.

While this strategy may result in some referrals some of the time, you’re leaving a gap in one area of your practice only to provide partial customer service to your referring doctors.

Investing in your referral network program is a worthwhile endeavor. 

Here is the question…

Are you looking for robust or partial results?

Because…

A partial investment yields partial results.

Think about it…

You’re taking one of your strongest and most trusted team members from the area they excel and asking them to perform a role they may or may not be prepared for.

Just because someone performs well in one area of the practice doesn’t mean they will excel at calling on doctors. 

Have they been trained and equipped for the role?

These team members are representing you and your practice. Do they know what to say and how to say it?

If not, you’re taking them from an area of strength and setting them up to fail in their new responsibilities. 

The other issue this presents is focus, or lack of. 

There is a saying, “Where focus goes, energy flows.”

In a busy practice, a liaison that’s wearing too many hats never makes it out to the field.

The focus is scattered and as a result, so is the energy and so are the results.

For the best investment, hire a full time or dedicated physician liaison whose primary role is to call on referring doctors.

Even if you are in a smaller practice or market that doesn’t require a full-time liaison, hire someone part time with the primary focus of calling on doctors.

And if you get stuck along the way, give us a call. We’re always happy to help!