A lot of people believe and most “experts” will tell you that if a potential referring doctor already refers to a competitor, “Don’t even bother to waste your time.”
This is a mistake.
Of course they are referring to the competition. They have to refer their patients somewhere.
And… If they don’t know who you are, what you do, or how you can take care of their patients, they have no choice but to refer to the competition.
When I first started in the field as a Physician Liaison, my top five or ten most loyal, highest volume, and long-term referral partners all had established referral relationships (I’m talking 10, 15, 20 years established) with another provider.
Their long-term referral relationship with another provider indicated that they…
⭐ Took the time to get to know the practice they referred to
⭐ Cared about patients
⭐ Understood the referral process
⭐ Desired strong communication with the provider they referred to
⭐ Were loyal
Exactly the type of referral partner that I want to work with.
So… Instead of following the “experts” advice and writing them off or putting them at the bottom of my list, I started to visit them and visit them regularly.
While it didn’t happen overnight, after six months to a year of consistently visiting these offices (consistency is key 🔑), they began to refer to our practice.
Why would they change very long-term, loyal, and established referral patterns to work with our practice?
🔑 Through regular visits and education, they realized there were services our practice offered that our competitor did not (different procedures, insurances accepted, etc.).
🔑 They began to send a test patient or two in the niche areas our competitor didn’t offer, and those patients came back raving about their experience.
🔑 With every test patient there was an effort to overcommunicate with the referring doctor and gather their feedback throughout the experience.
🔑 Over time, they realized we were taking better care of them than the practice they had referred to for years.
So how was I able to build these relationships when I was specifically told not to bother to come back? (Here are the swipe worthy tactics you can use in your own referral network):
Don’t take the rejection personally.
I simply understood that they didn’t have enough information yet to make a different decision. (Yet is the operative word here.)
Make it all about their patients and about them.
Instead of saying, “We’d really love to get your referrals…” I asked them how their patients were doing. Were they coming back happy, with great outcomes, and getting the care they desired? This opened the door for me to be able to share how our practice prioritized patients.
Let them know you will be stopping by regularly to see how things are going.
They knew I wasn’t going away. I continued to consistently visit them to see how their patients were doing, what they needed, and how I could help.
Be top of mind when things start to break down in their current referral relationship.
Our competitor made some changes in their practice that didn’t go over well with patients or referring doctors. Because I had established a relationship with these offices, it was an easy decision when they were ready to try sending patients someplace else.
You never know when something is going to change in your market.
You never know when a competitor might retire, get bought out, change their process, or have staff turnover.
And… When referred patients aren’t getting the care that referring doctors believe they deserve…
They start looking for other options.
You want to be top of mind and first in line when a potential referring doctor starts looking for other options.
But… You won’t be top of mind… In fact, they won’t even know who you are if you haven’t bothered to stop and say hello, introduce yourself, and tell them who you are and what you have to offer.
So… Of course, these doctors are going to refer to a competitor. Why? Because they have to.
It’s not their job to automatically know that you exist. It’s your job to tell them.
Which means that…
Despite what the “experts” may tell you, calling on offices that refer to a competitor is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a very good thing!
Want to learn more about winning over loyal referrers?
Check out this mini masterclass.
If you can relate and want to know more about building a loyal physician referral network, our Elite Performance programs teach practices exactly how to do this.
In an Elite Performance program…
Learn:
✔️ What to say to those difficult doctors and how to “compete” without competing
✔️ The streamlined systems and tools that will make managing your referral network (and your life) easier
✔️ Invest in the referral network pieces that actually matter and will make a difference for your practice
Building a referral network is a marathon not a sprint and we’re here to guide you through it every step of the way!
Reach out to learn more.
