Ahh Nirvana! The Holy Grail! The Ultimate Goal! Word of mouth referrals are the epitome of success! The ultimate endorsement of your sensational skills and terrific treatments.
Well yes of course that’s a very happy result of all your hard work and successful outcomes.
(You know there’s a big fat BUT coming along next…)
BUT that alone is not a business building strategy! Word of mouth referrals might be the result of delighted patients sharing their experiences with another person who’s struggling and that’s great.
However, I’ve seen far too many cases where world of mouth referrals have begun to deteriorate and patient numbers dwindle. This is no reflection of the abilities of the Practitioner either. What this downturn in bookings often causes is a lack of confidence in their skill set and a doubting of their knowledge. They sit there waiting for the phone to ring, fearful that they will have to pack it all in and ‘get a proper job’.
Your patients are ridiculously busy!
And here’s why.
These days so many adverts, hooks and special offers are vying for our attention. We have ridiculously busy offline and online worlds to take care of these days. With our jam-packed lifestyles, we are constantly time poor and running at full speed to deal with work, family commitments and a diary that has us chasing our tails.
So it only stands to reason that not everyone will think of you next time Auntie Mabel complains of a pain down her leg. Perhaps they are not even aware that you could help with such an issue.
Some people simply won’t refer you however fantastic your service has been.
Why on earth not?
Because you are their fabulous little secret! You’re the reason they recover from injury faster and get in the squad. You’re the reason they have full range of motion and can whack a golf ball further than their younger competitors and consistently beat them.
I certainly have Clients who have done spectacularly well after working with me. Will they tell anyone else? Nope. I’m their little secret weapon! So they’re not going to be telling their competition about what we’ve achieved together are they? Don’t get me wrong; some most definitely do – over and again they generously refer their fellow Practitioners to me.
But I say again – this alone is not a marketing strategy. This is built on hope. Hope that people will remember your name when a friend moans about an ankle strain. Hope that a patient of 6 months ago will even know that you also treat head pain. Hope that they remember your job title correctly!
Did you know that many people forget whether they’ve popped up the High Street and seen an Osteopath, a Chiropractor or some other kind of manual therapist?
Word of mouth referrals are the icing on the cake!
Think of this as a bonus of your great work. Certainly encourage it and of course thank those who do share your expertise with their friends.
Meanwhile remain proactive in maintaining a robust marketing strategy; one that will continually attract more of the people you love to treat. A passive strategy of waiting for other people to send you new patients could result in a declining patient list and business. And we certainly don’t want that for you or for your community.
Think of it like driving a car – if you take your foot off the accelerator, then eventually it will slow and come to a standstill. Inject some premium fuel and energy into a business and you’ll soon be happily cruising along in fifth gear!
What if you’re struggling with low bookings now?
Take action today!
Please don’t hope that things will turn around all by themselves any time soon. Every day I work Osteopaths who have come to me with erratic bookings and fluctuating income. Once they begin to apply some simple strategies, we find that within weeks their patient numbers are up and the crisis is over. They see how they must keep their foot on the marketing pedal to keep driving forwards. Consistency is always the key.
So yes, please do engage with current patients and encourage referrals but don’t be under the illusion that word of mouth referrals alone is the one magical way to build a thriving Practice.
If you’d like my help with speedily transforming your Osteobiz, why not book in for an informal chat by phone or Skype? Alternatively, drop me an email to gilly@osteobiz.com and tell me what you need.
Together let’s spread the word – #OsteopathyWorks
