Thursday, October 22, 2009

Referral Marketing Offers the Best Protection

I was recently speaking to a board member of the American Association of Endodontists. We agreed that many endodontists have been deeply affected by the recession. He told me he knew of some practices down 15% or more. Endodontics has almost never seen a downturn—let alone one this significant!

What happened?

I believe many endodontists take their relationships with referring dentists for granted. When the economy slowed down, production for general dentists began to decline. It was a domino effect, and it was only a short time until many endo practices started noticing the fall-off. Since most endo practices had not engaged in a structured referral marketing program, new patients were in short supply.

The solution?

You should establish an ongoing referral marketing program. Remember—the more referral sources you are able to develop, the more patients and referrals you can expect.

Marketing is a driving force in almost every company on the planet and now needs to be a part of every endo practice!