Have you ever heard the term "casting a wide net" when it comes to marketing? It's referring to the need to get your message in front of a huge number of prospective referral sources if you want to get a lot of patient referrals coming in.
Bottom Line: It's a numbers game.
Here are three ways to start casting a wide net to reach a lot of potential referral sources:
1) Identify who your potential referral sources are - make a list of at least 100 potential referral sources. Yes, you need a huge list, and I'm wiling to bet that if you really work on getting 100 potential referral partners on there, you can.
Marketer Russell Brunson calls this your, "Dream 100" list. Meaning, that in the perfect world all of thsoe 100 would become your referral partners.
Now, it's important to understand right now that only a very small percentage of those names will actually start sending you patient referrals, 2-5%.
Remember, it's a numbers game and a consistency game. The more potential referral partners you connect with, the higher your rates of success in actually gaining new customers. So "cast a wide net".
2) Reach out to at least 5 - 10 potential referral partners per day! For me, sometimes 10 seems impossible. So I commit to myself to reach out to at least 5. Typically what I find is that I end up reaching out to over 10. But the lower goal number helps with my mindset by not getting overwhelmed and then stopping.
3) Lead with "what's in it for them". When you reach out to a potential referral partner, approach with a giving message. Dont' approach them with what you "want from them" - that's a fast way to shut down the conversation. Describe how you will make their job easier, improve the outcomes for their patients. It's all about them, not about you and what you want.