The Power of an Informative Referral-Generating Dental Newsletter

Increasing the flow of new patients is critical to the success of your dental practice. Most endodontists, periodontists and other dental specialists agree that referrals from other dentists and physicians represent the single most significant source of new patients.

If you are looking to maintain relationships with referring dentists and physicians, a newsletter can help you communicate with those who might be in a position to refer patients to your practice. A newsletter can help define your image, build your reputation and provide useful information to your referring dentists and physicians.

A newsletter should not consist solely of material advertising your practice. That would reduce its credibility and increase the likelihood of being thrown away. Instead, fill it with information directed to your specific professional base, such as concise updates from the field of orthodontics, oral surgery or whatever your dental specialty may be. Bottom line: The newsletter is not written for other specialists like you but for those dentists and physicians who can refer patients to your dental practice.

 Here are three reasons you should consider sending a newsletter:

1. Keep in touch. Months or years could go by between seeing some of your professional referral sources. In that time span, you may become “out of sight, out of mind,” and those dentists and physicians may start referring their patients elsewhere. A newsletter keeps the name of your dental practice in front of them on a regular basis.
2. Establish a positive, long-term relationship. A newsletter with valuable information will show your referring dentists and physicians that you value their referrals and that you have not forgotten them. A truly informative dental newsletter also gives you the opportunity for one-on-one communication. For example, if a newsletter includes an article about a topic that would be of interest to one of your referring dentists or physicians, write a short note, even just a sentence or two. That short note lets your referral source know you are thinking about him or her and are aware of a specific subject matter.
3. Uncover new referral sources. Do not limit your newsletter to dentists and physicians who already refer patients to your practice. Send your newsletter to all local dentists and physicians who might be referral sources. Send an introductory letter with the first issue indicating how frequently you will be sending your newsletter to them and inviting questions and phone calls. Your newsletter helps prove that you are knowledgeable in your specialty, and it builds a sense of trust in you. The object is to create visibility for your practice. When it comes time to make a patient referral, it increases the likelihood that he or she will think of you.

If your newsletter contains valuable information targeted toward your readers—as well as a way for them to contact your dental practice—you will find newsletters to be a worthwhile tool for maintaining top-of-mind awareness among your referring dentists. Depending on the nature of your practice, just one or two new referrals could make your investment in a newsletter program pay off.

If you are looking to market your practice with a quarterly newsletter you can send to all referring dentists and physicians in your geographic area, WPI Communications can help. We publish informative newsletters for endodontists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, pediatric dentists, periodontists and prosthodontists. We do all of the research, writing, editing, design, personalization and printing. We can even generate a mailing list and mail your newsletters for you. For more information, e-mail us or call us at 800-323-4995.