Maintaining a consistent flow of patients to your dental practice is critical to its success. But in this economy, other dentists and physicians that were once steady sources of dental referrals may have retired, closed their doors or defected. Others may be treating cases themselves that they once would have referred to dental specialists. Competition for referrals is more intense, so maintaining that once-steady flow of referred patients may be more challenging than ever.

Mailing season’s greetings cards to referring dentists and physicians may seem very basic. However, we find that some dental specialists just don’t think about the finer points of sending such cards. Based upon years of experience, here are some ideas we have been able to compile.

USP, an acronym for “Unique Selling Proposition,” is a concept often used in marketing. Your USP is what sets you apart from all other practitioners in your dental specialty.

Almost a year ago, we published an article titled “When Was the Last Time You Called Your Dental Office?” However, judging from our recent experiences, we suspect that many of you have no idea how your office may sound to patients and referring health care providers.

According to Debbie Bittke, a well-respected expert on dental hygiene, many dental specialists may be missing a $100,000 per year opportunity. She contends that too few dental specialists are effectively using dental hygienists in their practices and thus are billing too soon.

When a dental patient calls your office, how long does it take for your staff to answer the telephone? Does the patient have to navigate through a complicated telephone system to speak to a human being? How does your staff sound on the telephone? Are they friendly and helpful? When a patient visits your office, is the patient’s experience pleasant or distasteful?

Sometimes dental specialists see generating referrals as a passive activity, as something that just happens. The reality is that the dental specialists who benefit most from referrals have worked very hard to obtain them.

The key to getting more referrals from other dentists and physicians is to be more memorable. If they don’t remember you, they are not going to make referrals to your dental practice.

With so many opportunities to market your dental practice, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest gimmick or program and lose sight of the most basic technique proven to help dentists grow their patient base: referrals.

You probably know that referral newsletters are targeted, cost-effective ways to stay top of mind with general dentists and other influential health care professionals. Many dental specialists use newsletters to consistently reach influential referral sources.