The Referral-Generating Experience is a Team Sport
Let’s imagine that you’re the captain of a football team. It’s Game Time! The whistle blows, your opponent kicks off, the ball flies through the air, and you manage to catch it. Fueled with adrenaline, you start sprinting towards the endzone …
Well, what happens next?
You’ve seen a game before. The whole team works together like clockwork to move the ball down the field and score a touchdown. As you run, you’ll have help from the other offensive players, who receive passes and make runs, as well as your defensive players, who block, tackle, etc. The point is – without these vital team members to support you, you wouldn’t stand a chance. You probably wouldn’t even make it to the 50-yard line.
This is how the referral-generating experience works
Your practice is the exact same way. In order to create an exceptional patient experience that generates referrals, your entire team must be involved in that referral-generating experience. If any one team member gives less than 100% to their role, it will negatively affect the patient experience, and greatly decrease the chances of a “touchdown” … Or in this case, a patient referral.
Think about it … one negative comment, an unfriendly face, or slighted question can leave a hugely negative impression on a new patient. Unfortunately, people are wired to remember the negative much more easily than the positive. (We’re sure you’ve noticed this to be true with your online reviews. An unhappy patient will take the time to leave a poor rating, but even a totally thrilled patient may not remember to leave 5 stars!)
If you think we’re solely referring to your front desk team members and marketers, think again. Yes, your marketing is what gets the new patient to call your office … and your front desk team is tasked with “catching” them, giving them an excellent first impression, and getting them through the front door. But you need to understand that it doesn’t stop there!
The patient passing from the front desk to the hygienist is equally important and equally easy to fumble. Your hygienists must be trained on exceptional patient care … and not just the clinical side! They need to be aware of proper verbiage and have a service-centered attitude when interacting with each patient. Each patient that comes into your office for treatment should feel like royalty! This is a crucial piece to an exceptional referral-generating experience for your patients.
The same thing goes for you, your treatment coordinators, your personal assistant, your associates, and any other team member that interacts with a patient in your office. From the time a patient walks in the front door until the moment they walk back out, they should feel like they’re the center of your universe.
The Takeaway
It comes down to this. At the end of the appointment, your patient either leaves saying “WOW” and wanting to share this incredible experience with their friends and family … or they don’t. And if every single team member isn’t giving 100% to making the patient experience extraordinary, we can guarantee you one thing … you won’t be scoring that touchdown!
Scheduling Institute offers over 25 different on-site trainings for your team that will help them create a one-of-a-kind, referral-generating experience.
If you need help creating a referral-generating experience for your patients, we are here for you! We have several on-site training solutions that will give your team the tools and techniques needed to transform your patient experience … and your business! Give us a call today at (770) 518-7575 to learn more about our Team Training Programs.
