Have you seen medical practices offering cash to their patients for referrals? 

We strongly encourage AGAINST it. Here’s why:

  • It assumes they WON’T refer to you simply because you’re providing great care — but because you’re paying them. Ultimately, you want patients to send friends your way because they love your practice — not because they’re going to get money.
  • It doesn’t feel classy or super-ethical. Realistically, the last thing you want to do — when you’re dealing with people’s health — is portray an image that does not feel classy or ethical.
  • It’s illegal in some states (for good reason).

Fortunately, there are so many ways to garner and reward referrals in a more elegant and elevated manner!

Here’s what we suggest instead:Referrals

  1. Send a handwritten note and gift card. Get some cute thank you cards, put them at the front desk, and as soon as that referral comes in — have your front desk superstar immediately write a handwritten note and include a Starbucks gift card. Or, if possible, have the doctor write the notes themself! 
  2. Track this referral in the system. This way, you know that the Smith Family referred the Mayer family in October 2022. And you want to know this so you can…
  3. Have tiers. If the Smith family sends one referral, they get a handwritten note from the front desk with a $20 Starbucks gift card. For their next referral, they get a note from the doctor and a $50 DoorDash gift card. For their third (and subsequent) referrals, they get a $100 Visa or restaurant gift card. These are just examples. Even if you just do a $5 coffee gift card, it’s something they weren’t expecting — and when coupled with a handwritten note, that gives warm fuzzies for sure.
  4. With their permission, you could also publicly thank referrers on social media. This is a way to keep referring top of mind for other patients who follow you on social media.

Want to encourage more referrals? 

Here are a few more ideas to further encourage referrals:

  1. First and foremost, be amazing at what you do! Word of mouth should be organic, because they had a great experience, loved your care, and felt like part of the family.
  2. Ask for referrals and reviews. When a patient seems happy, your team should get in the habit of saying: “Oh my gosh, we are so glad you loved your visit! It would mean so much to us if you would tell your friends or write a review.
  3. Have fun patient events, and let them invite their friends. This is a great way for prospective patients to see how wonderful your practice is, up close.
  4. Have quarterly contests. When your practice is fun, engaging and memorable, it naturally becomes more referable. 
  5. Have an amazing social media presence. One of the biggest sources of referral marketing is social media. The more engaging your presence, the more likely referrals will be.
  6. Thank them in advance. Send patients a $5 coffee gift card that thanks them in advance for keeping you top of mind. We love having you as a patient, and we’d love to have more amazing patients like you. Thanks in advance for anyone you can send our way. And most of all, thanks for choosing us!
  7. Foster a vibrant culture for your team. Because as we know, a happy team makes all of this possible!

Want even more referral tips? Check out our blog!