Not all referring doctors are the same. What they refer and how frequently reveals a lot about their mindset and motivation. Here are some insights and tips on who to focus your marketing efforts on.

GPs who refer practically everything

These doctors are referral champions. Since they regularly refer essentially all their endodontic treatment cases (especially routine and straightforward root canals), it’s clear that they would rather focus on restorative care in their own practice. Likewise, they prefer to refer to your office whenever possible. So, they check both boxes: high utilization and high exclusivity as referrers.

Keep these doctors close by inviting them to social opportunities, activities outside dentistry, special events, concerts, trips and thoughtful gifts, etc. Your marketing coordinator should be visiting these offices at least monthly with team-focused recognitions that surprise and delight the whole office.

GPs who refer regularly

Any GP who is sending you at least 1 or 2 cases every month is a great referrer. However, looking deeper at the number of cases and the types of cases is revealing:

• If they are only sending complex cases, it is likely they are doing most root canals themselves. These doctors are not a fruitful avenue for focused marketing.
• If at least some of the cases they send are straightforward and easy root canal cases, these are ideal candidates for marketing. They may be doing some cases themselves, or they may be “sharing the love” between multiple endodontists for their referrals. Focus on getting to know them better and building your professional and personal friendship in order to increase loyalty and referrals.

Easy cases are the secret to growth and productivity in endo practices, and the fundamental way to getting more easy cases is threefold:

• Schedule responsively by committing to same day treatment, when possible, especially for patients in pain. Doctors quickly realize the fastest and best way to take care of their patients is to refer to you.
• Show appreciation for referrals and communicate impeccably so GPs know that you prioritize their patients and ensure patients return to the GP office as quickly as possible.
• Provide patients with an exceptional experience that results in great patient reviews and sends patients back to their GPs expressing enthusiastic appreciation for your office.

As with all regular referrers, your marketing coordinator should be visiting the practice and connecting with the team monthly with pop-by surprises. Build goodwill practice-to-practice to become their preferred choice for all their root canals.

GPs who refer irregularly

Doctors who are referring less than 1 case every month are part-timing you for some reason. Dig deeper into their profile and referral patterns to evaluate them:

• If they are just sending complex cases (retreatment, broken instrument, etc.) then they are only referring when they get in trouble doing endo themselves. This is not a good candidate for focused marketing.
• If they’ve been practicing for years in the community and their referral pattern has never changed, it’s likely they are just referring to you as a backup to when their preferred endodontist is unavailable. This is not a good candidate for focused marketing.
• If they’ve only been in the community for a few years and their referred cases include easy cases, they may not be strongly attached to any other endodontist. This is an ideal candidate for focused marketing efforts.

GPs who never refer to you

Doctors who have been around for a while and to whom you’ve probably done some outreach marketing in the past are not good marketing candidates. The exception is if they suddenly start referring a couple of cases to you. Something has changed and you should respond with immediate acknowledgement and gratitude, and a practice visit by your marketing coordinator.

The best opportunity among doctors who don’t refer is those who are relatively new to the community (new practice owners or associates in GP practices). These are great candidates for focused marketing. The number one marketing focus should be building the doctor-to-doctor relationship. You should look for opportunities to connect personally with these doctors, such as through local dental events. When they refer, always respond with appreciation and team-to-team activities with your marketing coordinator.

Better marketing

Great marketing creates the opportunity for growth and improved success in endodontics. If you’ve never implemented a structured marketing strategy (most endodontists haven’t), it is likely that your referral dynamics and revenues reflect that.

The heart of any marketing systems is an effective system to track referral patterns and highlight opportunities with specific doctors based on the frequency and types of cases that they send. The tracking system lets you and your marketing coordinator focus your marketing where it can have the greatest impact.

Marketing doesn’t have to be difficult, time-consuming or complex. In fact, Endo Mastery’s marketing strategies that we implement with practice coaching are practical, consistent and effective … and the results are amazing!