North Texas Dentistry Volume 10 Issue 1 2020 ISSUE 1 DE | Page 26

cated. Of course, the majority of patients
will have some necessary treatment.
Some more. Some less.
These patients who refer once or twice
will, more than likely, be willing to refer
again — if asked. Are you asking?
In fact, if motivated to do so, these
people could refer many times. Major
marketing and consumer research
organizations indicate that the normal
person has an immediate circle of influ-
ence of over 50 people, which includes
people at home, work, and circles of
friends. Most everyone has at least one
person they know who needs a dental
home.
We all know that if a person has a good
experience with a business (or practice)
they will go out and tell 3-5 people.
However, if they have a bad experience
they will go out and tell 11-20 people.
That’s another reason why we always
want each and every patient to have a
great experience — every time they are in
the practice. Every time — not just the
first time!
But what if you could encourage your
happy patients to tell more than 3-5
people about your practice?
Dr. Michael Le Boeuf, an author and pro-
fessor of Management at the University
of New Orleans and a research scientist
in marketing and management, wrote
numerous books, one of which is called
The GMP: The Greatest Management
Principle in the World.
In a nutshell, he determined this: “That
which is rewarded gets repeated.”
Simple as that seems, it is true. Trans-
lated to the subject of nurturing referrals,
if you reward someone who refers to you,
they will be more likely to do that again.
So, when a satisfied, happy patient refers
someone to you, they should immedi-
ately (there’s the operative word) receive
both recognition and appreciation from
you. You can think of many ways to do
this — a note, a card, a phone call, a text
or e-mail.
In accordance with Texas Dental Practice
Act and, in any case where you would
like to thank a referring patient beyond
a thank you note or call, you must check
with the Texas Dental Board on the legal
aspect of any such act. You can never be
too careful when it comes to this. While
a tangible gift can be nice, the power of
the written word or a personal call can-
not be underestimated.
And by the way, there can be very nega-
tive repercussions for not thanking your
referral sources. I was personally con-
sulting for a plastic surgeon in a major
city. He believed that some of his
patients needed cosmetic dentistry in
order to complete the result they were
pursuing, so he referred them to a well-
known cosmetic dentist.
The cosmetic cases were quite extensive
and expensive. And, the results were
stellar. However, the plastic surgeon
never received one single thank you for
his referrals — not even a note. Nor did
the dentist ever confer with him or send
him any before and after photography,
etc. Needless to say, that plastic surgeon
quit sending him patients and found
“That which is rewarded
is repeated.”
26 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
another cosmetic dentist to whom he
referred his patients and thousand
(hundreds of thousands) of dollars of
treatment.
Do not fail to recognize and appreciate
people (including other doctors and pro-
fessionals) who refer to you. Remember:
“That which is rewarded is repeated”.
Recognition and appreciation go a long
way to build relationships and to pre-
serve them. Identify the things that you
want more of — and reward those things.
Do this — consistently. Good things will
come your way.
Cathy Jameson is the founder of Jameson
Management, an international dental man-
agement, marketing and hygiene coaching
firm. The Jameson Method of Management,
developed by Cathy, offers proven manage-
ment and marketing systems for helping
organizations improve their workflow and ef-
ficiency in a positive, forward-thinking culture.
Cathy earned a bachelor’s degree in educa-
tion from the University of Nebraska at
Omaha and then a master’s degree in psy-
chology from Goddard College. She received
her doctorate from Walden University.
Cathy has been named one of the Top 25
Women in Dentistry as well as being the
recipient of the second Lifetime Achievement
Award from the American Association of Den-
tal Office Managers in 2014. Cathy has been
named a Leader in CE by Dentistry Today
multiple times, including in 2019.
She considers herself a lifelong learner and
encourages those around her to be in a con-
stant state of study, growth, and action. Cathy
Jameson is the author of several books,
including her latest title; Creating a Healthy
Work Environment.