Where Do Referrals Come From?
You can’t have a practice without clients. You can’t have clients without referrals. So…where to go for referrals?
A few past and future WCTI contributors weighed in on the question. Their answers below. Your answers: Waiting to be written and posted to comments.
Will Meek, PhD (willmeekphd.com)
Where did your first referrals come from?
My first referrals came from therapist directory websites (Psychology Today and Network Therapy).Where do most of your referrals come from now?
My referrals continue to come from sources online. Those include online therapist directories and my website, which appears high in search engine rankings. Additionally, I have started getting people from insurance websites as well as from colleagues and friends of previous clients who had positive experiences with me.
Catherine Auman, MFT (catherineauman.com)
I started my private practice by getting on as many managed care panels as I could. This eventually turned into an average of two new referrals a week.During that time I was also building my cash business in any way I could, primarily on the Internet and through advertising. Now my practice is 2/3′s cash patients and 1/3 managed care. I love it!
Buck Black, LCSW (buckblack.com & truckertherapy.com)
Where did your first referrals come from?
In my office: My first referrals came from people calling the group practice (which I am part of) and the secretary scheduled them with me.
Online/phone: Google searches that directed them to my website. I spent a lot of time increasing my Google rankings so this would happen!Where do most of your referrals come from now?
50% from my website and my online Psychology Today ad. Approximately 30% from face-to-face networking in my community and the remainder from referrals from the group practice and my ad on the back of the city bus.
Susan Giurleo, PhD (childdevelopmentpartners.com & susangiurleo.com)
First referrals came from colleagues–other psychotherapists, neuropsychologists.
Now: physicians, neuropsychologists, school adminstrators/guidance counselors, current or past client word-of-mouth referrals, my website/blog.
That’s them. How about you?
- Where did your first referral come from?
- Where do most of your referrals come from now?
- What referral sources are you trying to develop for the future?
Take a second to comment–you’ll likely be helping out a rookie; you may even find yourself inspired to do some extra outreach.
Initially my referrals came from word of mouth from colleagues and patients I had seen while working for someone else. I quickly started a marketing campaign by sending brochures and information about my new practice to physicians that would use my services, and found that face to face meetings worked best. May sound old-school, but it worked! My reports (product) became a marketing tool of it’s own and I worked diligently to make them readable and comprehensive. I also work in a building with other psychologist- none of whom are neuropsychologists as I am, and they referred patients to me and vice versa. I only take Medicare and received quite a few referrals based on that. Psychology Today did not work for me at all. New referrals are coming from my web site and social media connections, as well as from the professional connections I made in my community.
Same as above for me (web, colleagues). One additional referral source: a professor from school. Working on panel applications…
I have never gotten referrals from other therapists. Times are tough and everyone I know want to hold on to their client base as long as therapy is needed and progressing. I get referrals from other professionals with; a family physician who has a patient who comes to her for primary insomnia for sleeping pills. He decides he doesn’t like the idea of possibly becoming dependent and wants “real” sleep” and he decides to do a little research and thinks he fits better into a GAD pigeon hole. I get referrals from lawyers who want to work with me in a collaborative divorce. I have done some work with Type I PTSD (single event such as a car accident as opposed to Type II in which long term, prolonged trauma was experienced.) I was trained in divorce mediation, but honestly, I am not comfortable crossing some lines, where perhaps a JD or a CPA might be needed. When I discovered collaborative practice, I found a very effective way to have a civilized divorce accomplished by the parties, with the assistance of coaches with professional backgrounds, lawyers, mental health professionals, neutral financials, and child mental health professionals. The child mental heal professional is the only team member who sees the child, and brings to the table the voice of the child, from the child; not from the parents. A divorce can be civilized and turn out healthy children. I found multiple resources for referrals from lawyers, CPA’s, and psychologists. I have been disappointed with referrals I expected from online sources; but a face to face initial contact with the referral source seems to form a better connection. I would like to learn or be mentored by online therapists, not in clinical practice, but in the use of electronics. Sorry for the novella. I had a lot to say. I hope some of it was helpful to others. C.Drennan, LCSW-C