How Health Practitioners Can
Get Better Referrals More Often

About Referrals

If you’re getting referrals, it shows that you’re serving your clients well. Only happy clients will refer others to you.

What we like about referrals: Referrals cost you nothing! Referrals are pre-sold. They are less skeptical. They trust you more.

What we dislike about referrals: It’s not predictable. You have little control. We’ll look at the few factors that we can control.

More referrals is not enough. You want better quality referrals.

• What if you could get better quality referrals?
• What if you could get better quality referrals more often?

If you want better quality referrals, you need to ask the right people and you need to guide them. If you want more referrals, you need to ask the right people more often and in the proper manner.

Let’s ‌start by looking at getting referrals as a habit rather than an act of randomness. See it as a process with a few simple steps. I’ll also show you the key factor in getting consistent referrals.

Confession: I have a confession to make. In the past, I didn’t mention how to get more referrals because if you’re 100% dependent on referrals, you’ll have no reason to use my services such as copywriting, email marketing and content marketing.

I changed my mind. I want to help you get more referrals. Not any random referrals but quality ones. Not once in a blue moon but all the time.

When you have more quality referrals, you would have the resources to reach out to more people who need your help. That’s when you’ll remember me. All right, enough about me. Let’s get you some referrals!

Who To Ask For Referrals

Who you ask matters! Good news! You have a few groups of people to ask.

Clients: You’re serving them now. You might as well serve their family and friends too. This is the most obvious one.

Visitors: These are the people who read your blog. They are following you on social media. They have also subscribed to your email newsletter.

Practitioners: Health practitioners who do not have the same specialty as you. General practitioners refer their patients to a specialist doctor. Sometimes they refer their patients to mental health or natural health practitioners. Integrative health practitioners and mental health practitioners can refer clients to each other too.

Vendors: These are the people you buy from. There are services, software and devices you buy. You might be on good terms with them. You can ask them to share your website with someone they know who may have a health issue that you can solve.

Anyone: When people ask you what you do, what do you say? You tell them what you do in a sentence. Then you ask if they know anyone suffering from the same issues. Sometimes they’ll refer themselves to you!

When To Ask For Referrals

When you ask matters! Timing is important.

Clients: Ask them right after the first session. Especially when they’re smiling. Though they haven’t solved their issues, they can see a glimmer of hope. That’s a good time to ask for referrals.

Visitors: Once in a while, you can add a note on your blog post, your social media posts or emails. The note would ask them to recommend someone to visit your website or social media profile.

Practitioners: Keep in touch with other practitioners. You can send them articles related to their field. Ask them to introduce other practitioners so you have more people to refer clients to you.

Vendors: Right after you bought something or renewed a service. People are happy after getting paid and they are more willing to help you.

People You Know: You can ask during any social setting. Make sure it happens naturally as part of a conversation.

How To Ask For Referrals

How you ask matters! If you ask the wrong way, you won’t sound like a professional and no one would recommend you to people they know.

Before you ask, you need to tell them what you do in a single sentence. This is what you say to them, I help [this group of people] to solve their [this health issue]. So that they can [enjoy this benefit]. Start with this simple statement. You can polish it to make it more interesting later on.

You can help all kinds of people but you need to narrow down to a specific group. This would make it easier for people to think about the people they know and find someone you can help.

You can fix many health issues but you need to zoom in on a pressing issue. Some issues are causing a lot of pain and inconvenience. Those are the issues people want to solve now.

Your approach to health has too many benefits to describe. No one can remember a long list of benefits but people can remember a single important benefit.

Make It Easy For Others To Refer You

If you want someone to refer their friends to you, you need to make it easy for them. Don’t expect them to remember every word you say. Don’t expect them to even remember to refer someone to you.

You can help them help you. Give them simple instructions on how to refer people to you. Write a short pre-written note for them to forward to their friends. Make it so easy that they can send it through text, social media and email.

Referral Script

Do you know [succinct description of your potential client] with chronic health issues? Such as [list out a few symptoms]. I just updated my signature health program, [Program Name]. It can help to solve these chronic health issues. Who are the first few people who come to your mind?

If she says she’s the one with the issues, find out more about it. If you can help, offer to have a chat with her. When she wants to chat with you, send her a link to book a discovery call with you.

Explanation: Instead of asking if she has someone on her mind, ask who are the first few people on her mind. In this way, her mind will zoom in on the few people with the most pressing health issues. These are the people who are more likely to want some help! If she’s the one, you can offer to chat with her about it.

Referral Question

Do you know any women between the age of 30 to 60 with chronic health issues? Such as poor sleep quality, low energy or brain fog. I just updated my signature health program, Sleep Revitalization Program. It can help solve these chronic health issues. Who are the first few people who come to your mind?

(You can send this question on text or social media DMs.)

Referral Scenario 1

Potential Client: That’s me!

Practitioner: Do you mind telling me more about your symptoms? How long has this been going on?

Potential Client: [Describes her issues.]

Practitioner: Would you like to have a chat about this? Let’s see if we can solve this.

Potential Client: Yes, please! [Most of the time, they’ll say yes.]

Practitioner: Here’s my call booking link. You can pick a time that suits your schedule. If you can’t find a slot that fits your schedule, let me know and I’ll arrange for you. [Paste your call booking link here.]

Referral Scenario 2

Potential Client: That’s sister, mother, cousin and friend!

Practitioner: Can you help me forward a message to the person with the health issue?

[Send her a pre-written message for them to forward.]

Pre-Written Note

This is how you can write your pre-written note.

How’s your [health issue]? I know a [health practitioner] who can help you. Here’s the link: [signature program link]

Examples For Integrative Health Practitioners:

Are you still struggling with chronic health issues? Such as poor sleep quality, low energy and brain fog. I know a health practitioner who can help you solve your chronic health issues. Here’s the link: [signature program link]

Do you still have chronic health issues? Such as bloating and indigestion after meals. I know a health practitioner who can help you solve your chronic health issues. Here’s the link: [signature program link]

Referral Sources

You want to know where your new clients discovered you. So you need to track. You don’t have to create a complex spreadsheet for that. You can create a simple spreadsheet when you get more referrals.

For now, you only need to add a field in your contact form or your call booking form. You can also ask them on your first call.

Why do you need to track? So that you know who are the ones who have been recommending you. When you know who they are, you can thank them.

Be Thankful

How do you thank them? Send a note to thank them and to let them know that their friend reached out to you. As always do not give them the details. Health matters are confidential. You already know that, so I’m preaching to the choir.

What are people who didn’t enroll to become your client? Thank the people who referred them anyway. Let them know that their friend got in touch with you. If someone has been constantly referring people to you, why not send a gift to appreciate them?

When you do that, it’s positive reinforcement. People love it when you appreciate them. The more you do that, the more they would recommend you.

Get Consistent Referrals

You can only get consistent referrals if that’s not your only marketing method. When you’re 100% dependent on referrals, that’s when things are hardly consistent. That’s not a sound way to run a business.

When you show up on social media. You have more people who can recommend you. What if you have a list of email subscribers or your own online community? Your subscribers and community members can recommend you to their friends too.

As long as you have other ways of doing marketing other than referrals, you’ll get more referrals. Referrals are never the main thing. They work best when you have other ways to bring in business.

Recap

If you want higher quality referrals more often:

• Do other forms of marketing apart from referrals.
• Know who to ask for referrals.
• Know when to ask for referrals.
• Know how to ask for referrals.
• Make it easy for people to recommend you.
• Thank people for every person they refer to you.

Do This Now

Here’s the best thing you can do, right now:

• Write a pre-written note. (It doesn’t have to be perfect, you can edit later.)
• Save it where you can access it on your mobile and your computer.
• Send it to the first 3 people that come to mind.

Go get some referrals today!