Referrals work great for lawyers, real estate agents, mechanics, even Mary Kay consultants. There’s a lot of referral systems out there. A LOT. Here’s a partial list of some good resources:

• “Endless Referrals” by Bob Burg
• “Get More Referrals Now” by Bill Cates
• 93 Referral Systems by Jay Abraham
• “The Referral of a Lifetime” by Tom Templeton

I’ve read or seen every one of them, except the one by Jay Abraham.

There’s just two issues with all of them when it comes to acupuncture:
First, ALL of them assume people know they need you. When someone needs a real estate agent - they know it. An accountant or mechanic? They’ll know it.

When they need an acupuncturist - they probably don’t know it.

That’s why patient education is SO important when it comes to marketing. Educated patients are able to convince people they need to see you. Uneducated patients… they’re enthusiastic, they may love you - but they’re simply not as effective. They may not even realize what conditions they can refer people to you for.

Second, most of the focus on these systems is what I call “Do Me A Favor” referrals. You’re asking someone to do you a favor by referring others to you. The systems usually have some way to offset the pressure you’re putting on someone to refer, but it’s still there.

What I recommend most, and cover extensively in Never Market Again, is “Do Them A Favor” referrals. That’s where you’re asking a patient to do their friend a favor by referring “them” to you. This is a huge difference, and it’s often overlooked.

There’s nothing wrong with “Do Me A Favor”-type referrals, when the situation is appropriate for it. If you do networking or go to business groups like BNI, it’s actually expected that you’ll ask for referrals. That’s the point of the meetings. Don’t be shy!

“Do Them A Favor” referrals are less pushy and usually more appropriate in more situations. Just keep this in mind if you’re reading any books or websites like the above.

I especially like Bob Burg’s “Endless Referrals”. As Karoline G., L.Ac. told me, Never Market Again is great for in-office referrals, Bob is great for out-of-office referrals. She also said:

His take on it strikes me as Nice Guy Habits 101 Plus Social Skills as a long term way of keeping yourself in other people’s thoughts.

That’s my kind of marketing. Being pleasant and helpful without selling. There’s obviously a lot more opportunity to get in-office referrals, but if you’re in a networking situation, I recommend his book.