Word of mouth still is the best advertising. That’s why referrals are critical to the growth and success of your therapy practice. Referrals help you find new clients and replace those who may outgrow your services. Many strategies exist to get more referrals and increase your visibility in the community. Today we’re going to dive into these strategies so you can utilize them to scale your counseling business.
Three Types of Therapist Referrals
Because of the importance of a strong referral network, you’ll want to understand what types of referrals are available.
Client Referrals
One type of referral is from existing clients. If your clients know people looking for therapy, they may suggest your services if they’d be a good fit. You can encourage this type of referral by providing existing clients with excellent service and letting them know that you are available to help new people. If a client mentions someone who needs assistance, you can ask them to refer the person to you. Or, you can choose to openly ask some of your trusted clients for referrals if they know anyone looking for help from a mental health professional.
Physician and Professional Referrals
Another way you may receive referrals is from doctors or other mental health professionals. For example, you can partner with a general practitioner who agrees to send patients who need therapy to see you. You can encourage these types of referrals by writing a marketing letter to physicians.
Another mental health professional also may refer clients to you if they can’t accept them at this time or if the client needs a specific specialty. Perhaps they are currently at capacity or may not fit this particular client well. With this in mind, be sure to inform your clinical network when you’re accepting new clients.
Online Referrals
Finally, referrals can also come from people who find you and your practice online. For example, a friend or family member may suggest your services to a loved one after finding your website. This possibility for connection is a strong reason to embrace digital marketing options for growing your therapy practice.
How to Develop a Referral System for Your Practice
Developing a referral system is a strategic approach to increase the number of referrals you receive, ultimately leading to your practice’s growth and success. A referral system is a set of strategies and processes that you put in place to encourage and incentivize people to refer new clients to your practice.
To put a referral system in place:
- Create an Incentive – You might consider creating a program that rewards people (especially current clients) for referrals. The program can offer incentives such as a free session, special services, or a discounted rate for each referral.
- Develop Referral Materials – You can also create referral materials, such as business cards, flyers, or brochures, to distribute to potential referral sources. These materials should be visually appealing and clearly communicate your services and areas of expertise. By distributing these, you provide people with an easy way to refer potential new clients to you.
- Create an Effective Outreach Plan – Once you have your referral program and the supplemental materials to go with it, you’ll want to make sure you have an effective outreach plan to convince people to recommend you. This outreach could include things like a letter to physicians, social media marketing, and distributing materials to your professional network.
- Communicate and Promote Referral Opportunities – You can market your referral program to current clients through various channels. Email newsletters, social media, and in-person sessions are perfect opportunities to get the word out.
Having a referral system in place and making it simple for people to refer to you can help your practice grow. Plus you’ll always have the plan ready to activate when you’re accepting clients.
The Importance of an Effective Online Presence
Having an effective online presence is essential. Many people use the internet for research, meaning you’re losing out if you’re not on there and easy to find.
First, you’ll need a website. You can build a therapy website using WordPress or have someone else do it for you, but you’ll want an online presence.
In addition to a website, you’ll also want to be listed in therapy directories like the one All Counseling offers. These directories help potential clients find you when they search online for therapists.
Finally, you may want to consider being active on social media channels where you’re ideal clients likely are. For example, you can set up a professional Facebook page for your counseling services.
An effective online presence is critical to bringing in more referrals because it:
- Provides Sharing Capability – By ensuring you have a great online presence, you provide referral sources with an easy way to refer people to you. Instead of giving your name and number, it allows people to simply share a link or two with potential clients.
- Instills a Trustworthy Image – With so many of your competitors being online, not having a website means you’re likely to get left behind. Many people may be suspicious of businesses without an online presence, feeling that not being on the internet makes people less professional. Making it easy for people to find and learn about you can create an image of trustworthiness, credibility, and reliability.
- Builds Your Reputation – When you look for services online, you likely want to find a well-established business rather than take a risk on a new one. Your clients are no different. Using the internet effectively can build your reputation as an industry leader, creating a demand for your services.
- Allows for Connection – Depending on where you position yourself online, you may be able to connect directly with potential clients. Social media profiles, for example, allow potential clients to follow you and keep up to date with your practice. This approach helps keep you connected with clients and potential referral sources, even when your client list is full.
- Grows Engagement – Sharing valuable content online can grow engagement with potential clients, who then may think of you when they start to consider therapy services for themselves. It’s also a great way to encourage people to share your content and expand your reach.
An effective online presence can provide referral sources with the ability to share about your business, instill a trustworthy image, build your reputation, allow for connection, and grow engagement. Investing in your online presence can increase visibility, attract new clients, and build a strong client base.
Top Strategies for Obtaining Professional Referrals
Not only do you want people to be able to find you online, but you also want to ensure you’re getting referrals from doctors and other industry professionals. Having these professionals refer people to you can be an effective way for you to grow your practice.
Referrals from medical and mental health professionals can provide a steady stream of new clients. These referrals can be particularly valuable for therapists specializing in a specific mental health area or offering a unique treatment approach, as physicians may refer clients requiring these specialized services.
To ensure you’re top-of-mind for referrals from doctors and other industry professionals:
- Join Professional Organizations – Find and join relevant mental health-related professional organizations. Not only will you be able to stay up to date with the latest industry trend, but you can network at meetings and other events.
- Develop Relationships and Build Rapport – Developing relationships and building rapport with physicians, psychiatrists, social workers, and other professionals in the industry can increase the likelihood of receiving referrals. You can send thank you notes when someone refers a client to you or share relevant research or articles to have regular engagement.
- Attend Conferences and Network – Create opportunities to meet new people by attending conferences and networking there. Industry events allow you to grow your professional network and increase the chances that someone will think of you when they’re ready to make a referral.
- Collaborate and Maintain Open Communication – Working with other healthcare professionals is another great way to make sure you’re on their radar when someone needs your services. Keeping in touch with colleagues in the mental health field and learning what type of clients they service means you’ll be able to refer clients back to them when appropriate. They’ll likely reciprocate with the same.
By building strong relationships with referral sources, you can position yourself as a trusted and reliable provider of mental health services, leading to increased referrals and a growing client base over time.
Retain Existing Referral Sources
Once you have referral sources, you’ll want to keep them. Just because someone refers a client to you once doesn’t mean they’ll always remember you without a little help. Retaining existing referral sources is just as important as developing new ones.
Encourage people to become repeat referrers by:
- Developing Trust – Positioning yourself as an authority in the field can help develop trust between you and your referral sources. Writing regular blog posts and letting potential clients and their referrers know you’re staying up-to-date in the industry can help build trust in your services. Not sure how to blog? Check out our therapist’s guide to blogging.
- Establishing Referral Agreements – Make sure you clearly outline the type of referrals you seek. On top of this, remember that referring isn’t a one-way street. Look out for clients you can refer to other mental health professionals or physicians. By doing this, you’ll be able to keep a relationship with colleagues throughout the field.
- Providing Quality Services – The most important thing you can do to keep existing referral sources is to provide high-quality services to your clients. You establish a strong reputation by taking good care of your clients, staying on top of the latest industry trends, and adapting to the most up-to-date treatments. Your strong professional reputation is the foundation for consistent referrals.
- Staying in Touch – Make sure that you regularly touch base with referral sources to help maintain the relationship and increase the likelihood of continued referrals. You can send regular updates on your practice, share relevant research or articles, and always remember to say thank you for the referrals you receive. Don’t forget to maintain your online presence by posting regular blogs or social media content.
Remember never to use client names when thanking a referral source. Avoiding names keeps confidential information safe and reassures everyone that their details are secure.
Use Online Services to Build Exposure
Ensuring you have a strong online presence can be invaluable in creating referral sources. More than 65% of people search online before they purchase a product or service. Therapy isn’t an exception. That’s why you must have an online presence to help potential clients find you and to build exposure for your business.
Build exposure online through:
- Joining Online Directories – One of the best ways to build your online presence after having a website of your own is to join online directories. Websites such as All Counseling’s allow you to sign up and create a profile detailing your services, allowing people to find you when they’re actively searching for a therapist in your geographic area or with your expertise.
- Contributing to Online Industry Resources – You can contribute to industry resources in many ways. By getting your name associated with various resources, you can increase your online visibility and make it easier for people to find you. Whether contributing to a blog, speaking at industry events, or participating in research projects, doing so can also help build credibility.
- Engage on Social Media – Regular updates on social media can also help you build your online presence. Social media platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook provide excellent opportunities to reach a wider audience and increase your exposure. By sharing valuable content, engaging with followers, and participating in conversations related to mental health, you can help others while attracting potential clients.
- Google Business Profile – Creating your business listing on Google is one of the most powerful tools for a local therapist’s business. It not only allows for you to easily display all pertinent information, but will show reviews from current clients, and will keep you showing up in Google search results in your area.
Monitor Your Referral Sources
Once you start getting referrals, make sure you know where they’re coming from. By knowing where recommendations originate, you can understand what efforts are working and focus more of your attention there.
Analyze Referral Sources
Trying to keep track of where referrals come from can be challenging, but you can often ask new clients how they heard of you. Whether through existing clients, doctor referrals, or a simple Google, note the channels they come to you through. Analyzing this data lets you see what’s working and focus more on those areas. Whether that’s buying more advertising space or spending a little more time on networking, you’ll have a plan in place.
Track and Measure Results
Tools like Google Analytics or other data-tracking software can tell you how clients find you and what tool has the best conversion rates. Your conversion rate is the number of people exposed to your practice who become paying clients.
If you’re spending money on social media advertising, for example, you’ll want to know which ones are performing the best and which you should stop promoting on. If you know that a particular source has an 80% conversion rate, you might consider increasing your budget on that platform. If it turns out that most of your clients come from networking, you may want to reallocate resources to attend more events instead of advertising online.
All Counseling Can Help
Referrals are a vital part of growing your practice and can help contribute to your practice’s success. Referrals can provide a steady stream of new clients who need mental health services, and they can help you establish your reputation and credibility in the mental health field.
Understanding why referrals are so crucial to your career goals can help you learn how to begin the process of encouraging referrals. Knowing how to get them and maintain referral sources is critical to ensure your practice grows with you.
If you’re looking to add clients, All Counseling can help. All Counseling is a directory of licensed therapists, making it easy for someone seeking help to connect to the right therapists. By joining All Counseling, you can claim your profile, optimize it, keep it up to date, and establish an online presence to start receiving referrals to your mental health practice.
Whether you’re just starting out or want to expand your existing practice, claim your profile today and get connected to clients seeking your services.
