Patient Referral Program – Monthly Mastermind December 2024
Download the Workbook: Patient Referral Program Workbook
Canva Templates & Other Resources: Patient Referral Program Resources
Summary
Lisa Faast discussed the importance of a patient referral program, emphasizing its simplicity and effectiveness. She highlighted the need to create and launch the program before January, leveraging the natural inclination to change behavior at the start of the year. Lisa recommended a minimum referral reward of $20 to current patients, ensuring compliance with legal rules. She stressed the importance of training staff, setting goals, and continuously promoting the program. Lisa shared her success with a referral program that added over 400 new patients monthly for 18 months. She also provided resources and strategies for tracking and monitoring the program’s success.
Action Items
- [ ] Get summit tickets before January 1st when prices increase for both members and public
- [ ] Determine referral reward amount (minimum $20 recommended) and decide if tiered pricing will be used
- [ ] Set up tracking system using PMS notes or other available systems to document referrals and credits
- [ ] Create new patient intake forms with mandatory “who referred you” field highlighted for staff
- [ ] Train team on referral program processes through practice sessions and provide scripts/examples
- [ ] Create and display signage, posters, and bag stuffers throughout pharmacy promoting referral program
- [ ] Set monthly referral goals and establish team bonuses tied to achieving targets
- [ ] Implement public scoreboard for tracking team progress on referral goals
- [ ] Focus exclusively on referral program messaging for three months across all communications
- [ ] Contact local businesses, medical offices, and other pharmacies to inform them about referral program eligibility
Outline
Patient Referral Program Introduction
- Lisa Faast introduces the monthly mastermind meeting and emphasizes the importance of a patient referral program.
- She mentions that the program is straightforward and often made complicated by pharmacy owners.
- Lisa offers to provide resources and links via email and encourages participants to post questions in the community chat or join office hours.
- She reminds participants to grab their summit tickets before January 1st to avoid price increases.
Pharmacy Profit Matrix Overview
- Lisa explains the pharmacy profit matrix, which is a roadmap for creating a continuously profitable pharmacy.
- She advises starting from step one and working through each step methodically.
- The referral program is part of step two, which focuses on creating customers who create more customers.
- Lisa highlights the importance of launching the referral program during January, a time when people are more likely to change their behavior and habits.
Importance of Referral Programs
- Lisa emphasizes that the job of a business is to create customers who create more customers.
- She explains that referral programs are a foundational way to increase revenue without spending much on advertising.
- Lisa shares her personal experience with referral programs, noting that they helped drive significant growth in her pharmacy.
- She discusses the benefits of rewarding current patients for referring new ones, which helps build a loyal customer base.
Setting Up the Referral Program
- Lisa advises determining the referral reward amount, recommending a minimum of $20.
- She explains that the reward should go to the current patient who referred the new patient to comply with legal rules.
- Lisa suggests tracking the program using new patient forms and PMS system notes.
- She recommends making the reward eligible for various services and products, not just prescriptions.
Training and Launching the Program
- Lisa stresses the importance of training the team to ensure they remember to ask about referrals.
- She suggests using reminders, signages, and pop-ups to keep the program top of mind.
- Lisa advises setting goals and offering bonuses to motivate the team.
- She recommends allowing employees to earn referral credits to encourage them to participate actively.
Monitoring and Reporting Results
- Lisa advises setting monthly goals and tracking referrals to measure the program’s success.
- She suggests having a public scoreboard to keep the team engaged and motivated.
- Lisa recommends tracking both the number of credits given and redeemed to monitor the program’s effectiveness.
- She emphasizes the importance of continuing to promote the referral program regularly to maintain its impact.
Resources and Support
She concludes by thanking participants and encouraging them to implement the referral program in their pharmacies.
Lisa offers various resources, including new patient forms, posters, and social media posts, to help implement the referral program.
She encourages participants to join office hours and daily calls with Coach Mike for additional support.
Lisa highlights the benefits of referral programs, including their cost-effectiveness and potential for significant growth.