Dental Referral Programs: Shine With Our Best Tips [+Tools]

If you’re a dentist who owns your practice, you’re probably marketing your practice on your own, looking for a better way to attract new, loyal patients. And if you’re a B2B serving dental companies, you’re probably looking for the most reliable way to attract – and retain – new dentist clients.

Why not leverage recommendations from your existing happy patients or satisfied customers, since they’re highly trusted?

Word-of-mouth recommendations aren’t as unpredictable as you might think, and asking for referrals doesn’t have to be tedious. You can automate this process with a dental referral program – here’s how to start one.

What are dental referral programs?

A dental referral program is a way to simplify the process of sharing your dental business with others and allow you to track the sources of these referrals. With the help of trackable referral links, individuals can quickly share your dental practice or dental services business, and each referral will be linked to the person who referred it. This makes it straightforward to identify who contributed to your new business.

Note: There are two types of dentist referral programs:

• Dental patient referral programs, to get people to refer new patients to your dental or orthodontic office
• Programs to find new dentist customers for your B2B business that serves dental practices (say, your practice management software company, your smile design software company, or your dental equipment company)

For the most part, the tips we’ll cover work for both types of programs. But we’ll alert you whenever the best practices differ based on your dental business type.

Benefits of dental referral programs

Dental referral programs focus on engaging your patients or business customers, who already have a reason to recommend your services to peers and family members. By building trust, you can expand your client base without relying on costly marketing strategies. Here are the main benefits of dental referral programs:

Increased brand awareness: Referral programs leverage the enthusiasm of satisfied patients or clients who share their positive experiences. This word of mouth not only helps build a strong reputation for your business, but also enhances social proof and generates interest among potential patients or clients.

Improved trust in your services: Referrals carry more weight than advertisements or messages from your brand. A Nielsen study found that 84% of people view referrals as the most trustworthy and effective form of advertising.

Creation of warm leads: When clients recommend your services, they are connecting you with individuals who are looking for a new dentist – or dentists who could actively benefit from your solutions. These referrers understand your offerings and can introduce you to others who would benefit from your expertise.

Increased conversion rates: A personal recommendation greatly enhances the chances that others will choose your practice or business. Due to the trust factor, they are more likely to engage with you. Research shows that a personal endorsement can be up to 50 times more effective in driving purchases than traditional business advertisements.

Reliable customer loyalty: Referred customers – whether they’re patients or business clients – are also more likely to stay loyal to your business and continue to generate revenue for you. They have a 16% higher lifetime value than non-referred customers.

Easier referral tracking: Establishing a referral program makes it simple to track referrals. With the right referral software and the links it generates, you can easily attribute each referral to the patient or client who made it.

Are you ready for a dental referral program?

Before you start a dental referral program, you’ll need to make sure you’re referable – worth recommending in the first place. People need a reason to share, and the experience they have with your business will determine whether you’re worth sharing with friends and family. 

For dental practices, this is all about the care you provide, as well as the overall patient experience. Do you provide personalized, high-quality dental care that meets each patient’s oral health needs, and make each existing patient feel valued? Have you created a comfortable, warm environment? Do you go the extra mile to make them smile with water and tea in the waiting room, patient thank you gifts, events and raffles, or even ways to ease anxieties like TV shows during appointments, neck pillows, and headphones?

For B2B businesses that serve dental practices, you’ll also need stellar customer service. But make sure the product you offer meets dentists’ needs and stands out from others within your market. What pain points do you solve, and what outcomes have you helped clients achieve? How are they more significant than competitors’ outcomes?

No matter your type of dental business, make sure you have five-star reviews, glowing feedback on satisfaction surveys, positive comments, or recommendations even before you’ve started your referral program. These are clear indicators that people think your business is worth sharing.

Referral software for dentists [Free Tools]

These referral tools for dentists are a free and easy way to help you start your referral program.

Want a fully automated referral program for your dental business? Run your referral program with us at Referral Rock. Find out how we can build your program with you (and tailor it to your unique needs)

Dental referral program best practices

Now that you know you’re ready for a referral program, follow these tips to help set one up. Again, most of these referral program ideas work for all dental referral programs, but watch for the strategies specific to dental practices or dental B2Bs.

Set goals and monitor results 

What are your reasons for launching a referral program beyond just attracting new patients or customers? Are you looking to boost awareness of your services, or generate more potential leads from various referral sources? Additionally, how many new referred customers are you aiming for within a specific month or year, or by what percentage do you want to increase your customer base?  Set and track these benchmarks.

After defining your objectives, how will you monitor your progress? Utilizing the right software can simplify this task and help you track essential metrics. Over time, this will enable you to evaluate the success of your referral program, pinpoint areas that need enhancement, and measure its overall impact.

Keep in mind that it may take time before you see the results of your program – don’t lose hope if you aren’t seeing the results you expect right away. Look at how many times people have shared your program, and how many times referred friends have opened the invitations their peers sent. These two factors are the most accurate predictors of how many new clients you’ll get.

Handle incentives with care

Although rewards are a common feature of referral programs in other industries, dental and orthodontic practices shouldn’t offer referral rewards. If you’re based in the U.S., referral incentives aren’t in line with the American Dental Association (ADA) code of ethics, which doesn’t allow you to “split fees” with anyone or offer rebates to patients. In other words, it’s unethical to give people money back from someone’s care payment, or “split” some of the money you make from a patient with a referrer (whether the referrer is another patient, a dentist, or any other third party). Referrals should be focused on the quality of care you provide and not motivated by a financial incentive.

If that’s not enough of a reason to steer clear of rewards, referral rewards might also violate laws such as the Anti-Kickback Statute. This federal law doesn’t allow reward payments or incentive programs for any type of healthcare referral paid for using federal assistance (like Medicare or Medicaid).  If you’re based in another country, you might be subject to similar types of laws and ethical codes, so be sure to check.

Don’t dismiss referral programs just because you won’t be able to offer rewards. Non-incentivized referrals are the truest form of recommendation. They show that clients are sincerely recommending you because they genuinely want others to benefit from the same compassionate care. Additionally, you’ll reap the rewards of the trust that people have in their friends and family, even without any rewards.

Plus, as an alternative to referral rewards, you can instead donate to a chosen charity whenever a referred patient has their first appointment. Patients will appreciate the opportunity to give back! And of course, you can (and should) still send out thank you notes – preferably handwritten, personal ones – whenever someone’s referral brings you a new patient. When referrers feel appreciated, they are more inclined to continue sharing your name.

If you’re a dental business that serves dental practices – such as dentistry software, dental tech, dental equipment, or dental supply, you can offer rewards directly to the referrer and their friend. Rewarding both parties creates added motivation both for people to make referrals, and for referred parties to purchase your goods or services.

We recommend giving out cash or gift cards as rewards, because often, the person making the referral isn’t the one directly paying for the equipment or software. Check out our B2B referral program guide for more B2B referral reward tips.

Simplify the sharing process

To boost participation in your referral program, focus on making it user-friendly and easy to share. People should be able to access it in just a few clicks or taps. And once they’re on your program page, the sharing process should be as streamlined as possible:

• Break the program down into three to four simple steps for clarity.  
• Highlight the benefits of sharing. Even if you can’t offer rewards, you can mention intrinsic perks, such as the opportunity to help someone improve their smile.
• Remind people of the advantages your practice or business offers
• Keep your program page tidy – avoid overwhelming people with excessive text.  
• Ensure there’s a clear call to action (CTA) that motivates sharing.  

Also, aim to reduce the effort needed to make a referral.

• Provide multiple sharing options that align with common communication methods, like email, social media, and text messages.  
• Create a referral link that people can easily copy and share anywhere—referral software can generate these links effortlessly.  
• Draft a warm, pre-written message for referrers to send to potential patients/clients, making it feel personal and inviting. Include the unique benefits of your practice or services.
• Ensure the program is easily accessible and user-friendly to share on mobile devices.

Eliminate the need to log in

With Referral Rock’s One Click Access links, your clients can quickly start sharing your dental business. This feature allows them to join the program automatically, without the hassle of signing up or completing any forms.

Be sure to include One Click Access links in all your promotional emails about the referral program, such as newsletters and transactional emails, not just those specifically about referrals.

Referral Rock also allows both new and existing members to access their referral portal using popular social logins like Google and Facebook, making it easier for them since they won’t need to remember a password.

Promote your program on lots of channels

Boosting the number of participants in your referral program can significantly improve both the number of referrals and your overall revenue. To achieve this, it’s essential to promote your program through various channels that potential referrers often use:

• Reach out to all your current patients or customers, highlighting your referral program. This strategy not only attracts new referrers but also keeps the program top of mind. We recommend sending these emails monthly to quarterly.
• Include short promotions for your referral program in newsletters and other regular communications.
• Ask for referrals at the end of appointments, or during conversations with clients. 
• Mention your program in the emails you send with invoices.
• Send or hand out referral flyers or referral cards. Include a QR code that links to your program page, as a quick way to bring offline sharing online. 
• Post “refer a friend” signs in your dental practice, complete with a QR code for easy program access.
• Add a note about your program in the email footers when corresponding with related businesses.
• If you have a client portal – or your product is software – embed referral promotions directly within it, complete with direct links for easy access.
• Feature a noticeable banner or hero image on your website’s homepage that links directly to your referral landing page.
• Think about using subtle promotion techniques on your website, like adding a link in the footer or menu. If users can easily locate and access it, they are more likely to participate in your program.
• Post updates about your referral program on your social media channels.
• If you’re a dental practice, create “bring a friend” events at places such as a local roller rink or arcade. If you’re a B2B, network in person at industry events and host “bring a friend” gatherings at restaurants near these events. 
• Leverage Referral Rock’s Monthly Summary emails to engage current program members, offering them a personalized overview of their referral activities each month.

Choose the right software

Referral software tools streamline the process of tracking referrals, pinpointing their origins, and swiftly distributing rewards. You’ll also gain essential insights into your referral program, allowing you to evaluate its success and implement any needed changes.

Plus, these tools generate unique links that make it easy for users to promote your program on social media and via email.

Referral Rock software enhances the creation, tracking, rewarding, and marketing of your referral program, making it a vital asset for anyone looking to execute a successful referral campaign.

With Referral Rock, you can:

• Effortlessly monitor referrals: Each participant receives a unique referral link, so you can track the source of every referral. Customers can also view their own referral activity through customized dashboards.  
• Automate your marketing: Keep your customers engaged with automated promotional emails and simplify sharing with password-free links.  
• Integrate with key tools: Easily connect Referral Rock with over 50 different applications, including your CRM.  
• Collect program insights: Quickly assess your program’s effectiveness and make informed enhancements.  
• Get started quickly: With Referral Rock, you can set up your program in just a few days, with expert assistance available throughout the process.

Start your own dental referral program 

A dental referral program enables you to leverage personal recommendations to bring in new patients or clients. The benefits of such a program include straightforward tracking of referrals, increased visibility for your services, and reliable client acquisition. To stand out, focus on providing an outstanding experience, promote your program regularly, and make sharing simple.