WE ALL KNOW THAT REFERRED PATIENTS ARE THE BEST PATIENTS…HOW CAN YOU GET MORE?

Referred patients have an inherent trust in you and your team when they enter your practice. They are more likely to your accept treatment plans and less likely to fight you on fees.

Dr. Don Nikchevich (Dr. Nik) has has a robust referral network that sends him a steady stream of new patients and fuels consistent practice growth.

What's His Secret?

Treat referral colleagues as peers

Create collaborative care relationships with referrals for best patient outcome

Provide clinical and “business” support for referrals

Simple But Not Necessarily Easy Consistency & Right Motive Are Key

Dr. Nik specializes exclusively in implant surgical procedures. One of the
leading experts in the country, he lectures nationally, participates in clinical
research and has placed over 24,000 implants. Dr. Nik’s legacy is having the
region’s finest dentists and specialists rely on us for optimal treatment
outcomes for the generations of patients who have trusted us to provide
exceptional surgical care in a truly compassionate manner.
This legacy doesn’t happen by accident or chance. Dr. Nik has created a
strategy to strengthen his Brand’s equity through his relationships with
referring doctors. Through this he has reaped the rewards of

• More Brand awareness for his practice
• More patients and foot traffic
• Better patient outcomes
• Recognized as a thought leader to colleagues and patients

Treat referral colleagues as peers

This sounds obvious but what does it look like when it’s REALLY put
into practice?

A) Everyone is Equal
Dr. Nik treats all of his referral colleagues as peers. He doesn’t think
about the fact that he as an oral surgeon who perhaps has had more
education or training than his referring docs do. He believes in a level
playing field where everyone has value. That culture reduces stress as
people feel safe leading to better focus on the patients.

B) Respect and Humility
Dr. Nik treats referral doctors with a great deal of respect and humility.
He’s appreciative of the referrals and respects them all. He lets them
know that he appreciates them with genuine sincerity. This produces an
environment of knowledge sharing and engagement which ultimately
helps everyone’s bottom line.

Create collaborative care relationships with referrals for best patient outcomes

Dr. Nik feels strongly about creating partnerships with his referrals. Not
in the legal sense, but in terms of partnering to provide the very best
possible treatment outcomes for patients. He focuses on…

Personalized Solutions
The same hammer and nail does not work for every patient.
Collaborative care encourages everyone to work together toward the
very best treatment outcomes for patients.

Collaborative Care
Dr. Nik makes sure that the communication with his referrals is
proactive. He doesn’t make them wait for communication. He makes
sure he’s available when they need him. Watch the videos on this page.
You’ll hear referrals and patients talking about how Dr. Nik makes sure
everyone involved in the process is comfortable and on board.

Provide clinical & “business” support for referrals

Dr. Nik goes the extra mile for his referrals. He supports them clinically and promotes their practices.

1. Co-Marketing
Dr. Nik makes investments in projects aimed at highlighting the strengths of his referral doctors. Recently, he provided video testimonials for his referring doctors. The programs feature patients, the referring docs AND Dr. Nik talking about what makes his referring docs great.

He also uses other common tools to co-market his referrals:
• Patient education videos
• Study clubs and education events for local professionals
• Custom collaboration software tools to ensure efficient communication
between doctors regarding patient treatments
• Online, self-serve education resources
• Digital marketing campaigns

2. Gratitude
As trite as it may sound, it works. Dr. Nik’s co marketing efforts (usually out of his pocket) are a way for him to express his gratitude to his referral partners for collaborating with him. A little gratitude – actually demonstrated, not just announced – goes a long way to nurture and grow the relationships that have allowed his practice to prosper.