Limited Liability
Did you ever ask someone to marry you the very first time you met them?
Probably not....but if you did, how did it work out?
I'll assume in most cases it didn't. Why? There is too much risk in agreeing to such a commitment with someone you don't even know.
Ever ask a referral source to refer to you on the very first visit?
How did it work out?
I'll assume in most cases it didn't (even if they said they would) because there is too much risk in agreeing to such a commitment with someone you don't even know.
Understand?
When approaching new or skittish (as in, a referral source you've had a service failure with) referral sources, you MUST limit the potential liability on their side or you'll win very few of these customers. You must make it a small decision (that still works in your favor) for them to agree upon....the smaller the decision, the easier it is for them to say yes.
Here are some things to ask for:
1. One referral to try your services out and see how they fit the needs of their patients
2. A one month contract to see how well your two companies work together and if the fit is right
3. Two weeks of this new referral process (as in, refer directly to us rather than giving our brochures out) and then a recap to see how well it worked
4. The next 2 patients under this new referral process (as above) to see if more people wind up accessing care.
I hope you get the idea.....minimize the risk and maximize the response from your toughest referral sources. If you gain agreement on a small "ask", do your absolute best for the referral source and their patients....and then go with a slightly bigger "ask". You might find they wind up "asking" you to work with them before you even get the chance.
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