Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Your reputation and how doctors see that will determine if they refer you to patients. An introductory letter is good, but then make time to meet the doctors in person (which is tricky because of their schedules). I believe their trust in YOU will win out. Only then will they be willing to hand out your brochures and information.

Have all of that information on your website, as well. Write articles so that people can find you, even without their doctors' referrals.

Just presenting a doc with a letter and a handful of brochures isn't going to get you where you need to be. As Gail stated, the doc puts their reputation on the line for those he refers. Giving the doc brochures doesn't mean he's going to put them out. And, the patient can't just act on it alone, they must get a referral to satisfy insurance.

In helping other docs build their practice, I have found the main concern a doc has, is that their patient will be returned to them. They need relevant communication.

Brevity is not always key. For the above reasons you need to build a relationship with the docs. Create a referral form that is part brochure, part referral card. Incorporate it into your website. Don't just list procedures, list how you will communicate with the doc and return his patient for follow up.

Attend any doc meetings you can to network and personally connect. One doc I worked with offered a specialty exam in a specific field. We created the brochure as above, and she attended those meetings. She held an open house and hosted a meeting. She personally visited the docs (she had no patients at the time) and developed those relationships. It worked, and it worked very quickly.

You'd do well to consider sending an introductory letter, asking for an appointment, and setting up a face to face meeting with each doctor that you you want to connect with.

Before any doctor begins referring patients to you it's vital that each doctor see you as a person and that you provide enough information to them to build up feelings that they know you, like you, and trust you.

The subject matter is too delicate and too personal to be left to the provision of leaflets and business cards. Those things alone might provide some visibility, but what they're less likely to do is instill patient confidence in the services you offer. Patients need the social proof that only their doctor [as a trusted personal advocate] can provide.

You might also want to create a few short videos to put on your website, videos in which you outline specific solutions
for the highly personal subject matters you're dealing with. The goal here is to empower the patient so that they feel comfortable enough with you to build those all important feelings of trust.

I hope this helps.

True, approaching as an equal makes sense--you are all doctors in related fields. What might be the best way for Jassy to schedule a lunch-and-learn with multiple docs at one time? This would make sense for several doctors who work together in one practice. Perhaps if one doctor at the practice is "on board" with the idea of referring to you, then that doctor can coordinate a lunch-and-learn for colleagues and lend his credibility to you.