Picking up from yesterday…

Regardless of where you fall on the alternative health opinion spectrum, these folks can be an amazing source of referrals. By presenting yourself as a complement or support to your local physicians, you may find them far more likely to refer to you.

To do this successfully requires three critical characteristics in the way you approach and work with MD’s:

Don’t Take Food From Their Plates
Or at least don’t make it obvious. Even the busiest MD’s seem to be highly territorial, and presenting yourself as competition is not helping. If you are competing directly, you don’t need to brag to them about it. If MD’s don’t see you as competition, they’re more likely to refer.

Make Their Life Easier
In most cases, you’re really not selling the same thing as the average physician. Whether you’re a naturopath, a chiropractor, or a TCM practitioner, there’s a good chance that you deal with chronic, difficult-to-resolve complaints. Trust me, these are not the complaints the average MD wants. They don’t have the time for them.

Sell them on the idea that you’ll take the difficult stuff – the patients that aren’t getting better, or aren’t generating the billing that they look for. The people who need counseling, or someone to talk to.

Like any selling, focus on the benefits – how you’ll make their life easier. How they’ll make more money. Not on how you’re better than they are…

Be Professional
Nothing burns anyone more than having their professional opinions and status undermined. You can disagree, but you don’t have to badmouth. Conduct yourself as a professional with respect to confidentiality, medical records, office procedures and the like. Demonstrate that the ‘stargazing-tree-hugger’ CAM stereotype isn’t justified, and you’ll find the referrals flowing your way.