Your appreciation event is a waste of time

Let me tell you about the orthodontic equivalent of Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.

Every year, practices spend thousands on appreciation events. They rent venues, hire caterers, maybe even get a speaker. Everyone shows up, has a nice time, makes polite conversation about sending more referrals.

And then… nothing.

A few weeks later, you’re sitting in your office wondering why Dr. Johnson still hasn’t sent anyone your way despite eating your shrimp cocktail and telling you what a “great event” it was.

Sound familiar? Welcome to Hope Marketing – the business strategy equivalent of wishing on a star.

Here’s the brutal truth: Most appreciation events fail because they’re parties, not strategies.

I’ve probably done more of these events than anyone in the orthodontic space, and I can tell you the difference between the ones that generate referrals and the ones that generate thank-you notes: Follow-up systems.

The Big Insight: An appreciation event without a follow-up plan is just an expensive dinner party. You need to turn attendance into action.

Tactical Piece #1: Give every attendee a specific “next step” before they leave. Not “let’s stay in touch” but “I’ll call you Thursday to set up a tour for your team.”

Tactical Piece #2: Create referral tools they can actually use. Provide scripts, brochures, and simple language they can share with patients who ask about orthodontics.

Tactical Piece #3: Track and measure everything. Who attended? Who engaged? Who followed through? You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

One practice I worked with in Phoenix saw a 30% increase in referrals within 60 days of their event. Not because they threw a better party, but because they built a better system.

They sent personalized video thank-yous, delivered referral toolkits, and scheduled follow-up meetings with every attendee. They turned a one-night event into a three-month relationship-building campaign.

Bottom line: Stop hoping for referrals and start earning them.

When you’re ready to turn your appreciation events into referral-generating machines, I’m here to help. I’ll personally work with you to plan, execute, and follow up properly.

Let’s build your referral system together

No more hoping,

Dino