Speech-Language Pathology Marketing for Private Practices

Speech-language pathology marketing for a private practice runs on two tracks: referral partners who see the child or adult first, and parents and patients who search on their own. Both tracks respond to the same few things: a clear one-pager, a prompt call to the family, a note back to whoever referred them and a website that answers a parent's first questions.

Most of it is relationship work, which suits a profession built on communication. It's about making it easy for a pediatrician, an ENT, a dentist, an orthodontist or a school to send a family your way, and easy for that family to book.

Below is who refers, what to hand them, how to contact physician offices, what parents look for on your website, how search and reviews fit, and the ethics rules to check first.

• Referrals come from pediatricians, ENTs, dentists, orthodontists, schools and parents themselves.
• A one-page referral sheet tells partners who you see, how to refer and what happens next.
• Mail or drop off the one-pager. Federal law restricts unsolicited fax advertisements.
• HIPAA allows sharing information with another provider for treatment, so a report back to the referrer is possible.
• ASHA Principle III requires accurate public statements, and Principle I Rule M bars guaranteeing results.

Who refers patients to a private SLP practice?

Anyone who sees the patient before you do. For most private practices that's a short list:

• Pediatricians. A parent with a question about speech may bring it up at a well visit, so a pediatrician who knows your practice can send them straight to you.
• ENTs. They see many of the same children and adults, and a short note about which cases you'd like to hear about helps them think of you.
• Dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons. ASHA's practice portal on orofacial myofunctional disorders says treatment of these disorders "involves an interprofessional team," and it lists the dentist, orthodontist and oral surgeon among the professionals an SLP refers to and collaborates with. Tongue thrust, which ASHA notes may affect swallowing and articulation, is a natural topic for a lunch-and-learn.
• Schools. Under IDEA's Child Find rule, states must identify, locate and evaluate children with disabilities who need special education, including children in private schools. School SLPs and teachers know the families. A friendly relationship with them helps when a family asks about services outside school.
• Parents and adult patients. Some find you on their own through Google, a friend or a parent group.

1. 01ReferralA doctor, dentist, school or parent sends the family your way
2. 02First callSomeone at your office calls the family and books the evaluation
3. 03EvaluationThe family meets the SLP and hears what comes next
4. 04Report backA short note to the referring provider, with the family's okay

The step I'd watch most is the first call. A family that was told "call this office" by their pediatrician is ready to talk, and a call back the same day keeps that going.

What goes on a referral one-pager?

Everything a busy front desk needs to send a family to you without calling first. One page, front only, with your fax number big enough to read.

• Who you see: ages and the areas you treat
• How to refer: phone, fax number and any referral form
• What happens next: when the family hears from you
• Insurance and payment basics, stated accurately
• Locations, hours and whether you offer teletherapy
• Each SLP's name, license and certification, stated as facts
• No promised outcomes and no comparisons to other providers

Source: ASHA Code of Ethics Principle III and Principle I Rule M, ASHA Issues in Ethics: Public Announcements and Public Statements

Credentials go on as facts. ASHA's guidance on public statements says to describe services and credentials "in a factual, nonevaluative manner," and that certification and licensure may be listed but shouldn't be presented as proof of special skill in an area.

A free 15-minute call with Blake by phone or Zoom. You get a written Method Plan for the cases you want, with the first fixes in order. It's yours to keep whether we work together or not.

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How should you contact physician offices?

By mail, in person or by phone, and by fax only when they ask. Federal law, 47 U.S.C. 227, restricts sending an unsolicited advertisement to a fax machine, with narrow exceptions such as an established business relationship. A one-pager about your services counts as advertising, so I mail it or drop it off. Ask your attorney before any fax outreach.

Here's the letter I'd send with it:

Dr. [Name], I'm [Your Name], a speech-language pathologist at [Practice Name] in [City]. We see [ages] for [areas]. If one of your patients could use an evaluation, our referral sheet is enclosed, and we call families within [timeframe]. If you'd like a short note back after we see a patient you referred, I'm happy to send one. [Phone] [Fax]

That last line matters. HHS guidance on the HIPAA Privacy Rule says a covered entity may disclose protected health information "for the treatment activities of any health care provider." A short note back to the referring doctor fits that. I'd still tell the family you're sending it and have your compliance person approve the template.

A note back is a simple courtesy, and it keeps your name in front of the referring office. Keep it short: you saw the patient, the plan in a sentence and how to reach you.

What do parents look for on your website?

Answers to the questions they'd ask on the phone. I'd answer them in this order: whether you see children like theirs, what the first visit is like, what it costs or whether you take their insurance, and how to book.

• Who you see. Ages and areas on the home screen, in a parent's words: "late talkers," "speech sounds," "stuttering," "feeding."
• The first visit. What happens at the evaluation, how long it takes and what to bring.
• Cost and insurance. Which plans you're in network with, and what private pay looks like if you offer it.
• Real photos. Your therapy rooms and your team, so a nervous child can see where they're going.
• Clinician bios. Name, license, certification and the ages each SLP works with.
• One clear booking path. A phone number that taps to call and a way to request an evaluation.

The same layout that helps dental practices works here. Dental website design that turns searches into exams walks through it.

How do search and Google Business Profile fit in?

Keep your Google Business Profile complete and accurate. Google's local ranking help says "businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results," and that more reviews and positive ratings can help.

Fill in your categories, hours, services, photos and a description that says who you see. If you have several SLPs, Google allows a profile for each public-facing clinician who can be contacted directly at the location. I'd keep the practice profile as the main one and add clinician profiles for SLPs who meet that test.

How do you ask for reviews the right way?

Ask every family the same way, offer nothing for it and reply without confirming anyone is a patient.

• Google's review policy bans incentives and asking only the families you expect to be happy.
• The FTC's final rule on fake reviews bans buying reviews, incentives conditioned on a positive or negative review and insider reviews that don't disclose the connection.
• ASHA's guidance says client comments should never be used without the client's explicit permission, and it cautions that choosing only favorable comments can mislead the public.
• A reply that confirms someone is your patient is a HIPAA problem. The template in Google reviews for dentists works for an SLP practice too.

What do ASHA and Florida say about advertising?

Be accurate, don't misrepresent and don't promise results. ASHA's Code of Ethics Principle III says individuals "shall act with honesty and integrity when engaging with the public" and "shall provide accurate information involving any aspect of the professions." Its rules cover the details: Rule A bars misrepresenting credentials, competence, education, training or experience. Rule F says public statements shall not contain misrepresentations when advertising, announcing or promoting services. Principle I, Rule M allows a reasonable statement of prognosis but bars guaranteeing results "directly or by implication."

Florida licenses SLPs under Chapter 468, Part I. Fla. Stat. 468.1295 lists as grounds for discipline "advertising goods or services in a manner which is fraudulent, false, deceptive, or misleading in form or content," and using advertising matter, testimonials or guarantees that are "misleading, deceiving, or untruthful."

Here's the difference in one line each:

Out: "Your child will be talking in 8 weeks, guaranteed."

In: "We see children ages [X] to [Y] for speech, language and feeding concerns. Evaluations are available weekdays."

I'm not a lawyer or an SLP, so run new ads and your one-pager past your attorney before they go out.

• Credentials, training and experience stated accurately (ASHA III-A)
• Services and results described accurately (ASHA III-C)
• No misrepresentation in advertising or promotion (ASHA III-F)
• No guarantee of results, directly or by implication (ASHA I-M)
• Testimonials only with explicit permission, and not misleading (Fla. Stat. 468.1295(1)(i))
• Reviews never bought, never conditioned on a positive rating

Source: ASHA Code of Ethics (2023), Fla. Stat. 468.1295, FTC final rule on fake reviews

What to do next

In the Double Jaw Method™, the top jaw is thinking: name the patient you want more of. The bottom jaw is action: attract them and wow them. For an SLP practice, naming the patient might be "the family of a three-year-old whose pediatrician flagged speech at a well visit." Attracting them is the one-pager on that pediatrician's desk, and the wow is the same-day call and the note back. A Method Review applies both jaws to your practice.

1. Ask every new family how they found you, and count the answers for three months.
2. Write a one-pager with the checklist above and have your attorney read it.
3. Pick five referring offices and mail or drop off the one-pager with a short letter.
4. Write a two-paragraph note-back template and get your compliance person's okay.
5. Check your Google Business Profile: categories, hours, photos and a description that says who you see.

See what we build for speech-language pathologists, and how the dental side of the referral works for dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons. The referral relationships work much like the ones in oral surgery marketing built on three lead sources.

FAQ

Where do most private SLP referrals come from?

It depends on your caseload. A pediatric practice may hear most from pediatricians and parents, while a practice that treats orofacial myofunctional disorders may hear more from dentists and orthodontists. Ask every new family how they found you and count the answers for three months.

Can an SLP fax a flyer to physician offices?

Be careful. Federal law, 47 U.S.C. 227, restricts sending unsolicited advertisements by fax, with narrow exceptions. I mail or drop off the one-pager instead and fax only what an office asks for. Ask your attorney before any fax campaign.

Can an SLP practice use client testimonials?

Only with the client's explicit permission, according to ASHA's guidance on public statements. ASHA also cautions that picking only favorable comments can mislead, and Florida's 468.1295 lists misleading testimonials as grounds for discipline.

Should every SLP in the practice have a Google Business Profile?

Google allows a profile for a practitioner who is public-facing and can be contacted directly at the location during stated hours. I'd keep one profile for the practice and add clinician profiles only for SLPs who meet that test.

Can an SLP say how long therapy will take in an ad?

ASHA's Code of Ethics allows a reasonable statement of prognosis but prohibits guaranteeing results, directly or by implication. I keep timelines out of ads and leave them for the evaluation.

Book a Method Review

Book a Method Review: a free 15-minute call with Blake by phone or Zoom about where your referrals come from and how families find you. You get a written Method Plan with the first fixes in order, yours to keep whether we work together or not.