What is the most appropriate first step for the director of a new speech-language clinic to secure referrals?

• A. Wait for demand to increase on its own, because marketing speech-language services is against the ASHA Code of Ethics
• B. Identify and define the major consumer groups and referral sources, and develop a plan to reach them
• C. Identify the weaknesses in the competition, and inform consumer groups and referral sources of the weaknesses
• D. Ask local hospitals to provide names of recent clients likely to need speech-language services

Answer: (B)

A proactive, organized approach to building referrals starts with understanding who would need your services and who can refer clients to you, then planning how to reach them. Identifying and defining the major consumer groups and referral sources, and developing a plan to reach them, provides a clear, targeted direction for outreach. This helps you tailor messages to different audiences—referrers like physicians, pediatricians, school teams, early intervention programs, and other professionals, as well as consumers such as parents and caregivers—so your communications address their specific needs and decision factors. It also ensures you use time and resources efficiently and ethically, building credibility and relationships before demand grows organically. By contrast, waiting for demand deprives you of momentum, attempting to obtain client names from hospitals breaches privacy and standards, and focusing on competitors’ weaknesses isn’t productive as a first step.