Networking Pearls

By Kathy Mayo, DO

Networking is a word that makes me think of sipping wine over hors d’oeuvres, but it also brings a chill to my heart. It can take a lot out of you to attend two or three networking events a week. Nevertheless, it is vital not only for new and growing medical practices, but also for established practices to continue to bring new patients into the clinic. There are many ways of letting your community know about your practice, and I will elaborate on all the ones we have tried.

The cost of networking varies. Of course, there is the cost of your time. Most events are scheduled during lunch or after work hours. In our practice, we try to adjust our patient schedule according to the event we are planning to attend. It is good to have a partner to attend these things with because you can encourage each other to actually get up and go, even when you feel too tired to meet a crowd of new people.

Being the physician administrator for a new practice, I am always looking for inexpensive ways to get our name out into the community. We paid to join the two closest chambers of commerce but we take every advantage of them. Almost every week there is a grand opening that is free to attend where we can welcome the new business into the community and let them know about our practice. Occasionally there is a community event that needs a donation for a fundraiser. You can participate by donating a free exam or service or by purchasing a gift to be auctioned. You can have a table at a local business expo, with prices ranging from $100 to $500 or more. If you cannot afford that cost, then you can always attend a business expo and give everybody you meet there a business card and warm handshake. Joining a church or social group, such as the Knights of Columbus or a yacht club, can make new friends and bring new patients. I encourage you to join a select one or two groups like this as they can be a significant long term time commitment. Also, you should join the local or state medical association. Although it can be costly, you become known to all the other physicians in your community. Providing a day of lectures to optometrists allows them to meet you in person and may generate a new referral base while they get inexpensive continuing education (CE) credits. A really fun thing to do is lecturing at nearby retirement communities or schools. You are doing community service by educating the public on a topic of interest and letting them get to know you as a doctor and person. We always bring lots of freebies, like amsler grids, vitamin samples, brochures and anything else I can literally stick our logo onto!

A more pricey way to get your practice’s name out there is to advertise in a local magazine or newspaper. Sometimes by becoming a paid advertiser, you also get the opportunity to become a contributing writer. Writing an article on a topic of interest to potential patients makes you the expert in your community and helps them become familiar with your name. We recently paid around $1400 for an ad that came with the privilege of being a contributing writer. Shortly after the issue came out, we received a phone call from a new patient who needed to be evaluated for her diabetes. She also sent us her husband, who has needed a significant amount of care himself. In addition, we have attended many networking free functions for the magazine’s advertisers. So the ad, although expensive, has more than paid for itself.

One on one networking, like dropping off your business card while personally visiting other practices, can be priceless. Around holidays, have a party at your office and invite your referral base along with those who do not yet refer to you.

A minimal cost communiqué is hand written notes. I write thank you notes to everyone who refers to us, even other patients. I write notes to people we meet, just to let them know I enjoyed our conversation, and I always include a business card. Every new patient gets a welcome letter after their visit, in which I remind them that if they were happy with their care, to please tell friends and family.

Online networking, such as LinkedIn.com, Sermo.com, SocialMD.com or even Facebook.com, is free and potentially useful for generating interest and referrals.

So as you can see, networking involves a lot of personal time and effort but your only other option is to sit around your office, hoping people will notice that you are in business. And that just is not going to work! So get out there into the community and let them know how great your practice is and that you can save their vision. There are a vast number of ways to network. Find some that work for you so your name gets into people’s heads and, even though it may take weeks or months, they will remember you when they need you.