Networking strikes fear into the heart of many a private practitioner.
Have you ever gone along to a networking session or workshop, full of high hopes, and armed with business cards, only to find it’s a huge disappointment?
Did you spend most of the time standing a corner, sipping a cup of tea, and avoiding eye contact with others?
Or did you get stuck being ‘sold to’ by one especially persistent attendee?
If your only experiences of networking have been a spectacular waste of time, you’re not alone. However, learning to love networking can be great both for your private practice and for your confidence.
Networking is a good way to gain referrals, forge new partnerships and meet potential business clients. And these days, there are two types of networking: the old fashioned kind where you attend a networking event, and online networking – where you can hide behind a computer. Both can be equally valuable to your therapy business.
Our networking article on the Private Practice Hub has a number of quick tips for those new to networking events. It gives you some ideas of where you can find the most useful events, and how you can get the most out of networking.
You may also find our social media article useful. It introduces you to the most popular online networking sites and explains how they can help your private practice.
What do you think?
Do you do much networking, online or offline? Got any stories to tell about your experiences at a networking event? Let us know here.
