T
here's no question that
ophthalmologists are
busier than ever nowadays. "In the present
environment, everyone is
spinning as fast as they can," said
John B. Pinto, president, J. Pinto &
Associates, San Diego.
You probably get a good deal of
business from word of mouth or
referrals from other doctors. In addition, you probably have a busy family life to balance with work obligations. "Most of us have families and
tend to hurry home or get the kids
after work," said Sandra Yeh, MD,
Springfield, Ill.
It's common for ophthalmologists to network with other ophthalmologists and optometrists. However, if your practice and family life
are already operating at full tilt, why
should you consider networking at
nonmedical meetings?
Depending on your market,
nonmedical networking meetings
could be a way to grow your business, keep your practice's name in
the community, and get leads not
only for patients but also for other
connections your practice needs.
Some nonmedical networking
you may want to consider (if you
haven't already) includes the local
chamber of commerce, free and paid
local business organizations, fraternal groups such as Kiwanis and
Rotary, and charitable/nonprofit
groups.
Here are some tips to help you
decide how much your practice
needs to network outside of the
medical community.
6 tips to better
outside networking
1
Know your market. In a small town or if you're at a new practice, networking outside of the medical or ophthalmic community can help
grow your business, Mr. Pinto said. In a large, competitive market—such
as Dallas or Los Angeles—shaking hands at the Thursday Rotary Club lunch
may not be as important. It's also a slow way to build relationships, he added.
Mr. Pinto believes that networking with optometrists is the most effective
practice-building move for ophthalmologists, although he added that outside
networking has its place for a number of practices, especially those located in
the suburban and rural markets.
2
Plan and prioritize where you will network. If you decide to invest
in networking outside of the medical community, you'll probably
find you have many options. "The struggle is there are so many
groups to choose from, we could have a full-time position for someone to
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September 2013 • Ophthalmology Business eZine
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