Learning to Network to Build Your Dental Practice

Are you a very outgoing and upbeat person? Do you always enjoy meeting new people and are you comfortable both one-on-one and speaking publicly?

If you answered yes to all of these, you’re that rare personality type who is a natural networker. But if you answered no to any of the questions, fear not. You’re in the overwhelming majority. And like most others who see it as a daunting challenge, you too can network your way to a healthier dental practice.

Networking doesn’t come easily for most people. Even those who are very skilled at working a room will tell you they didn’t start out that way. They had to go to many networking events and meet lots of new people before they began to get the knack. Still others who are excellent networkers will tell you they still aren’t completely comfortable with it. They just make it look easy.

There’s a learning curve for everyone when it comes to getting started networking. Follow these seven tips and you’ll be over the curve in no time.

1. Have a great pitch

The most common question in any networking environment is, “what do you do?” In a room full of non-dental professionals, you can say, “I’m an oral surgeon.” Then be prepared for an awkward silence. Or, if you tell them you’re a prosthodontist or endodontist, be ready for an even more awkward pause.

No matter what your specialty, put it in terms that will be meaningful to the person you’re engaging. Tell them who you help and what difference you make in their lives. If you’re an oral surgeon, tell them you help patients improve how their mouth works and balance their face. Briefly describe your most common patients based on age or other key demographic information.

For example, if you’re a prosthodontist, tell them you treat difficult dental problems and provide implants for patients with functional or aesthetic problems, for example. Try and make your pitch appeal broadly to the audience at the networking event.

The best pitches are the most memorable. That may include humor or a particularly impressive example of a patient you helped.

2. Take a buddy

It can be easier to get started networking if you go with a friend or colleague. This will give you someone else to talk to and keep you from feeling isolated. You can take someone particularly outgoing from your office. Or you can take a business partner. Paying the attendance fee for a partner who is a referral source will help you nurture that important relationship.

But be sure not to use your buddy as a crutch. Don’t spend the time talking to him or her when you should be mixing and meeting potential patients and partners.

3. Be in the right room

Not every networking opportunity will be a fit for you. Avoid general gatherings that are purely business-to-business focused where you’ll feel out of place. Focus instead on networking where you’re likely to find potential dental patients. Focus also where potential business partners and referring physicians may be. If you’re not sure where to find these professionals, ask them what networking groups they find of value.

4. Be consistent

Don’t expect great results if you’re sporadic in your networking. If you go to a business before breakfast in January, a professional organization’s luncheon in April and a Chamber of Commerce after-hours mixer in August, you won’t be building a reputation. You can’t be everywhere, so focus your attention on being at the right gatherings.

When it comes to networking, people do business with and trust the people they see on a recurring basis. In addition to being in the right room, get into that room consistently. This will also help you hone your networking comfort level. Seeing some of the same familiar faces over and over again beats feeling like a stranger in the corner.

5. Handle rejection

Not everyone you meet is going to be a great addition to your network. Some people will try and monopolize time that would better be spent meeting others. Some will be flat out rude. Still others will tell you how great their dental specialist is and why they would never think of going anywhere else. All of these responses are to be expected. Networking pros just roll with the punches and move on to the next person.

6. Become the emcee

Even better than showing up and networking consistently is being the party host. The best way to maximize networking opportunities is get your message before a captive audience.

You can work with your local Chamber of Commerce or other networking group or a professional organization to sponsor a lunch and learn. Many of these organizations have regularly scheduled education-focused events and they always need speakers and hosts. You can develop a presentation that would be useful to that audience based on your dental specialty.

Another option focused less on content is to host an after-hours or before-business networking mixer at your office. This gets people into your practice, builds your brand, and gives you an opportunity to briefly have the floor to explain who you can help.

You can even approach a human resources professional organization to see if they will allow you to speak to their members about how your practice can help their employees. The more people you meet in networking settings, the more ways you’ll find to team up with other professionals for mutually-beneficial opportunities.

7. Follow up!

When you meet potential patients and business partners at networking events, follow up with them. You don’t need to be invasive and insist the would-be patient make an appointment right away. But have your office give them a quick call to see if they’d like to schedule a consultation.

If you meet a strategic business partner, contact them to discuss how you can help each other’s business. By failing to reach out, you give the impression that their business isn’t that important to you. After all, networking is hard work. When you have a lead in the pipeline, make sure you take the next step to move it along.

If building your dental marketing brand and increasing awareness of what you do and who you help is important to you, networking can help. Even if it doesn’t come naturally at first, you may find that it is well worth the effort.