Naked Networking

Business networking for Entrepreneurs - medical billing news!

2009-06-16T07:37:00.000-04:00

Networking is an essential skill for most business people, but especially for entrepreneurs. The strong association between the entrepreneur as a person and his or her business demands that entrepreneurs get out into the world and create and maintain business relationships. Here are some tips and resources to help you improve your networking skills and extend your reach.
Online Networking (12)
The Importance of Being Memorable
Have you ever attended a networking event, collected a bunch of business cards, and when you go through them the next day, you can't remember who many of them are? Well, you certainly don't want to be one of those that other people can't remember, do you? Here are five tips on how to make yourself memorable when meeting other people.
A Pocket Full of Business Cards
Timely and consistent follow-up is the key to successful marketing. Meeting someone once is rarely enough to bring you business -- repeated contacts are what do the trick. You always want to follow up with prospective customers, of course, but you should also follow up with potential referral sources.
How to Profit From Networking
Sales are frequently developed through the relationships we have created with other people. Networking functions provide the opportunity to expand our contact list, particularly when we create and nurture quality relationships. Here are five strategies to make networking profitable.
Effective Networking for Busy People
With all the demands on our time made by our business, professional and personal lives, it's tempting to assign a lower priority to networking as an activity designed to meet new people. That would be a mistake.
Do You Make Your First Impression Your Best Impression?
The first impression process occurs in every new situation. Within the first few seconds, people pass judgment on you – looking for common surface clues. Once the first impression is made, it is virtually irreversible. Guest author image consultant Michelle Sterling offers tips to make sure your first impression is your best impression.
Networking Like a Pro: Make a Lasting Impression
Networking is less about meeting new people than having them remember you after the fact. So how do get someone to remember you from the other ten people he met that very same night? Try these three simple questions to make a lasting impression.
How to Cultivate a Network of Endless Referrals
Instead of thinking of "networking" as something you go to "networking events" to do, make it an integral part of your everyday contacts. Develop win-win relationships and let the referrals come to you.
Understanding The Law of Successful Giving And Successful Receiving
In this excerpt from the newly updated Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales, Bob Burg explains how giving a great use value for a small cash value is the fundamental key to creating wealth for yourself.
The Grand Paradox: “Real-World” Giving and Receiving
In this excerpt from the newly updated Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales, Bob Burg explains how giving a great use value for a small cash value is the fundamental key to creating wealth for yourself.
Real-World Examples of The Law of Successful Giving and Successful Receiving
In this third excerpt from the newly updated Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales, Bob Burg shares some shining real-world examples of The Law of Successful Giving and Successful Receiving in action.
Giving First: A Personal Experience
In this fourth excerpt from the newly updated Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales, Bob Burg shares his personal experience of The Law of Successful Giving and Successful Receiving in action.
Why I Network
Ecademy founder and marketing guru Thomas Power shares his thoughts on the importance of networking. Ecademy is certainly one of the largest (if not the largest) online business networks, with over 13,000 members around the world.
Business Network International
BNI is one of the oldest and certainly the world's largest business networking and referral organization. Over 2,700 chapters around the world offer their members an environment in which to develop personal relationships with other, non-competing businesspeople.
Ask the Networking Expert - Dr. Ivan Misner
Dr. Misner, the founder of BNI, answers questions for Entrepreneur Magazine readers about networking. Topics include the six types of networking groups, how to network with a large group, the ROI of networking, and networking with confidence.
Network Moves
This free monthly newsletter includes interviews with top networkers, networking group spotlights, and networking tips. The current issue and selected items from past issues are available on the website.
Effective Networking
Diane Darling's free monthly newsletter, "The Net Effect", covers such diverse and creative topics as "What Dogs Can Teach Us About Networking", "What I Learned at MIT Charm School", "Holiday Party Networking Techniques", and "The Rolling Stones Know How to Network, Do You?". Archives of past newsletters are on the Web site.
Networking Articles from Susan RoAne
The best-selling author of "How to Work a Room", et al., offers more than twenty free articles and tips on networking, with a particular emphasis on the social skills - how to converse with contentious people, mingling, schmoozing, and how to avoid being a sleaze.
Networking Articles from Donna Fisher
The internationally renowned speaker and best-selling author ("Power Networking", "People Power", "Professional Networking for Dummies") offers full articles and excerpts on networking, word-of-mouth marketing, and breaking out of your comfort zone.

Key tools to get your business name out there! medical billing news!

2009-06-03T07:49:00.001-04:00

When networking and marketing your business can be a challenge, especially in the very beginning.
There are TWO things that WILL help you get your name out there.
1. Join networking groups in your area.
2. Get your company a web site.
Both will help you and establish your business in the market.
Good luck!

ALWAYS be networking! medical billing news.

2009-05-28T16:54:00.003-04:00

Similar to "ABC's" of sales (Always be closing), you should ALWAYS network with whoever you can to get your name OUT.
Let family, friends, associates, old work colleagues, members of church, and ANYONE else that you can think of about your new business.
Be agressive and be persistent and ASK for help.

Six degrees of separation - medical billing news!

2009-05-19T15:13:00.001-04:00

This article is relevent to our own individual networking efforts. Imagine if the people in our lives were connected in this way, what we could do for our businesses!

Six degrees of separation is the theory that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries. The theory was first proposed in 1929 by the Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy in a short story called "Chains."

In the 1950's, Ithiel de Sola Pool (MIT) and Manfred Kochen (IBM) set out to prove the theory mathematically. Although they were able to phrase the question (given a set N of people, what is the probability that each member of N is connected to another member via k_1, k_2, k_3...k_n links?), after twenty years they were still unable to solve the problem to their own satisfaction. In 1967, American sociologist Stanley Milgram devised a new way to test the theory, which he called "the small-world problem." He randomly selected people in the mid-West to send packages to a stranger located in Massachusetts. The senders knew the recipient's name, occupation, and general location. They were instructed to send the package to a person they knew on a first-name basis who they thought was most likely, out of all their friends, to know the target personally. That person would do the same, and so on, until the package was personally delivered to its target recipient.

Although the participants expected the chain to include at least a hundred intermediaries, it only took (on average) between five and seven intermediaries to get each package delivered. Milgram's findings were published in Psychology Today and inspired the phrase "six degrees of separation." Playwright John Guare popularized the phrase when he chose it as the title for his 1990 play of the same name. Although Milgram's findings were discounted after it was discovered that he based his conclusion on a very small number of packages, six degrees of separation became an accepted notion in pop culture after Brett C. Tjaden published a computer game on the University of Virginia's Web site based on the small-world problem. Tjaden used the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) to document connections between different actors. Time Magazine called his site, The Oracle of Bacon at Virginia, one of the "Ten Best Web Sites of 1996."

In 2001, Duncan Watts, a professor at Columbia University, continued his own earlier research into the phenomenon and recreated Milgram's experiment on the Internet. Watts used an e-mail message as the "package" that needed to be delivered, and surprisingly, after reviewing the data collected by 48,000 senders and 19 targets (in 157 countries), Watts found that the average number of intermediaries was indeed, six. Watts' research, and the advent of the computer age, has opened up new areas of inquiry related to six degrees of separation in diverse areas of network theory such as as power grid analysis, disease transmission, graph theory, corporate communication, and computer circuitry.

Sales + Networking tips - medical billing news!

2009-05-12T15:24:00.002-04:00

Another very important skill in selling YOURSELF and your services is one that very few people who start their companies really understand. It is the ability to identify, recruit and leverage politically powerful people to influence buying decisions.
In many companies, most decisions are informed by the personal and business agendas of a few powerful and influential people, rather than a system whereby everybody involved gets an equal vote.
People who learn how to find the really powerful people within medical clinics, hospitals and other organisations, who really understand what those people are looking to gain out of an initiative, a project, or some type of a new business direction, and who can then appeal to their personal and business goals, are usually the ones who can turn buying decisions in their favour.

This is a pretty advanced selling capability. To consistently pull it off requires a lot of experience and plenty of insight into how organisations really work and how people think. Those who have figured out how to do this generally tend to win more business and grow at a significantly quick rate.

Small busines networking at work for you! Medical Billing News!

2009-05-09T09:21:00.002-04:00

Small business networking is a vital component of a prosperous solo business. However, there are many myths and misconceptions regarding solo or small business networking. The Medical Billing Business Start Up Manual at www.MedicalBillingFoundation.com cuts through all of those misconceptions. They offer a cutting edge and affective approach to market your business on many levels. Visit for more information.

You’ll find articles and opinions that clarify the role of networking, the secrets of effective and painless business networking, how networking can help banish feelings of work isolation and can create a stream of business referrals.

Whether business networking has you hiding under the desk or is something you actively embrace and practice, this section will help you and your business evolve and prosper.

Market yourself for CHEAP! Medical billing news!

2009-05-04T18:28:00.000-04:00

Probably the cheapest way of marketing is 'viral marketing' (word of mouth) so it is important to supply a good and consistent service to ensure that the viral marketing is a good one

Timely market research, will keep you updated on what the demands are for your product. It will let you know if you need to make any changes to your product or price to keep you one step ahead of your competitors

Use the best form of promotion for your product, which in most cases is not necessarily the obvious or the cheapest

Market research is best conducted with a pen, paper and your legs: plus, calling potential buyers for their views not only gets you market research but a great opportunity to make contacts - you will not get a better opportunity to pre-sell.

You are a sales person - GET USED TO IT! Medical Billing News!

2009-04-30T16:51:00.001-04:00

A great Sales Leader recognizes that knowledge is power and that his or her leverage in the marketplace is founded on the ability to know the business details of customers and prospects. Many salespeople will proudly boast of their ability to remember personal information about prospects such as hobbies, birthdays, and spouses' names, but they fail to recognize that it is more important to understand the business issues such as fine customers' market challenges, operational methods, and their decision-making processes.

You need to build a database that includes a separate record for each prospect and customer (database record, profile sheet, index card, or whatever system you use) to highlight both personal and business information, plus basic information, including name, company name, address, phone numbers, etc.

Database methodology must become a priority in your career. Your filing system should be updated daily and it should include prospects and customers hi the same physical location or computer file. Most importantly, you must use only one database method. I've seen salespeople create multiple databases, keeping business cards wrapped in rubber bands (eventually to be entered into the database when procrastination is overcome), while using a computer database for customers and a folder with prospect information written on beverage napkins. A system like this is doomed to create confusion and inefficiency. Thus, create one database that you update daily.

The three parts of a business announcement - medical billing news!

2009-04-20T08:33:00.002-04:00

When you have the opportunity to make an announcement or to give a quick commercial about what you do, you should always leave room for a question from the person that you are speaking with.
For example...
"My name is Bill and I assist private practitioners increase their cash flow and streamline their internal processes, improving their efficiency, overall."
This leaves room for the person to ask for more details...
"How do you accomplish this, Bill?"
"I am a professional medical billing business owner and we help reduce the health insurance rejection rate, which traditionally is quite high - over 40% - to less than ______ . We also file claims electronically which speeds up payment turn around time."
From there the conversation could go many ways, but YOUR point is to get an introduction to a doc or practice owner. Feel confident, dress professionally, attend networking events to get your name out there. And, stay local, especially at first. GOOD LUCK

Marketing electronically - medical billing news!

2009-04-16T14:18:00.002-04:00

There are several ways to market yourself in today's world of techonology.
It is so important to attempt to stand out above the rest AND to demonstrate that you are technologically savvy.
Why not try an email marketing campaign, where each time that you meet someone or present to a prospect you add them to a list and continuously "touch" these people so that should a business need open up, you are the first on their mind!
Try Constant Contact or Exact Target or SOC, which can be found at www.MedicalBillingFoundation.com.

GOOD LUCK and never forget the importance of that continuous prospecting touch.

Networking 101 - medical billing news

2009-04-10T14:36:00.004-04:00

How do you begin to inexpensively advertize your business beginning day one?
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK.
If you have taken the empowering, exciting adventure of starting your own business, letting people know that you exist can be a challenge.
The best thing to do is to network - join groups, whether online or otherwise and get your name OUT THERE!

Don't go alone--Networking is a contact sport and a team sport. Bring a colleague, friend, relative. Be a tag team. It would better if your tag team member knows at least one person at the event. You head directly to the one person you know and the the dance begins. Find out who they know and who you do not know or if they know the person you want to meet. If the person is one of the hosts of the event, then you are in luck because you can find out who is at this thing, how she knows them and then ask to be introduced. The key here is go to a hub of the event or create one by figuring out the connections of your connection! The deal you have with your tag team member is anyone who your team meets individually gets introduced to the other, and you find out who they know and the beat goes on.

TEN TIPS FOR MARKETING - medical billing news

2009-04-07T13:46:00.002-04:00

TOP TEN TIPS FOR NETWORKING

1. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.

2. Ask yourself what your goals are in participating in networking meetings so that you will pick groups that will help you get what you are looking for. Some meetings are based more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.

3. Visit as many groups as possible that spark your interest. Notice the tone and attitude of the group. Do the people sound supportive of one another? Does the leadership appear competent? Many groups will allow you to visit two times before joining.

4. Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.

5. Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how as opposed to those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.

6. Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them.

7. Have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others.

8. Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others may help you. Too often people in conversations ask, "How may I help you?" and no immediate answer comes to mind.

9. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.

10. Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.

Networking like Bill Gates - and medical billing

2009-04-05T11:19:00.001-04:00

It is said that Bill Gates’ rise to the top may have resulted from an act of networking. Apparently his mother sat on the same Board of Directors as an IBM president, and that contact led to IBM purchasing the MS DOS operating system from Bill. Think about that! As timeworn as the word networking is, it is through this process that approximately 65% to 80% of available jobs or opportunities are discovered. Networking opens the doors to the hidden job market, and if you’ve not learned this art, many opportunities may be passing you by.
Daisy Wright, Knowledge Level: All Levels, Keywords: networking

Networking is so critical - medical billing news

2009-04-02T17:02:00.000-04:00

Looking good naked - HUH. perhaps we could take this a step further by having naked networking? It would have numerous advantages:

Accelerated networking - you'd certainly get to know people quickly

There's no worrying about getting the dress code right

Your first impressions would not be based on material worth or the person's fashion sense

If you spill egg down your front you can just wipe it off

It could create business for local tanning salons

Email and YOU

2007-11-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

As a medical biller, communication is KEY.

One of the fastest, most effective and easiest way to do this is via email.
ESPECIALLY when networking your business.
Just be aware of your audience.

Email, as a version of communication, doesn't or SHOULDN'T provide you with a platform to "say things" that you wouldn't normally say while IN FRONT of the person.

ALWAYS remain professional in ALL of your communication.

Referrals in Medical Billing - The Naked Truth

2007-10-09T07:26:00.001-04:00

Medical Billing is a highly rewarding field.
ONCE you get some clients.

The challenge is getting to speak with private practice owners to market yourself and your company.

The BEST form of contact is an introduction or a referral. DON'T BE AFRAID to ask for one.

One true test of a brand is if one person recommends it to another. Referrals. Do you ask your clients and customers for referrals? Personally? How do you follow up on referrals? Do you ask your clients for their success stories and compliments along with permission to share them? These are far more believable than any slogan. What are you doing to capture this information? These opportunities are available each time you talk with a client.

Ask YOUR family, friends, business associates to keep their ears and eyes open. For more information on referral generating, visit www.MedicalBillingFoundation.com and click on Medical Billing Business Start Up Manual.

A Blueprint for Marketing Your Services

2007-08-21T12:37:00.000-04:00

A Blueprint For Marketing Services

It's been our experience that successfully marketing services hinges on the relationships-of-trust that are developed well before the prospective client has an actual need. While on the surface this may appear deceptively straightforward, implementing a business development process for nurturing and growing these important new business relationships is anything but simplistic.

When marketing services, new clients need to be continually identified and added to the pipeline. Unfortunately, the reality is that far too many firms lack a straightforward, simple-to-execute business development process that is easy to implement and execute.

The bottom line is that marketing services doesn't need to be some overly cumbersome process, and you don't need to reinvent the wheel each time you want to generate new clients. The solution is having a business development methodology in place. One that doesn't take an enormous amount of time to put into practice. A marketing system that can be used like the gas pedal on your car, to generate as many (or as few) new clients as you have the internal capabilities to absorb.

Networking - Watch Your Word-of-Mouth

2007-08-13T18:45:00.000-04:00

I found this article at the Entrepreneur site at http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/marketingideas.
The article is written by Ivan Misner; the creator of the networking group known as BNI (Business Networking International).
This gentleman is widely respected as an expert networker.

In most professions, networking is necessary - in my profession as a Medical Biller, it is an absolute MUST.
The trick is to get your name and your capabilities out in the marketplace.
Making certain that the message remains positive and clear is another challenge altogether!

Word-of-mouth marketing is always working; it just may not be working in your favor.
By Ivan Misner | July 26, 2007

By Ivan Misner
"Watch Your Word-of-Mouth"

You may be thinking: Since I'm not asking anybody to refer me, word-of-mouth marketing isn't something I need to concern myself with. If I provide good products or services and my customer service is up to par, I'll naturally get more customers by word-of-mouth. Why bother with plans and strategies? Why spend all that extra effort on getting referrals? I'm getting word-of-mouth every day, and it's not costing me any time or effort.

Yes, you're getting word-of-mouth every day. It just may not be the good kind. The message you're sending may be unclear or too vague. It may even be negative.

"Negative?" you may be asking. "But I have plenty of satisfied customers."

While you have lots of satisfied customers, they're not the ones doing the most talking. You may have 100 satisfied customers for every one customer who leaves your shop less than happy, but guess who talks loudest and longest? It's that demanding, unreasonable customer who thinks you're a lousy tailor because you wouldn't take care of her snarling, yapping cairn terrier while she went next door to the bakery ("Don't go to that tailor; he was so rude to me."). Or the customer who came in on the one day of the entire year you had to close early for an emergency ("That store? Why, it's never open.").

Negative word-of-mouth has legs. A study conducted in Texas revealed that the average dissatisfied customer gripes to 11 people about his experience, and these 11 in turn each tell five others. That's 66 or more horror stories about one unhappy trip to your store. Ask yourself if your average happy customer makes sure 66 people hear about your great service. Of course not. Would business be easier if they did? Of course, but they don't.

Also, passing on the gripe from a single dissatisfied customer to the next 55 takes some time, which means that the negative word-of-mouth feedback is "out there" a lot longer.

What's the lesson here? Good customer service is important because it reduces negative word-of-mouth. But by itself, good customer service won't generate enough positive word-of-mouth to build your business. So it's up to you as the business owner to ensure the positive counters the negative.

Even if you discount the occasional disgruntled ex-customer, your word-of-mouth may be so vague as to be useless: "Good tailor, eh? What does he do besides alterations? Does he do reweaving? You don't know?" Or it may be misleading: "Well, he has a full lineup of men's clothing, but I don't know whether he does custom tailoring or alterations. It may all be ready-to-wear."

Positive word-of-mouth that's inaccurate or aimed at the wrong target market may hurt your business as much as negative word-of-mouth. Suppose somebody gets the idea that you're in the trucking business when you're actually selling trucks. The aggravation of straightening out an honest misunderstanding may leave enough of a sour taste in the prospect's mouth to cost you future business and referrals.

The same is true if your business focus is on high quality but your source promotes you as a low-cost provider. It's important that your marketing message be conveyed accurately and realistically.

How do you keep up with the demands of running your business and making sure the word gets out about how wonderful your business is? Start small with your family and friends. It's amazing what a good word by a spouse or relative can do for your business in the right place and time. Branch out to your friends or members of organizations to which you belong. With family and friends, the key is ensuring they have up-to-date information and a thorough understanding of your company. Don't forget the vendors who provide products or services to your business. Remember that the IT consultant who helps with your server every other week will visit (and talk with) many clients in between.

Word-of-mouth is always working; it just may be working against you. If you don't have a strategic plan, then you're not in control of what's being said about you. And if you don't have a way to measure the results of your word-of-mouth marketing, then you have no idea if it's really working.

Top 10 Do's and Don'ts for an Effective Business Referral Network!

2007-08-08T09:09:00.000-04:00

I found this networking piece at www.webyodel.com/tips/effective_referrals.htm
This is a great top ten list to refer to concerning the DO'S and DON'T'S on networking!

Every business, particularly small, entrepreneurial or professional businesses, must have a powerful referral network. It is very unlikely (and terribly expensive) to "advertise your way to success." Without substancial capital, it can't be done. It is far more effective, and more fun, to create an effective network that increases your client base, supports your business, and makes you money.
Unfortunately, most professionals confuse effective networking with passing out business cards and schmoozing. They are NOT the same. Below are 10 tips for creating a network that will help you build your business.
1. DO: Be visible and well-liked! Know lots of people and be sure they know you.
2. DON'T: Inappropriately use acquaintances or membership lists to build your practice. People hate being put on the spot!
3. DO: Join and contribute to worthwhile groups and causes. You have to "put in" before you can "take out." Be known as a generous person with a lot to give.
4. DON'T: Grab the spotlight or Chair every committee. Don't turn down positions of leadership or responsibility, but don't be pushy either. Let people discover you!
5. DO: Show up! Whatever your current circle of friends and relationships, this week go someplace else! Continue to add new circles of influence and expand the range of your interests and involvements. Keep growing the circle!
6. DON'T: Expect colleagues with similar expertise to be referral sources. They have their own businesses and are unlikely to share clients with you. Be realistic.
7. DO: Reach beyond your profession for business connections. Look to business owners, salespeople, educators, and managers. Anyone who connects with many people and who does not compete with you is a potential partner.
8. DON'T: Rush into business relationships. Have lunch, get acquainted, but never push a business card or brochure on anyone. Conveniently "forget" collateral at the office, and send a thoughtful follow-up note with the material a couple days later.
9. DO: Make sure your business connections run both ways. Referring clients must make business sense to both sides. Make sure your work provides increased income, more convenience, better outcomes, or other benefits for your referral sources. This is only fair.
10. DON'T: Panic or try to rush. Most successful practices only need 3-10 great referral sources. Select and cultivate them wisely and patiently. It pays huge dividends!

As a Professional Medical Biller, I am constantly looking for ways to expand my sphere of influence, which offers opportunities to talk about my business to more and more people - whether they relate to my industry or not.
You should do the same. An excellent resource which teaches you the basics in networking is The Medical Business Start Up Manual which can be purchased and immediately downloaded at www.MedicalBillingFoundation.com.

Medical Billing - Who Do You Know? And Who Do They Know?

2007-08-03T09:20:00.001-04:00

One thing that I've learned as a Professional Medical Biller is that networking is so very important.
It can be quite challenging to attempt to get appointments with private practice owners by simply cold calling.

It is important to either stay (or become more) involved in your community to meet as many people as possible, so that you can talk up your business. Be open minded! Deciding NOT to business network with someone COMPLETELY different than your profession could be a poor decision.

Instead of thinking that an owner of a sprinkler company OR a CFO of a large company couldn't possibly have anything to do with the medical billing business...

Well, technically, you're probably right! BUT....perhaps THEY have a first cousin who happens to be a doctor or other private practice owner... MAYBE they became rather friendly with a sprinkler client who happens to be a top neuro-surgeon.

The point? NEVER JUDGE YOUR AUDIENCE.

The choice is yours to either stay a million steps from ONE dollar OR to get yourself ONE step away from a million dollars!!!
You never know!

Think you're a good networker? Make sure you're not making 1 of these 3 big blunders!

2007-07-24T15:07:00.000-04:00

I found this article published by Ivan Misner.
He gives great networking tips on what NOT to do - or networking faux pas...
As a professional Medical Biller, it is iimportant to network - but for many, to LEARN HOW to network.
For more about this article, visit www.entrepreneur.com

Ivan Misner: Networking
Networking Faux Pas
Think you're a good networker? Make sure you're not making 1 of these 3 big blunders.
By Ivan Misner | March 28, 2007

Recent Articles
By Ivan Misner
Speed Networking and Beyond
Why Introverts Can Be Great Networkers
Debunking the Six Degrees of Separation
Networking Faux Pas
The Key to Networking
See all articles »
After two decades of running the world’s largest networking organization, I've certainly seen a lot of networking faux pas. I’ve put together a few of the most glaring blunders in networking etiquette I’ve seen over the years that you should avoid.

Faux Pas #1: Not responding quickly to referral partners
This one really troubles me. I can't imagine getting a call from a networking partner and not responding immediately, but unfortunately, this seems to happen with some regularity. Not long ago, someone I know had a referral to give a gentleman in his networking group. He called the associate and left a message at his office as soon as he knew the referral was viable. A day went by without a return call, so he called again, saying it was important to connect.

He was finally able to speak to his networking associate at their next meeting. He asked him why he didn't return his call and the associate said, "If I knew you had a referral for me, I would've called you back immediately." He still gave the referral at the meeting, and, to no one's surprise, the person referred ended up working with another vendor because no one got back to him in a timely manner.

Treating each of your networking partners as one of your best clients is critical. Return phone calls from them immediately, as it speaks to your credibility and reliability as a professional.

There are countless examples of people receiving referrals at networking groups and then contacting the referral a few days later. The old phrase, "If you snooze, you lose," is apropos here. If the referral knows you had her name and number on Monday and took your time calling, that sends a negative message about your business.

Faux Pas #2:Confusing networking with direct selling
One of my company's directors struck up a conversation with a woman business owner at a networking function. When the business owner asked our director what she did, she said she helps owners build their businesses through networking and referrals. The business owner smiled and said, "I’m really good at networking. I’ve been doing it for a long, long time."

Curious, our director asked her, "So what’s your secret?" She stood up straight and said, "Well, a friend and I enter a room together. We imagine drawing a line down the middle. She takes the left side; I take the right side. We agree to meet at a certain time to see who collected the most cards. The loser buys the other one lunch."

The director curiously inquired, "So what do you do with all those cards?" Again, proudly, the business owner said, "I enter them into my distribution list and begin to send them information about my services. Since I have all their information, they’re all good prospects, right?"

This is a classic example of an entrepreneur not understanding that networking isn't about simply gathering contact information and following up on it later. That's nothing more than glorified cold calling. It gives me the chills. I used to teach cold calling techniques to business people. And I did it enough to know that I didn’t want to ever do it again. I've devoted my entire professional life to teaching the business community that there's a better way to build long-term business.

Faux Pas #3: Abusing the relationship
There are many ways I’ve seen networking partners abuse relationships, but the following story is one of the most glaring examples.

A woman I know was invited to attend a 50th birthday party of an associate who used to belong to a networking group in which she also participated. They once had a long-term working relationship, and, out of respect, she decided to attend. When she got to the door, she looked through the window and noticed people were arranged in a semicircle, listening to a presenter in front of an easel board. When she stepped in, it was very obvious the partygoers were being recruited for a business opportunity. As resentful as the woman felt, she and other mutual friends found it difficult to remove themselves from the "birthday party," despite the fact that the only refreshment being served was the company’s diet shake!

Never mislead your networking partners. For that matter, never mislead anyone. Trust is everything when you're talking about relationship networking. Inviting people to a "birthday party" that turns out to be a business opportunity pitch isn't being honest with the very people with whom you want to build a trusting relationship.

All these faux pas directly relate to good people skills. The prevailing theme of all three is to treat your referral partners and potential referral partners with professionalism and care. Use networking opportunities to meet people and begin the process of developing a genuine relationship and treat your referral partner like you would a top client. Lastly, always network in a way that builds credibility and trust--be candid in telling your referral partners what you need and what you’re asking of them. Do these things and you’ll avoid some serious mistakes in relationship networking.

How Networking Can Make You Feel "NAKED"

2007-07-13T10:18:00.002-04:00

When I began my business as a professional medical biller, I realized quickly that networking was very much a necessity! This made me incredibly nervous. If asked to speak to prospects about the services that I offered, I was dead-on in every appointment! Prospecting over the phone was also a strength of mine. A skill that I found challenging was standing up and speaking about my business in front of a networking group. There are many networking groups out there - I happen to be a member of a few; BNI, a Professional Services Networking Group AND a Women's Success Netoworking Group.

Upon joining, I would spend 10 minutes or so each week before my meetings writing out what I planned on highlighting about my business during my networking meeting. This helped me tremendously. It forced me to refer to an index card instead of glancing around at all of the staring eyes in the room. Basically, it made me LESS nervous, feeling LESS "Naked".

If you are learning how to network your Medical Billing Firm, I recommend that you speak with or at least visit some expert sites. I found THE BEST resources to be;
www.BNI.com
www.koolse.com
www.medicalbillingfoundation.com
www.directmatches.com
www.gobignetwork.com

These are just a few and you can search for more...

Naked Networking - Women Work Wonders!

2007-07-09T10:52:00.000-04:00

This small blurb comes from the site www.networkingwww.com which is a women-based networking group and consulting service. They speak about the importance of networking - the benefits, the risks and of course, the rewards. The "WWW" stands for Women Work Wonders. Put it all together and you get Networking Women Work Wonders. Granted, their contact information is from overseas, but I found this little blurb had no international boundries in it's message. Take a look at their site for yourself!

Naked Networking: We all know networking has brought great successes to business – that’s why we do it

For those new to networking or not enjoying events. These are the skills for meeting strangers & it can be fun! If you are in business it is paramount to make sure you are the best networker you can be.

Stand and Deliver: Sounds easy? Often it doesn't work like that. Presenting our business can create not only a good or bad impression but maximises the opportunities for your business. From the one minute stand up to the full script doesn't it make sense to be as dynamic as you can be? There are techniques and strategies to best present your business and get your message across and reduce those uncomfortable feelings and dreaded thoughts - You can even enjoy the experience.

(Naked) Networking - Medical Billing

2007-07-04T08:15:00.000-04:00

Naked Networking - An Actual Book??

2007-07-03T10:48:00.000-04:00

Wow - an actual reference guide to Naked Networking!
Now, WE coined this phrase as a Medical Billing term and necessary task.
I will be interested to learn more about this publication and how we can wrap it's concept back into our Medical Billing Industry.
Take a look:

Naked Networking is part of a series of books written by Howard Barefoot in collaboration with other writers.
Naked Networking was written by Joel Virtue and Jean Peterson with Howard Barefoot, MBA.

Naked Networking is part of the Naked Business series. The Naked Business series is designed to help businesses succeed by asking the tough questions that many businesses fail to ask. The goal is to invite introspection, because that is often the first thing business owners fail to do when they are neck deep in running a business.

Naked Networking is part workbook, part helpful insights into how business owners can best utilize the power of networking on behalf of their business. The book leads business owners through a series of questions designed to help them analyze their own networking practices. Throughout the book, readers will find useful information and helpful hints.

Naked Networking is meant to be a quick read, not a comprehensive guide to networking. The book is packed with a lot of information and questions purposefully designed to produce results. Business owners will walk away with ways to see results when they network.

Naked Networking will be available for sale soon.

To learn more about this illustration and MORE, visit www.MedicalBillingFoundation.com

Medical Billing - Naked Networking

2007-06-29T10:43:00.000-04:00

IT WORKS, IT WORKS, IT WORKS! I practiced this method at my son's audiologist appointment yesterday. NOW, this audiologist happens to be an "employee" at an offsite location owned and opperated by a hospital HOWEVER, the audiologist gave me a referral to her own physical therapist! The PT is a single practitioner MORE THAN LIKELY doing her own billing. PERFECT referral for me!! Ask... and ye shall receive!

2007-06-27T11:38:00.000-04:00

As a Medical Billing Professional, getting in front of practice owners and health care professionals is the biggest hurdle that I face in this rewarding industry! I have spent countless hours on the phones, smiling and dialing - basically cold calling - until I could not take another "We're all set with that" type of rejection. No matter how much my heart was in it, my dialing smile would ultimately fade! As a biller, I KNEW that I would make an immediate, positive impact to a practice owner's processes, cash flow, and back-logged medical claims, BUT getting to see the decision maker to PROVE my point was a discouraging reality! SO, I vented my feelings of defeat with a medical billing coleague. She was experiencing similar agravations and between the two of us, we decided to run a test. We know that networking is so important in getting your name and abilities out there in the health care market. BUT, in both of our personal and previous professional life-styles, we seldom had the opportunity to socialize, network or rub elbows with healthcare professionals and practice owners! Why couldn't we make various doctor's appointments for ourselves and our family members to get the chance to sit LIVE with our own doctors and providers? As a matter of fact, I knew that there were exams and tests that I was due or OVERdue for, so off I went; making doctors appointments with my primary care physician, chiropractor, allergist, dermatologist, OB-gyn, audiologist, physical therapist, surgeon, etc. I also made appointments with my various children's healthcare providers. This was my ONE shot to sit down with these healthcare professionals to sell my capabilities and MYSELF! I was totally determined to earn billing clients, so this was a perfect way to speak with the doctors that have cared for me and my family. What did I coin this??? "Naked Networking"! Next time that you find yourself in front of your own doctor - most likely in your "all-in-all" - take the risk! ASK THE QUESTION, "How do you manage running this practice, managing the staff that you have, AND filing your medical claims ON TIME?" I promise you that you WILL be pleasantly suprised with their response! BUT, no matter what their answer, TELL THEM WHAT YOU DO and ask for a more appropriate appointment to sit with him or her. You will "high-five" yourself all the way home! Get in all the "Naked Networking" that you can!