I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.

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When building a profitable practice, networking will help open doors. To be a more effective networker, you need to develop the skills. We live in an interconnected world with the internet. People from all over the globe can send you a message and get in instant contact with you. Because of this, it seems that traditional networking has gone by the wayside. However, nothing could be further from the truth. You should learn to network online and in-person. Here’s why.

Social media is an excellent avenue for people to exchange ideas and meet new contacts, but it will never have the same power as a face-to-face meeting with someone.

Communication is at its strongest when two people can see each other. People learn more about others in a few seconds of in-person contact than they ever could with a strictly online platform.

Another point to remember is that online people may not be who they say they are. Think about how easy it is to create an online persona. People are capable of being anyone they want to be online. That means the connections you make could be phony, which won’t help you. Networking is about engaging with others, and a certain give-and-take involved in the exchange.

Online connections do have their place though.

They could be a great starting point in the networking hierarchy of events. They can be a great way to hook up with people who never would have using traditional means. However, as specified, you need to take the exchange further and try to arrange an in-person meeting.

The contact gives people confirmation that the people you’re connected with are real. It’s the reason people often use the phrase, “It’s nice to put a face with the name.” If you don’t believe that in person meet-ups are important, ask yourself how many online-only connections have become your friends. It’s likely to be a small number and even more likely to be none.

While you won’t become friends with everyone you meet face-to-face, the number will most likely be larger than online-only connections. It’s not practical to meet face-to-face with every person you connect with online. Some people live far from you. However, people should not treat the internet as the only way to connect with others. It’s imperative to learn to network online and in-person.

A great way to use the internet for networking is to use websites like linkedin.com and meetup.com. You can find people who have similar interests to your own and attend meetings. You can even create meetups yourself if a group doesn’t currently exist online.

There’s no magic formula for networking, although some techniques may work better than others. Using face-to-face connections is one technique that will yield better results than a purely online strategy.

I am Dr. Hassan, Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own independent practice so that they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/guide to pick up the free guide to help you determine the best business entity for your new practice.

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Do you have a networking event coming up? Check out our blog here for tips on how to make it a success.

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Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com