I was chatting with my photographer and friend Dana Rogers a few weeks ago when she mentioned her networking and referral organization, The Referral Partnership, in Boulder, Colorado. The story she shared about a group of entrepreneurs thinking outside the box to insure their own needs and professional interests were met was inspiring.
All too often mental health professionals stepping out into private practice think that there’s only “one right way” to network, market, and get clients. The truth is that there are at least as many right ways to build a business as there are psychotherapists. That’s why it’s so important that your own plan to grow your business reflects your unique talents, interests, and skill sets. And, that’s exactly why I’ve invited Dana, as a founding member of The Referral Partnership, to share this journey with you – so that you, too, can build alliances to create the type of networking that best serves your private practice.
(If you are interested in writing a guest post, check out the guidelines here.)
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A Guest Post by Dana Rogers
The Inspiration
When I first launched my business, a very well-known referral organization was pitching local business owners to start a new chapter.
Overall, the idea seemed sound – hook up people you know with fellow chapter members whom they can trust. With only one professional per business category, there would be no competition within the group. At the time, I was very eager to have some marketing help.
In visiting one of the neighboring chapters of this organization, I was pretty impressed by its efficiency and seriousness. But some aspects of the meetings did not appeal to me. I noticed that people didn’t seem to be having any fun or laugh during the meetings and there was intense pressure to join “on the spot.” I was uncomfortable.
The Home Team
Back at home, our “seed” team was facing hurdles attracting members. For one, the fees to the national organization seemed steep. Where was all that money going to go? Secondly, the national organization set down strict rules for very frequent attendance and referrals.
Like me, our friends were interested, but were put off by such a sudden, large commitment. “Too much money and too much time.” We heard these reasons over again as everyone we knew turned us down. Hmpf.
Fortunately, the entrepreneurial spirit that inspired us to start our own businesses struck again. We decided to honor the concerns of our potential members and make our own rules. In a quick pivot, we adopted the best-fitting elements of the big referral organization and changed the rest.
Reinvention
Here are some of the guidelines we built into our spin-off networking group.
- We didn’t want our money to leave the community. As an independent group, we could charge lower dues making it possible for many more businesses to join. And, we could also serve a darn good breakfast.
- With our own small businesses to run, we had to decide upon an attendance policy that seemed doable for us. Here we opted to make attendance mandatory for half of our weekly meetings. (Most members attend more frequently because we enjoy each other’s company and learn something new each week.)
- We appreciate that its critical to know, like and trust the people in order to refer them. So, to supplement regular group meetings, we ask members to have one-to-one meetings with each member twice each year.
Post-Reinvention
With these guidelines outlined, suddenly we had a game plan! Our friends came back, became interested, and joined. After almost five years, we have a solid group that has “passed” well over $1 million in referrals.
As the group has evolved, we have filled in the administrative holes with policies and additional guidelines to keep the overall approach. The group has worked out very well for us. We strive to give more to others that we give back. Also, we have made good friends over the years. Many of our members are long-timers. Former members stay in touch and come to our parties, which just keep getting better.
There are definitely some drawbacks to our model. We do not achieve the extraordinary annual dollar amounts passed that nationally-affiliated groups have. But, with the other benefits we receive, this still feels worth it.
If you don’t fit into the national referral organization’s environment, but are seeking
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a long-term addition to your marketing mix,
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camaraderie with great people,
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good ideas for your business,
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practice networking and presenting, as well as
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revenue-generating referrals,
you might think of starting your own group from the bottom up.
Adopt guidelines you feel comfortable with and go from there. Your favorite people are likely to share your values, making it possible to find a happy medium on many of the “rules.”
Have you started your own networking and referral group? Thinking about starting your own? Let me know if you’ve got any questions!
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Dana Rogers, a former marketing professional, is a photographer 
headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Her photography practice emphasizes authenticity, creativity, and fun. Please visit http://www.DanaRogersPhotography.com to view her work. To learn more about The Referral Partnership, visit http://www.TheReferralPartnership.com .
Dana, I love your referral idea for the Partnership group. I took a stroll through the website and noticed there were no therapists/counselors in the group.
I am curious if any therapists have asked to join? Has the group tried to recruit therapists to become a member of TRP?
The reason I ask is because of the code of ethics with concerns of confidentiality and privacy. I can’t say to you, “Hey Dana, I have a referral for you for a person who needs a photo for a business brochure.” Even if I protect the name of my referral, which will most likely be a client, it is still too risky. I can refer friends, family and colleagues which is a smaller circle.
Anyway, TRP sounds like a leads group. I have been a member of a leads group and found the pressure to share names of potential referrals put me off. I welcome ideas on how to form a referral group which honors the need for confidentiality. Another aspect is the perceived power differential between client and therapist. We need to be respectfully cautious about how we advise our clients.
Maybe it’s just me … and I a overly cautious or narrow. I am wondering if other therapists have similar experiences?
Brenda, I’m not particularly a fan of leads groups – lots of pressure and lots of money with little return on investment for most therapists. However, I love Dana’s twist on a networking and referral group. I have been involved in similar groups in the past. I can’t speak for Dana’s group but in my own experience, I’ve participated in groups that formed very close and trusting relationships with members who cross-refer and have had each others business interests at heart.
What that has looked like in application is that I have encouraged clients that I refer to group members to tell them where the referral came from and asked group members to routinely ask where new clients heard about their services / products. Thus, any conversation about my work with a client is between my client and the other business person – and I’m out of the loop completely.
Additionally, when I talk to entrepreneurs about building reciprocal referring relationships, I spend a good deal of time helping them see the many ways that they can support and the many things that they can do for a colleague (often much more valuable than referring a single a client) to “build their bank account” with that individual. It’s entirely likely that someone in a networking and referral group may need a better quality printer than the one that currently does their print work or, s/he would like an introduction to your local police chief or would benefit from reading the book you are currently reading.
That’s how I work in a networking and referral group. While the rules in a leads group may be rigid, if you are forming your own group like Dana has done, you and the founding members can create a culture that is more conducive to your own business’ needs.