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Networking tips for medical billing companies

Discover proven networking strategies to grow your medical billing company’s client base, build industry connections, and generate valuable referrals.

Medical billers exchange a high-five while engaging in networking for medical billing companies

At a Glance

  • Effective networking in medical billing requires developing a clear ideal customer profile (ICP) and leveraging various opportunities including local associations, industry conferences, and partnerships with other billing companies.
  • Success in networking comes from providing value first through relationship-building, offering educational resources, and maintaining consistent follow-up rather than focusing solely on sales.
  • Online platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook groups, and industry forums can significantly expand your reach, but require active engagement and strategic content-sharing to build credibility and generate referrals.

In a competitive landscape, sharp networking skills can be an invaluable tool for solidifying industry connections and building your client base as a medical billing company. In turn, all the above can translate to sustainable growth and long-term success. Ahead, we explore a few strategic networking tips for medical billing professionals. 

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Why networking is crucial in medical billing

While networking can do some pretty heavy lifting to help the new kid on the block build visibility and credibility among decision-makers in the field, the benefits of networking do not end there. 

For those a little deeper in the weeds, networking can help medical billing professionals stay abreast of industry news and serve as a valuable resource for updates on coding and billing regulations. 

For medical billers, networking is a proven avenue for help with resolving complex billing issues and sharing ideas and best practices. It can also be a strong tool to generate referrals and create partnerships for sustained business growth.

Tebra gives billing companies the tools to systematize workflows and create efficiencies that bring speed to payment, scalable growth, and maximized revenue — for you and your clients. Schedule a demo today.

Developing an ideal customer profile (ICP)

Before diving into some tips and best practices of networking, it’s important first to understand who you’re talking to and who you want to connect with — or your ideal customer profile (ICP).

Taking the time to define your ideal customer profile ensures your marketing efforts are specific, focused, and productive.

Defining your ICP requires thoughtful consideration of your potential customers’ qualities, demographics, services they need, decision-makers to target, and an evaluation of what you can offer. Taking the time to do so ensures your marketing efforts are specific, focused, and productive. 

Types of networking opportunities

Fortunately, there are many types of networking opportunities available.

Local medical billing associations

Memberships to associations relevant to your niche or location can grant you access to unprecedented networking opportunities, usually in the form of local meet-ups, seminars, or chapter meetings. Beyond coordinated events and educational opportunities, professional associations — like the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) — may offer members 24/7 access to live and web-based networking communities. 

The American Medical Billing Association also states that one of its main focuses is providing networking and information-sharing opportunities among its members. 

Industry conferences

Medical billing industry conferences can kill 2 birds with 1 stone — they offer excellent opportunities to network and get face-to-face with potential clients. To really capitalize on industry conferences, focus on events tailored to specific medical specialties you serve and those that align with your ICP. 

Networking with billing companies of other specialties

Day to day, you're likely to cross paths with other medical billers or billing companies. Don't be afraid to leverage these partnerships and cultivate relationships here. Friendly chats on the phone can go a long way, and if you're feeling extra bold, invites for coffee work well, too. 

“Billing companies have a giant missed opportunity by not networking with other billing companies," says Jonathan Garth, former sales engineer at Tebra. "A lot of billing companies specialize in 1 or 2 types of billing. If you only bill for anesthesia, start networking with billing companies that don’t. When a practice comes to them asking if they do anesthesia billing, they will say, ‘I don’t, but I know someone who does.’ Billing companies often view each other as competition, when they’re really not.”

Billing companies often view each other as competition, when they’re really not.
Jonathan Garth, former sales engineer at Tebra

To expand your reach, consider networking with billing companies of other specialties. This increases cross-referrals and helps develop a broader network of healthcare professionals who can recommend your services.

Leverage online tools 

Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook can offer powerful networking opportunities — you just have to understand each platform for what it is and how to best capitalize on it. By establishing a strong online presence, you can enhance both your credibility and visibility among healthcare professionals and decision-makers.

  • LinkedIn: Engage with decision-makers in your field and post industry-relevant content consistently. 
  • Facebook: Join industry groups, participate in discussions, and share valuable content whenever possible. Opt for Facebook groups that focus on specific specialties or general medical billing. 

While social media has largely taken over as our primary means of socializing and sharing information, forums are alive and well across the internet. Forums allow you to get deep in the weeds in your area of interest — in this case, medical billing. Look for forums that focus on your specialty, or opt for a forum on general medical billing. 

If you're not sure where to find social media groups or forums, the AAPC shares links to its community forum on its website, and the American Medical Billing Association shares links to its Facebook group. Both of these may be good jumping-off points.  

Pro tips for leveraging social media and forums: 

  • Mine the comment sections, which are loaded with gems of information that often slip through the cracks. 
  • Engage consistently with posts and posters — this is how you make the connections you seek. 
Medical Billing Benchmark Report

Practical networking tips

Networking can be invaluable for generating referrals and building partnerships for sustained business growth. But it is an art form of sorts, and when not done right, your efforts will most likely be for naught. Doing it right means crafting a compelling elevator pitch that highlights your unique value to customers and consistently following up to nurture the connections you make. 

Craft a compelling elevator pitch 

Networking events move quickly, and there's usually a lot of ground to cover, so making your time work for you is important. This is where your elevator pitch comes in. Essentially, this is a short speech where you start a conversation, introduce yourself, and give potential clients a solid idea of what you can offer. 

Elevator pitches should only last about 30 to 60 seconds. That's not a lot of time, so being succinct is important. Be sure to cover who you are, your skillset, experience, and expertise. 

Provide value first

While your ultimate goal in networking is to build your business, it must be a 2-way street. Ideally, your approach should be building relationships based on a desire to help others (i.e., offering advice and assistance) rather than just endlessly selling your services. The idea is to grow and nurture relationships and let business opportunities develop more organically.  

While your ultimate goal in networking is to build your business, it must be a 2-way street.

Another effective way to network is by offering speakers for continuing education unit (CEU) meetings and other educational opportunities, as well as sponsoring local coding and billing chapters. One idea is to offer sponsoring a meeting's coffee and snacks for a month — which is a great way to gain exposure and also meet other professionals. Additionally, you can find annual billing conferences or workshops that could use support.

Follow up consistently 

Local meet-ups and conferences are brief and infrequent, and the internet is a big place, so your networking efforts will only be as good as your follow-up. If you've taken the time to establish connections, be sure to nurture them. 

When following up, be sure to share resources, include updates about your services, and explore ways to collaborate. The more you nurture and deepen these connections, the more likely you are to see the fruits of your labor (i.e., referrals and business growth). 

Common networking pitfalls to avoid

Avoid these common pitfalls to maximize your success.

Not having a clear target audience or ICP

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in networking is participating in networking events, social media discussions, or online forums without a clear idea of your target audience or ideal customer profile (ICP). Without clarity on who you want to connect with, your networking efforts will likely be fruitless. 

Focusing on sales rather than relationship-building

Networking isn’t about short-term gains. It’s about keeping a long-term perspective, providing value first, and building trust and rapport. 

Missing opportunities for cross-referrals 

While networking within your specialty can afford opportunities for learning and support for complex billing issues, networking outside of your specialty can yield cross-referrals and opportunities for sustained growth. So, don’t forget to collaborate with complementary billing specialists or service providers who serve a similar non-competing audience. 

Keys to success

By defining ICPs, actively participating in industry events, and cultivating meaningful relationships, you can maximize networking efforts and achieve sustainable growth for your medical billing company. The keys to your success are focusing on deeper connections, providing value first, and investing in strategic partnerships. 

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Sharon Brandwein, Freelance healthcare writer

Sharon Brandwein, CSSC, is a certified sleep science coach and a freelance writer. She specializes in health, parenting, and all things sleep. In her work on independent healthcare practices, she focuses on helping providers with their messages and resources, which ultimately benefits patients. She believes that independent practices are likely to be more responsive to patients’ needs, ultimately boosting care. Her work has appeared on ABC News, USA Today, Parents, and Forbes.

Reviewed by

Terri Joy

Terri Joy, BSHCA, MBA, CPC-1, is an expert with over 25 years of experience in physician coding, billing compliance, and revenue cycle management (RCM). She is currently a consultant providing a variety of physician coding, compliance, and RCM services. Terri Joy is also a technical editor at AAPC. Over her career, she has worked with 4 major university faculty practices and is the author of E&M Coding Clear and Simple (F.A. David, 2013).

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