I like to think of myself as a runner. Well, more of a jogger really.

If you ask my family, they’ll tell you I’m so slow that it can’t really be called running. 

But none of that really matters when I cross the finish line of a hard-fought half marathon. There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of running in a race after a season of training. (To learn more about running and referral networks, check out this article here.)

But these days, training looks a bit different. 

Life has different seasons and this season I find myself running a different type of race where the training program includes doctors’ appointments, treatment plans, and IVs. Instead of running miles, I walk to the mailbox or the stop sign and making it around the block is a big freaking deal. 

Even though the training looks a bit different, the process is still the same.

There will be good days and bad days. In the beginning, there are a lot of bad days, but the good days will eventually start to outnumber the bad days. 

Celebrate the wins, even the small ones. 

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Good things take time to build. 

Crawl before you walk. Walk before you run. Jog before you sprint. 

What in the world does all this have to do with your practice?

There are a lot of you reading this article right now who want a successful referral network program.

But you’re sitting on the fence waiting to get started. 

You know it’s going to require doing some things differently in your practice, learning some new skills, disrupting the status quo. 

It takes time. It takes focus. It takes energy.

And mostly, once you’ve run, no one wants to go back to crawling. 

But some seasons, crawling is what’s required to run again and run faster and better than before. 

Maybe you just don’t know exactly where to start. Or your team needs the skills and resources to get up and running. 

Having helped dozens of practices build elite referral network programs, I know exactly where to start and how to arm your practice with the resources and training your team needs to be successful. 

So, if you’ve been putting off starting your referral network program or hiring a physician liaison, let this be the season to try something new.

Reach out today.There’s nothing more rewarding than crossing the finish line with a new referral and patient relationship for your practice.