NEWS FLASH
California Publication Features Certified Legal Nurse ConsultantsCM
and Vickie
A recent article, "Consultants Bridge Medical-Legal Gap," appeared in The Modesto Bee. This California daily newspaper interviewed Vickie and three successful CLNC®s for a story on this "attractive career change" for nurses. CLNC®s talked with the reporter about how "The investigative aspect of legal nurse consulting appeals to many nurses." Each nurse briefly described why she became a CLNC®.
Readers learned that, "By helping the legal system understand complex language and protocol of the medical universe, nurse consultants can help deter abuse and fraud, and hold negligent doctors or nurses accountable."
Vickie is quoted, "I always tell them they have skills no one else on the planet has. Consulting gives many nurses the satisfying career they want."
BEST PRACTICES FOR MARKETING
11 News Release Strategies for Getting Your Name in Print
by Evie Baron-Hernandez
EDITOR'S NOTE: Those serious about building relationships with the media are encouraged to read my article "Invite the Media to Tell Your Story" in Legal Nurse Consulting Ezine, Vol. 15, No. 3, published February 6, 2004.
News releases are one of the most common and effective media relations tools. They are a great way for Certified Legal Nurse ConsultantsCM (CLNC®s) to draw attention to their business without appearing too "salesy." You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking the time to write a news release about your company and distribute it to the media in your area. When used effectively, a news release can result in a newspaper, radio or TV story about your company. Here are some guidelines to get you started:
Be concise. Your news release should be double-spaced with one-inch margins. It should be no longer than two pages. (One page is ideal.)
Include your name, phone number and email address in the top left or right corner of the first page so the reporter or editor can contact you with questions.
Write in "inverted pyramid" style with the most important information at the top and the least compelling information at the bottom. Your opening sentence is critical. It has to be interesting enough to catch the reporter’s attention and make the reporter want to read the rest of the release.
Be sure to include timely and relevant information that will intrigue the reporter. Review articles or news items in your target media for ideas on appropriate style and content.
Make sure your release is newsworthy. The start-up of your CLNC® practice may be exciting to you, but you have to find a way to make it appealing to a busy reporter. Potential topics for your news release include:
"New Consulting Firm Helps Lawyers Win Cases" (about the launch of your CLNC® practice).
"Local Nurse Serves the Community Through Legal Nurse Consulting" (about your career transition from nursing to legal nurse consulting).
"Nurse Charts New Career and Makes a Difference" (about the launch of your specialized new career as a CLNC®).
"Nurse Certified as Legal Nurse Consultant Helps Attorneys Win Cases" (about your becoming certified as a CLNC®).
Consider your company, your personal and professional accomplishments as an RN and as a CLNC®, your community and other factors unique to your situation when developing your news release.
Remember, this is a news release – not an advertisement. Avoid words and phrases that sound too commercial, such as "unique," "incredible" or "breakthrough."
Triple-check every word for accuracy, especially names, phone numbers and other details. Read your release out loud to make certain it flows nicely. Always have a second pair of eyes review your release before sending it out.
Include a professional photograph (head and shoulders only) of yourself. This will increase the chances of the release being used.
When you follow up a few days after sending your release, begin your call with the most interesting aspect of your story. If the reporter shows interest, be prepared to keep going. If the reporter does not seem familiar with your release, offer to resend it. Wait several days after resending before following up again.
Always be polite and considerate of the reporter’s time. A good way to begin a conversation is to ask if the reporter is on deadline. This indicates that you understand the media and are respectful of deadlines. Being perceived as a pest is a sure way NOT to get your news release published.
You’ll find additional resources for developing news releases on the Internet. An online search at www.google.com on "writing a news release" brings up a wealth of valuable resources on the topic, such as www.PublicityHound.com.
Crafting an effective news release may take some time, but your effort will certainly be rewarded if a news story on your company is published. Take the time to do your news release right, make it accurate and newsworthy, follow up effectively and you and thousands of attorneys could be reading about your CLNC® practice in the newspaper.
Evie Baron-Hernandez has more than 18 years of experience in sales and customer service. Since 1986, she has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs on sales and marketing techniques. Evie is the CLNC® marketing mentor at the Vickie Milazzo Institute.
BEST PRACTICES FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Fly into the Danger Zone to Take Your CLNC® Career to New Heights
by Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, CLNC
What keeps you from being successful? What keeps you from moving your CLNC® practice to the next level? As Zig Ziglar states, "We are designed for accomplishment and engineered for greatness." So what keeps us from achieving that greatness?
Many factors can contribute to stagnation or lack of growth in your CLNC® practice:
Fear of the unknown.
Lack of focus.
Procrastination.
Self-doubt.
Fear of failure.
These barriers form a danger zone each of us must pass through on our way to success. By recognizing what keeps you from achieving the greatness you were designed to achieve, you can begin overcoming the barriers that hold you back. Do any of the following occupy your personal danger zone?
Fear of the unknown. For many of us, one of the greatest obstacles to success is fear of the unknown. Remember, "all things are difficult before they become easy." The first time you do anything will be the most difficult. Calling attorneys may seem impossible, but think back to the first IV you started. Do you remember being nervous? But with practice, it became second nature and you mastered the skill with excellence. Working in the consulting arena as a CLNC® is no different. With every challenge, every fear you face, you become stronger and draw closer to the greatness you were designed for.
Lack of focus. Imagine grabbing a bow and arrow, closing your eyes and shooting. What are you trying to hit? You really don’t know. Lack of focus is exactly like trying to hit a target you can’t see. To become successful or achieve greater success, you must have a defined plan of action based on clearly defined goals.
How do you create your plan? First, write your goals on a piece of paper. One suggestion is to jot them on a Post-It® note and place that note wherever you will see it – on the bathroom mirror, on your computer, etc.
Next, for each goal, set a target date for accomplishing it and create a plan of action for reaching it. For example:
Goal: I want to add two new attorney-clients to my CLNC® practice every month.
Action: Call two attorneys every day, send information packets and follow up with each in one week.
According to David Niven, author of The 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People, having concrete goals increases your confidence by 50 percent. Posting your goals where you can see them daily will help you stay focused on that target. When you devote time and energy to reaching your goals, you will take your CLNC® business to new heights.
Procrastination. Procrastination will slowly eat away your business if you do not weed it out quickly. Those who put things off will never succeed. You need to create in your mind a sense of urgency about your CLNC® practice. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Instead, tackle projects now that will propel you to CLNC® success.
Self-doubt. How you feel about yourself will affect how others see you. Self-doubt can be like an illness that slowly consumes you. Everyone lacks something. No nurse knows everything about everything. Understand your strengths and weaknesses. Successful people surround themselves with people who are strong where they are weak. An honest yet positive assessment of your abilities can help free you from self-doubt and spur you to greatness.
Fear of failure. We all hate to fail. But failure has been my best teacher. Whenever I make a mistake, the lesson is so powerful, I rarely repeat that error. Again, no human being is perfect. Give yourself permission to fail and learn from your mistakes.
How do you break these barriers to accomplish all you can? Through faith. Let your belief system support you through tough times and become the driving force for accomplishing your dreams. Rally the loving support of your spouse or family and rely on whatever gives you the strength to keep working toward your goals. The only failure is quitting. When you want to throw in the towel, your belief system can be your lifeline to courage, strength and ultimate success.
As you call upon your belief system whenever the need arises, continue to work on your goals each day. Ultimately, the only person standing in the way of reaching your goals is you. Be willing to go the extra mile, work hard and believe in yourself. This will give you a sense of confidence when you market your services to new clients. You can do it. Dare to fly into the danger zone and take your CLNC® business to greater heights.
Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, CLNC is the founder of Medical Review Consulting, LLC in Kentucky. Her company consults with plaintiff and defense attorneys and insurance companies. She serves as a CLNC® Mentor and as a faculty guest for the Institute.
