CLNC® Pros Reveal
Building Successful Client Relationships
EDITOR'S NOTE: I asked our CLNC® Pros to discuss how they had successfully built relationships with attorney-clients and insurance companies. Here are their informative and inspiring replies.
6 Rules of the Road to Successful CLNC® Client Relations
Rule #1 – Keep the lines of communication open between your attorney-client, the assigned paralegal and the secretary. Once a case is assigned and you receive the initial records, follow up with the paralegal to be sure you get additional documents you've requested for review and analysis. A successful CLNC® calendars this follow-up every 30 days.
Rule #2 – Within a week after you complete your report and submit it to your attorney-client, follow up with an email or phone call to receive feedback. Constructive comments will only help you continue your CLNC® success.
Rule #3 – If the number of cases you're receiving from a regular client declines, make an appointment with the attorney to discuss the "state of the union." A brief meeting to hear your attorney-client's goals and direction for her firm may present more opportunities to you. A dialog with your client will also validate the benefits you bring to her case development.
Rule #4 – We all ask our attorney-clients for referrals. Referrals are the best way of connecting with a potential client. What's important to your relationship is reassuring them that you are committed to the quality work product they've come to expect from you.
Rule #5 – When you have the opportunity to meet third-party administrators (TPAs), be sure to remember them. They are excellent referral sources for building a client base. Within two weeks of making one phone call to a TPA, I had a new client with three new cases.
Rule #6 – During the holiday season, remember your clients. Mailing holiday cards or calendars to attorneys, insurance companies and TPAs will keep your name in front of them and fresh in their minds. Giving special tokens of appreciation to your "big supporters," their secretaries and paralegals, also maintains successful relationships.
– Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC
Build Your Client Relationships on Great Customer Service
Client relationships are not about you and your need to be successful. Nor are they about you and your fear of marketing. Successful client relationships are based on great customer service. I have successfully built attorney-client relationships by using several techniques.
Listen to your attorney-client.
Visualize yourself meeting with the attorney-client and listening actively to all she has to say. Practice techniques that allow you to be relaxed and calm in the midst of chaos, such as exercise, prayer, meditation and deep breathing.
Keep in contact with your attorney-client.
Call your attorney-client's office periodically to see how things are going. When I do that, I almost always get a case within the next few weeks. Sometimes, your clients get busy and need a reminder that you are there.
If you notice something of interest to your client in a newspaper, journal or magazine, clip it out and send it to her with a personal FYI note.
Email the attorney with ideas about a current case.
Keep in contact with your attorney-client's paralegal. Make the people in the attorney's office your allies.
Be flexible.
Be available for your attorney-client. Many times a client calls me with questions, and I end up in the office for a meeting that afternoon. While this wreaks havoc with my schedule, I always get new cases from these meetings, and I am very aware that it will be a lucrative day.
Schedule your vacations to maximize your availability. My husband and I have started taking more frequent short vacations, three-day getaways instead of two-week trips. You do need to take your time off, but perhaps not in large blocks if you are in a solo practice. I block out days for vacation and personal time in advance. I find that long holiday weekends are good times. Attorneys go out of town during those times as well.
Attorneys often work long hours and do things on short notice. They tend to expect that you also do that. Try to be realistic about time frames for finishing work product. Last year, an attorney called me from Canada, where he was vacationing, and asked me to do a huge amount of work in two days. He was on a working vacation. I dug in, finished the assignment and coached him on how to read a fetal monitor. When I recently saw him at a legal conference, he thanked me profusely and told me he would always use me for that type of case. He had settled it for a very large amount, and I played a part in that settlement.
Ask about the budget.
Not all cases have seven-figure budgets. Always discuss the financial end in the first conversation, so everyone is on the same page. Your attorney-client will appreciate your concern for her finances.
– Sue Burnham, RNC, CLNC
Prepare Yourself for Excellence in Client Relations
Dress professionally and conservatively. The first impression is so very important, and you want the second and third to be just as positive. Always dress as though you're meeting a new client. Conservative business wear is always safe around other professionals.
I wear business pantsuits and knee-length to mid-calf skirt suits with simple jewelry, not flashy. Whenever I make an office visit, even to deliver or pick up a package, I dress for success. You want the attorney to pay attention to what you say and not what you wear. You never know when you may meet your next attorney-client in the office. Always be prepared to make that great first impression.
Arrive early to find that icebreaker for your client appointments. Arriving ten minutes early for appointments with your client gives you time to calm any last-minute jitters. You can also silently rehearse your script for the occasion.
I pay attention to artwork or furnishings in the waiting area and comment on pieces that attract my attention. On an appointment with one new attorney-prospect, I commented on a piece of artwork, which happened to be from a vacation spot I had also visited. We talked about our vacation experience briefly before our business meeting. This really helped break the ice with the new client.
Use clients' business cards as spell checkers and mental joggers. Always take a business card from everyone in the firm. Cards are usually displayed on a table or counter in the waiting area. Use the cards to double-check spelling and titles when you write your follow-up letters.
I keep my clients' business cards in a small index card file box and go through them periodically to make certain I stay in regular contact. On the back of the card I write interesting things I want to remember about the person, such as favorite vacation spot or movie, or number of children. This helps me remember the tone and details of my meetings with the prospect. I also jot down things he does not like, such as NO email, no reports, no faxes, only voice mail communication unless otherwise directed.
Provide plenty of notice when you'll be out of your office. Before going on vacation or out of town even for a day or two, you must let your attorney-clients know how to contact you if your office is not staffed by someone they can talk to. I send out an email at least two weeks ahead of time if possible, and I leave a last-minute voice mail reminder regarding my out-of-office status. In case of emergency, I provide a number where they can leave voice mail messages. This is usually my office phone forwarded to my cell phone. That way my out-going voice message remains the same. I also let my clients know when I expect to return.
For your active cases, always check with your attorney-client to make certain everything is up to date according to his plans. If certain things need to be done during the time you'll be away, finish them before you leave. You want to stay current on assignments, not leave your attorney-client waiting on your production.
Stay in frequent open, up-front communication with your attorney-client. Your attorney-client will appreciate short, frequent updates. With email and voice mail, it is easy to keep your clients abreast of progress or potential delays.
One attorney-client asked me to coordinate communication with an MD expert in another state. Whenever the expert and I had a conversation, I sent a brief email to update the attorney. He always responded with an acknowledgement or simple instruction on what he wanted next. The outcome of the process was great, and both parties were pleased.
– Rachel Cartwright, RN, MS, LHRM, CLNC
3 Simple Personal Touches to Make a Good Impression on Your Attorney-Clients
Send gifts of food at odd times of the year. Recently, in a law firm that sends me many cases each month, several attorneys and paralegals had births in their families. As a congratulatory gift, I sent food to the entire firm along with a note celebrating the new arrivals.
Follow up on open cases every month. This gives each attorney-client a chance to hear where you are with her case. It also opens the door for her to discuss new cases.
Take a client who has not requested your services in a while to lunch. I have done this, and we were able to discuss new cases. He was pleasantly surprised when, as the host, I picked up the check.
These techniques will leave a good impression in your attorney-clients' minds of you and your services.
– Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, CLNC
Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC is the owner of SEA Consultant Company in California, specializing in long term care cases.
Susan J. Burnham, RNC, CLNC owns Burnham and Associates in Washington state. She has been an independent CLNC® since 1996 and specializes in quality of care issues. She also serves as a CLNC® Mentor for the Institute.
Rachel Cartwright, RN, MS, LHRM, CLNC owns Medical-Legal Concepts in Florida. She specializes in critical care and compliance with regulatory agencies.
Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, CLNC is the founder of Medical Review Consulting, LLC in Kentucky. Her company consults with plaintiff and defense attorneys as well as insurance companies. She serves as both a CLNC® Mentor and a faculty member for the Institute.
