CLNC® Pros Reveal
Building Successful Client Relationships, Part II
EDITOR'S NOTE: I had such a great response to the building client relationships question from our CLNC® Pros that I am continuing the series. The third and final article will appear in the April 30th Legal Nurse Consulting Ezine No. 9 issue.
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.
Cultivate Outstanding Client Relations with a Personal Touch
Make friends with your attorney-client's support staff. Getting to know the legal secretaries and paralegals will serve you for two reasons:
Allows you to learn things about your attorney-client, such as special occasions. You're then in a position to send remembrances. If this includes a card, I always handwrite a note and the address so the recipient knows I took the time to do something special for her.
Facilitates building rapport with all the attorneys in the firm. Learn each attorney's name and position so you can personalize the contact. I also try to learn something about each key individual’s family or activities. That way I can add a little social interaction to an otherwise business call.
Follow up on open cases. By staying aware of the status of the case, you'll be able to inquire if your attorney-client needs any more assistance that you can provide on the current case or a pending case. When I make use of this opportunity to solicit new business, I usually start by telling the attorney I’m planning my schedule for the next quarter and want to know if I should set some time aside for him. This works well because it makes the client feel important.
– Nancy Dion, RN, MSM, CPHQ, CHCRM, LNHA, CLNC
Stick to the Basics of Good Client Relations
The tried and true basics work best for me. I bet they will work for you too.
Create No Surprises. Be sure you know clearly what the attorney wants you to do. I spell everything out in my one-page letter agreement, which the attorney and I complete as we sit together. We put into writing exactly what my job will be on the case and whether the attorney wants a written or verbal report or both.
My fee, initial number of hours authorized, due date for the report and details of my money-back guarantee are all there in writing. The letter also states that I may use subcontractors and that I don't testify.
My standard letter agreement contains many blank lines to accommodate the written description of my assignment. I post a copy of the agreement in my office where I can see it while I do the chart review. This is helpful in keeping me from wandering off on rabbit trails that the attorney didn't ask me to follow.
Meet or Beat Deadlines. Technically, beating the deadline breaks the "Create No Surprises" rule, but this will be a welcome surprise to your attorney-client. I make it a practice to have my report ready at least one week early, giving the attorney the opportunity to review my opinions earlier than she expected. I have yet to see a frown for this kind of surprise.
Timeliness is also important for appointments. I arrive 10-15 minutes early, and if it's my first meeting, I make a dry run in my car to be sure I know exactly where the office is.
Use...Don't Abuse the Phone with Your Attorney-Client. Be sure to return all your attorney-client's calls within 24 hours, no exception. When something important and unexpected comes up during your casework, do call and let the attorney know "STAT" – and I don't mean tomorrow or the following week.
One of my cases involved multiple charts from various hospitals and nursing homes that literally stood 2½ feet tall on my desk and all out of order. About 10 days into my review, I identified a missing chart. From what I had, I deduced which hospital record was missing, including the admission and discharge dates. I immediately called the attorney. He, of course, asked the hospital for that record, which had been part of his original request. The missing record arrived while I was meeting with the attorney to review my initial findings. Although that record did not contain any vital information, the attorney gave me another case on the spot.
Give the Attorney That One Thing More. We all learned this during Vickie's training. I have included items such as timelines (when one was not requested or expected) and offered to sit in, free of charge, on the attorney's next initial meeting with a new client. I know that if I sit in on a one-hour meeting, I am 99% guaranteed to get that case – if it's meritorious. If the attorney decides not to accept the case, I've still won. Even though my hour was "donated," I got to see the attorney in action and I learned from that experience. Remember Vickie's rule: "I Commit to Being a Lifetime Student."
Also, since you can't take the teacher out of this nurse, I always include as an "extra" a separate folder of educational information. This folder includes diagrams, pictures, etc., so the attorney can see what I'm talking about when I refer to disease entities or anatomy and physiology concepts. In essence, I am also Committed to Being a Lifetime Teacher.
Stay in Touch Between Cases. Don't give your attorney-client a chance to forget you. I don't want mine thinking, "Larry Who?" I recently started sending my clients a quarterly newsletter (with my picture on it). I also send copies of short articles my attorney-clients might be interested in reading. I simply attach a handwritten FYI note to the article, put it into a hand-addressed envelope and send it on its way. That kind of simple personal touch can reinforce your name with the attorney.
Make Your Work Product Your Golden Key to Success. By turning in a complete, first-class report, ahead of schedule no less, you show your attorney-client your work ethic, and you hardly have to say a thing. Remember, $100/hour isn't chicken feed, and your work product must reflect $100/hour quality. If it does, you will receive more cases from that attorney. If it doesn't reflect $100/hour quality, then you can imagine the result.
Treat your attorney-client EXACTLY the way you would like to be treated. When you provide first-class service, you usually get first-class response in return.
– Lawrence H. Frace, RN, CLNC
5 Cornerstones of Effective Client Relations
Client Confidentiality – Keep your knowledge of attorney-clients confidential. The attorney page in the phone book may look huge – but rest assured, it is a small network. Information has a way of leaking, and not always in the intended context. Keep your mouth closed.
Trust and Respect – Show your attorney-clients you deserve their trust and respect. Be sure the following are true:
I am organized.
I am on time with the services I provide.
I follow through after each service I provide, either in writing, email or a personal visit if I am in their area to deliver my work product personally.
I answer my clients' phone calls or emails within 24 hours.
Retying the Connection – Once you connect with your attorney-client's needs, you must continue to retie the connection, as Vickie says, while not being a pest. Three ways I retie the connection:
This year I started a quarterly newsletter to help retie the knot with attorneys I cannot see due to distance or time constraints. This has been an effective tool for ongoing marketing, as well as for educating my clients. It has also brought "lost" attorneys back into my fold. Perhaps they lost my card or forgot about a service I provide. My newsletter reminds them, and they call.
I play the piano, so I made a Christmas CD titled "My Gift to You" and sent it to all my clients last year. I received many comments about this personal touch. My clients said they will use it every year, so this gift will keep retying the connection for years to come.
I bring treats to the gatekeepers to help them remember me. Often they are the ones the attorneys tell, "Call someone to look at these records" or "Find someone to attend that IME with our client." The assistants then call me.
Personalized Communication and Caring – Developing a client relationship, just like any personal relationship, is a constant, ongoing process. People want your time; they want to talk to you. Ongoing communication is a key to maintaining good client relationships.
When I receive an announcement of a new partner in a firm or an attorney moving into a new office, I always acknowledge that with a handwritten note and a coupon for a free service of the attorney's choice.
I acknowledge my attorney-client's successes. If I see anything in the paper that pertains to a client's achievements, I send a personal note of congratulations.
Giving Something Extra
Often I do some small service without charging a fee, but I make sure the client is aware of the service and the fact that I didn't charge. For example, I often do not charge for short phone calls that require little more than my acknowledgement to the client. I reflect no charge for the call on my invoice.
If I come across a reference that pertains to something in a current or recent case, I send it along as an FYI.
I never turn down an attorney’s request for a service. If I am not available to perform that service, I find someone who can.
I don’t pretend to be an attorney. My mission statement is: We bridge law and medicine. I make sure the attorney knows I am part of his team and I don't want to take over his job.
I have learned to be flexible, and I mean FLEXIBLE. This sometimes inconveniences me, but I never let on to my client that it does.
– Marie L. Wendle, RN, BS, CCRN, CLNC
Nancy Dion, RN, MSM, CPHQ, CHCRM, LNHA, CLNC has more than 35 years of experience as a healthcare professional. She is a Florida-based CLNC® with expertise in clinical services, organizational redesign, quality improvement, risk management and executive team building and management. She also serves as a CLNC® Mentor for the Institute.
Lawrence H. Frace, RN, CLNC is an independent CLNC® with 28 years of nursing experience. He is the founder of Spectrum Medical-Legal Consulting in central New Jersey and specializes in medical malpractice cases.
Marie L. Wendle, RN, BS, CCRN, CLNC is the president of Medical Legal Nurse Consultants of Washington in Seattle. She specializes in working with law firms on medical malpractice and personal injury cases, attends IMEs for her attorney-clients and serves as an expert witness on standards of nursing care.
