BEST PRACTICES FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Signature Moves Open the Door to Financial Success, Part I
EDITOR'S NOTE: I asked the CLNC® Pros to reveal one signature move that helped them catapult their CLNC® practice to the next level of financial success. This is the first of a three-part series sharing their great ideas for taking your CLNC® practice to the next level.
We Tripled Our Case Load in One Year by Choosing Quality Over Quantity
In less than a year, we tripled our caseload with just one attorney, a feat even Superman would appreciate.
The secret to our entrepreneurial success lies in focusing every aspect of our business plan on quality over quantity. We seek to distinguish ourselves by mixing a professional attitude with personal touches. For instance, after sending out introductory letters to attorneys in our area, we follow up with quarterly newsletters and weekly telephone calls. Once an attorney calls, we research his specialty before the initial meeting. Not only does this allow us to feel more prepared (and hence more relaxed) during the meeting, it also shows the potential client that we are willing to gain his confidence by taking the initiative. While reviewing a case, we highlight important details and contact the attorney immediately if something significant is identified.
Furthermore, just as important as meeting deadlines is recognizing the attorney and the supporting staff. For example, if I have a morning meeting, I order a platter of bagels and cream cheese. If there is an afternoon meeting, cookies or cream puffs are greatly appreciated. As an alternative to food, I might pick up a beautiful basket of lotions (on clearance at a bath shop). These little gestures mean a lot to an overworked staff.
Ultimately, by presenting ourselves with an individualized flair, we have seen our CLNC® business start living up to its potential. We are well on our way to making six figures. My experiences as a CLNC® have validated the proverb, "Do quality and the quantity comes."
– Paulette Carlson, RN, CLNC
Presentations to Law Firms Make Marketing Easy
The one move that helped shift me to the next level of financial success in my CLNC® business was to start making PowerPoint® presentations to law firms. Rather than meeting with attorneys one-on-one, I found it very effective to meet with groups of attorneys and gear my presentation to the firm's specialty. I target both plaintiff and defense firms specializing in personal injury or medical malpractice. I have also given presentations to the city attorney's office, to plaintiff and defense firms that specialize in bad faith insurance claims, and to groups of estate attorneys about contested wills and elder abuse cases. This practice has increased my referral base, made my marketing easier and taken my practice to the next level.
– Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC
Going Outside My Nursing Specialty Generates Exciting Options for CLNC® Growth
The one signature move that helped take me to the next level of financial success was to market my ability to review and report on cases outside my clinical expertise. I was very comfortable reviewing and analyzing cases within my area of clinical expertise. I did not have to do a lot of research and I knew exactly where to find the applicable standards of care. But I did not feel qualified to review cases such as nursing home or wrongful death cases.
I was wrong. I took my first nursing home case at the request of an attorney. Once I read the file, I began to see that I was qualified to review and report on such cases. I could see that the nursing issues were very similar. I could locate the nursing home standards and identify deviations from those standards, at least on the fundamental issues. Most importantly, I knew how to educate myself on other aspects of care.
This experience taught me that the options available to a CLNC® are even broader than I had expected. I now have cases that I could not testify on, but for which I can put together a great report and recommend the most appropriate experts to the attorney.
My business as a CLNC® has truly been a growing process. I always keep my options open and never underestimate myself. If I experience a moment of uncertainty, I take out my CV and read over my nursing achievements. I may have to educate myself a little for a case in a new area, but I know I can accomplish whatever I decide to do. As Vickie says: "We are nurses and we can do anything!®"
– Rachel Cartwright, RN, MS, LHRM, CLNC
A Monthly Ezine That Accents "Free" Generates New and Diverse Requests for Our CLNC® Services
One move that proved quite helpful for us was writing a monthly ezine. Here's how we did it:
We obtained lists of attorneys and insurance claims managers and called their offices for their email addresses. We created a database of these addresses.
We developed the concept for the monthly ezine using our company logo. We include short reviews of interesting articles, tips on how attorneys can save money by using CLNC® services and a "humorous remarks" box, as well as our website address. We try to give readers a different reason to call us each month, such as a FREE sample report, FREE 30-minute phone consultation or FREE retrieval of a journal article they need. The emphasis, obviously, is on "FREE."
We located a company that formats the ezine and sends it to all those email addresses we laboriously gathered. Undeliverable emails are returned to us so we can update our database.
The ezine has produced not only cases, but also requests for lectures and CLNC® services, such as literature reviews and locating expert witnesses, all of which are billable and can lead to additional work in the future.
If you use this method, prepare to be creative – creative in your design, creative in your content, creative in your search for a company to deliver your ezine. Among the delivery services, look for the best deal, seek their advice on how to change the format periodically and ask what their other customers have found helpful in obtaining business.
– Brian D. Johnson, RN, PhD, CLNC
Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC has owned Barnes Medical Legal Services in California since 1999 and specializes in medical malpractice, bad faith insurance and general personal injury. Dale is a CLNC® Mentor of Vickie Milazzo Institute.
Paulette Carlson, RN, CLNC is cofounder of Dominion Legal Nurse Consultants, Inc. in Virginia with more than 25 years of nursing experience.
Rachel Cartwright, RN, MS, LHRM, CLNC, owner of Medical-Legal Concepts in Florida, specializes in critical care and regulatory compliance. Rachel is a CLNC® Mentor and guest faculty member of Vickie Milazzo Institute.
Brian Johnson, RN, PhD, CLNC, a CLNC® Mentor and guest faculty member of Vickie Milazzo Institute, specializes in neurological and psychological injury claims. He is also a life care planner and neuropsychologist in private and hospital practice.
