Ask Vickie: What To Do with a Room Full of Attorneys
Vickie,
I went to my first interview yesterday with a products liability attorney. He was so interested in my CLNC® services that he asked me to present to a group of 20 products liability attorneys in the area. Do I charge for this presentation? I don’t think I should since he is basically presenting me to 20 other attorneys.
What legal nurse consulting topic should I present and how long should it to be?
I thought I might take some time on life care planning because the attorney was very interested in this topic and didn’t even know what a “life care planner” was. I also thought I would choose a common injury or issue that they come across. I asked the attorney specifically if there was something he wanted me to cover. He stated, “What we covered today and anything else you can think of.” It’s all up to me. I don’t want to bomb!
Jessica M., CLNC
Hi Jessica,
Congratulations on your interview! What an incredible marketing opportunity to present your CLNC® services to a group of attorneys. I love it when the room is full of them. Do not charge for this presentation – look at it as an opportunity to market your CLNC® services quickly and simultaneously to 20 attorneys face-to-face. Presentations like this give you instant credibility and are a powerful way to gain attorneys’ trust. It’s one of the fastest ways to become known as an authority in your field.
Take along plenty of business cards and brochures to hand out and remember to get each attorney’s business card. Do personal introductions before the presentation – it’s a huge mistake to ask them to introduce themselves in a round-robin manner – they already know who they are. They’re there to learn who and what you are.
Ask the attorney how much time you will have for your presentation so you can prepare appropriately and stay within the time allotted. Highlight your CLNC® services and give quick examples relevant to products liability cases. Include a variety of products and injuries. Only speak about life care planning if you are an expert on it. You want the attorneys to see you as instantly credible, so stick to what you know and know well. Discuss the benefits to the attorneys and also emphasize the pain of their not hiring you on their medical-related cases. Save time for questions at the end. Afterwards attempt to set up personal interviews with each attorney. Get’em while they’re hot.
To prepare your presentation:
a. Identify the topic you would like to speak about.
b. Create a speech that includes an opening, body and close.
c. Prepare the presentation, practice it and time it beforehand.
d. Develop a handout that includes your contact information (take 20+).
e. Do not sell on the platform.
Congratulations on taking this step to expand your CLNC® business through presentations to attorneys.
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The National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (NACLNC®) is the largest and oldest association of legal nurse consultants.
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*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
