Certified Legal Nurse Consultant

As we move into the holiday season, our role as CEO becomes even more pronounced. Sure we’re CEOs of our Certified Legal Nurse Consulting businesses, but you might be the “Chief Everything Officer” of your family as well, in charge of your business and housekeeping, childcare, homework, shopping, meal-planning, cooking, carpool and finance, to name just a few departments.

So how do you juggle your career and family without going insane, and still enjoy the holiday season? That’s the million-dollar question and here’s my million-dollar answer: stop being the Chief Everything Officer and learn to say no. That might mean saying no to the people you love the most and no to doing all the laundry, all the housework and all the errands. Learning to say this one word, the most powerful word in the dictionary, can have a revolutionary effect not only on enjoying the holidays but also on your CLNC^® business.

For example when Edie, who was very career driven, got married, her husband said “I don’t do laundry.” She smiled and said, “That’s okay, neither do I.” In her 14 years of marriage, she has raised their son, gone back to college and risen to an executive position.

It’s okay for your spouse and kids to do some of the housework. It’s not going to kill them, but it is going to kill you if you keep doing it all. Get your family behind you and your career goals in the same way that you’re behind each of them. That’s the best way to handle your legal nurse consulting business, the holidays and the day-to-day we call life.

And while you’re at it, stop saying yes by default. Too many nurses fall into the traps of “if I don’t do it, it won’t get done” or “it’s faster to do it than explain it.” When you agree to say yes to an additional chore or project, think about what you’re saying no to as a result.

You’ll have a much happier life, holiday season and productive CLNC^® business when you learn to say no, delegate some of those myriad responsibilities and initiate on-the-job training programs for your spouse and children. As long as you’re the CEO, you may as well put those skills to use!

Success Is Inside!

Recently I was negotiating a deal with a company I’ve been doing business with for a long time. It became obvious that we had reached an impasse and we each settled on our “final” offers. A note about my negotiating philosophy: while I consider myself a strong negotiator, I’m not one to bluff very often in a business setting. I save my bluffing for poker games with my twin brother Vince (don’t tell him that’s how I won that last jackpot from him, LOL). I pride myself in creating and maintaining strong business relationships and always coming from a place of fairness and integrity in my dealings with other people – that’s why many of my vendor and business relationships are long-standing.

In this situation though, I got the impression that the other party was bluffing and was holding back more than they had put on the table. It wasn’t a “put up so you don’t have so much” moment; it was a “you can do better than you’re telling me” moment.

So in my own words, I let the other party know that I was willing to walk away from the deal if they didn’t step up to the bar. I made my case and offer and signed off from the negotiation. The other party had never experienced that from me before, so they knew I was serious. They waited, but I waited longer; they finally came back with an offer that was fair to both of us.

That reminded me of one of the most pivotal days in my legal nurse consulting business – the day I realized that if one attorney wasn’t willing to play according to my terms (terms that were favorable not to just one of us, but to both of us), there were more than a million others who might. As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, you’ve got to learn when to walk away from a deal because it isn’t meeting the needs or goals you’ve set for your CLNC^® business.

When that moment arrives, pull out your iPod^®, crank up Kenny Roger’s song “The Gambler,” sing along with the words, “you got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away and know when to run” and give yourself the courage to make the decision that’s best for you.

Success Is Inside!

Imagine being able to get dozens or even hundreds of attorney-prospects at the push of a button. Then you’re able to start marketing to them, knowing that you have a solid hot lead.

I found a tool that wasn’t designed with Certified Legal Nurse Consultants in mind; however, it could be a great weapon in your arsenal. It’s software called The Localizer Leads Tool. The Localizer Leads Tool is an Adobe Air-based marketing software program, which simply means it will run on both Macs and Windows PCs.

The Localizer Leads Tool pulls specific information on attorneys from Google, giving you access to their address, email, website, phone number and more. This tool allows any Certified Legal Nurse Consultant to instantly generate massive lists of attorney-prospects.

This video explains how a CLNC^® Consultant would use this tool to generate attorney-prospect leads with the push of a button.

Click here for a free trial of The Localizer Leads Tool and click here to purchase.

P.S. Comment and share how you find attorney-prospects on the Internet

Guest Blogger Profile

Brian Horn is an Internet marketing consultant who specializes in search engine marketing, site optimization, social media marketing, link building and web data analytics. Brian has consulted with Vickie Milazzo Institute for more than five years.

Brian also speaks at seminars and conferences throughout the U.S., Australia and Canada on how to use the Internet to improve business.

I started my legal nurse consulting business with the intention of testifying, but working behind the scenes with attorneys was how I really built my business. Despite that fact, I was always open to testifying and did so occasionally. And that’s exactly what you should do when your attorney-client asks you to testify. That’s right, go ahead, say yes!

Testifying is free advertising and an instant credibility-builder with attorneys. When you’re up against the opposing attorney remember: that attorney is not the enemy, he’s just another potential prospect. If you do a great job, that attorney will never want to go up against you again. The result? He will be sure to hire you first on his next case.

Next time an attorney asks you to testify in a case don’t reject it outright, go for it all the way! Remember who you are, a registered nurse with valuable knowledge and years of nursing experience. And if you start to panic, remember that 95% of the cases will settle before trial anyway so your likelihood of reaching court is exceedingly low (really).

When you “just say no” to testifying, you’re not only missing a huge opportunity to demonstrate your proficiency, but missing out on the opportunity to gain new attorney-clients for life!

Success Is Inside!

P.S. What are your biggest fears about testifying? Comment here to share.

I just left New York City after my appearance on FOX & Friends. Alisyn Camerota, who interviewed me about my book Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman, is a pro. It was such an honor to interview with a strong woman who’s interviewed newsmakers like President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The entire crew was professional and fun. Everything went so smoothly it would be hard to imagine a better experience.

Contrast my fun day at Fox studio with an earlier experience at a different, unnamed, TV network. Start by imagining yourself in a hot TV studio waiting for an interview. Your host is in New York City and you’re in your hometown (in my case Houston), sitting in an uncomfortable swivel chair wearing an earpiece that allows you to hear some of the chaos going on behind the scenes. In front of you are the camera, an ultra-bright spotlight shining into your eyes and some tech-types running around trying to pull everything together and make it all work. This goes on for 45-50 minutes while you sit there with your best interview face on, trying not to act bored or to allow the people in the studio back in the Big Apple see you fidget.

Unlike my spectacular experience at Fox, everything that could have gone wrong that morning did – connections failed, the lighting was off and cameras malfunctioned. I was sitting in front of the unforgiving eye of the camera the whole time, not knowing who was watching me because while they could see me, I could not see them. I was trying to smile, hold my bladder (nursing experience came in handy) and resist the temptation to pull out my iPhone^® and check email.

Finally, the voices in my ear became serious; someone shouted “Live” and we were rolling for another interview related to Wicked Success. Minutes later we were done and the interview was in the can. As we were leaving, Tom remarked that he was surprised that I sat there so long without visibly fidgeting. He’s used to seeing me move a lot.

It wasn’t easy nor was it my idea of a fun way to spend 45 minutes. So, I just sat there quietly when I preferred to fidget and struggled to practice the interview in my mind instead of focusing on all the things that aren’t getting done while I sit and smile.

The principles that I apply in a TV studio apply to you as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant when you go into an attorney’s office (whether for an interview or presentation). Appointments will be delayed, important phone calls will come up for the attorney and sometimes you can sit there for what seems at least two eternities before the assistant finally summons you into the attorney’s office. In the meantime, under the watchful eye of the receptionist you can work yourself into an agitated state, squirm, check the time repeatedly and make faces at each passing minute, or sit quietly or start up a friendly conversation (they’re called the gatekeeper for good reason!). Either way, your behavior will be reported to the assistant and maybe even the attorney herself.

Remember, from the moment you walk into that law office, you’re already in the interview or presentation. It’s just not enough to show up on time; it’s how you show up as a CLNC^® consultant.

Success Is Inside!

Today’s professional athletes cross-train to reach their next level of success. For example, a professional football player doesn’t just do football drills – he lifts weights and might even practice yoga or ballet, all with the intention of performing better on the football field.

Cross-training can create synergistic benefits, and this just might be a strategy for taking your CLNC^® business to its next level. Choose a category, preferably one you are weak in or typically avoid altogether, and ask yourself how your CLNC^® business could benefit from expanding that category. It might be technology (if you find yourself struggling to do more than read your email), public speaking (if you’d rather be in the coffin than give the eulogy) or self-development (if you find yourself constantly obsessing over everything that is wrong with your life).

Now spend the next three months cross-training in that category and watch your CLNC^® business soar!

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Comment and share where you need to cross-train and when you’ll start.
 

People tell me that what is even more impressive than the fact that I went from a hospital nurse to owner of a successful business is that I’ve sustained and grown that business for 29 years. Especially since we’ve gone through not just boom times, but also the ugliest recession since the Great Depression.

Managing my business and 23 employees is challenging and potentially exhausting. There’s one of me and 23 of them. When they have problems, they naturally think they’re worse than anyone else’s, but as the boss, their problems are magnified 23 times – plus I’ve got my own problems. I’ll readily admit there are days I might prefer to zap them with an Epi-Kit, defibrillate them back to life, or just holler “Off with their heads!” from the throne in my office.

“Off with their heads” is not a viable option, so I need to have my act together to show up the right way day after day after day. This is no easy task. How do I do it when I do? What’s the secret to my success? It’s actually very simple and every one of you can start doing it for yourselves too.

First, I wake up very early in the morning. No computer, radio or TV. I always love waking up because I do so just for me. Once I’m up, I make the first part of my day all about my development, emotional and physical. Emotional and physical renewal gives me the endurance and the stamina to do the running-a-business-thing day after day after day. I start the first part of my day with two cups of healthy green tea. Over the first cup of tea, I make time for my spiritual development. Over the second cup, I take time to read a book or just sit and connect with me and my passions.

Once the tea is gone and the mind is ready, it’s time to take care of the body so I’m off to the gym or out into our “hood” for a brisk walk. I exercise first thing in the morning because at the end of the day too many things (including me and my lack of motivation) get in the way. Early in my business, I pre-paid for a lot of evening Pilates^® classes that I never made. It took me a year to look reality squarely in the eye and admit I was more likely to exercise if I did it before my office opened.

I’m not saying that every Certified Legal Nurse Consultant has to get up early in the morning. You know yourself and what works best for you – maybe the end of the day is a better time.

The bottom line is that to be our best selves, we need time for ourselves. The key to making your CLNC^® success long-standing is to make sure you make time for your time. This is one of the keys to avoid being a one-hit wonder.

Success Is Inside!

Phil Newman, RN, CCRN, CLNC, shares how he applies the old “lunch and learn” concept to attorneys. He also discusses how to get into the offices of attorney-prospects after meeting them at his legal conference exhibits.

 
Congratulations, Phil and thanks for sharing two effective marketing strategies for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants.

Success Is Inside!

As even the most astute of my CLNC^® amigos has noticed, it’s November and we’re about six months past Spring (depending upon how you measure the seasons). That means that not only is it Fall and you have to get up, but that it’s been some time since you’ve done any spring cleaning in your home, your office and especially your computer and legal nurse consulting files.

Over time everything has a habit of slipping but computing cleanliness is one skill Certified Legal Nurse Consultants must keep current. That means that today, it’s time to grab a can of air and a fistful of Tuesday Tech Tips and recommit to the art of Zen and computer maintenance. Let’s blow the cookie crumbs out of your keyboard, the dust bunnies out of the case and cooling fans of your legal nurse consulting laptop and desktop computers and wipe the fingerprints off both of your big-screen monitors. If you don’t know where to start, just check out the linked Tech Tips and I’ll walk you through the process.

After your hardware is clean it’s time to run Windows^® Disk Cleanup (Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools in Windows XP) and get rid of those file fragments that build up on your computer. Follow this tip to organize your CLNC^® business’s files and all those old reports you’ve been saving at haphazard locations on your hard drive. Backup necessary files to CDs, DVDs or your external hard drive and then delete (especially photos) mercilessly. Once you’re done remember to empty the Recycle Bin and defragment your hard drive.

After that’s all done it’s time to sit down for a nice refreshing margarita (or two) and let all your Facebook^® friends know that you’re primed and ready for more cases as a CLNC^® consultant!

Keep on techin’,

Tom

Attorneys appreciate honesty and objectivity, but more importantly they need honesty and objectivity with their medical-related cases. That’s why it’s important for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants to never hold back their opinions. The attorney is investing time, money and sweat into every case and must understand the good, the bad and the ugly. This is the only way the attorney can make intelligent decisions about whether to take a case or reject it and whether to settle or to go to trial. It doesn’t help for you to sit on the fence about an issue or to suck up to the attorney, only giving information that agrees with the attorney’s own opinion, especially if it’s a case that he’s convinced himself is a winner.

I used to joke with one attorney-client that he was getting my opinion – warts and all! He loved it and he often turned away cases that were marginal because I called it the way I saw it. My job wasn’t to shade a poor position as favorable. Have I always been right in the stands that I’ve taken? Probably not, but I’d rather be proven wrong in our favor than proven wrong by the other party.

When you’re providing a screening opinion or writing a CLNC^® report, remember that honesty and objectivity aren’t just the best policy – they’re the only policy.

Success Is Inside!