Communication

Vickie and I have trained our BlackBerries not to rattle, buzz or make noise when a new email comes in. That way we can concentrate for more than 50 or 60 seconds without an interruption crying out for us to “CHECK THAT EMAIL NOW!!!!!” It allows us to control interruptions and check email only when we want, at our leisure.

In contrast, we have a friend who lives and dies by her BlackBerry^®. It’ll beep, rattle and roll and do everything it can to get her attention every time she gets a text, email or reminder. Talking with her in person (or on a landline) can be frustrating as she’s constantly pulling her BlackBerry out of her hip holster (which isn’t hip at all) to see each obviously very and absolutely important communication she’s just received. You can always tell when you’ve lost her attention (What?).

Even worse, she’s developed phantom rattle. When she’s not wearing her BlackBerry (which is rare) you’ll see her reflexively touch her hip because she’s felt a rattle that isn’t there. Anyone else want to confess to this? But even worse than even worse, she’s confessed to me that if she’s in line at the grocery, post office or OTB counter and there’s no email to read, she’ll play one of the games loaded on her device. Even though I consider her a social person, she won’t talk to people, instead preferring to play games or sometimes even re-read email that she’s already read.

As much as I love tech, there’s a time and a place for tech. Sometimes you just have to put down the phone and drive or walk or wait in line or talk. Do you remember the time before cell phones when people would actually engage in civil discourse while waiting in a line or standing in an elevator? Today people use tech to isolate themselves. Their smart phone becomes an excuse to ignore you. Sorry, but I’m too busy and important to say hello to you – I’ve got email to read.

You never know what opportunity you’re missing when you put your head down and play the 15th level of BrickBreaker instead of engaging in a little “Who do you know who…” or “I’m a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, what do you do?” Every person you meet is a potential legal nurse consulting lead to a new attorney-client or prospect opportunity. Even if they’re part of the 0.003% of Americans who don’t know an attorney (I just made up that statistic), they may simply brighten your day or become a new friend.

This week, make it a goal to talk to people and keep your BlackBerry or other smart phone holstered or in your purse while you’re in public spaces. If we all talked to each other a little more, we’d make the world a friendlier place (and safer to walk and drive around in). In the meantime, stop updating your Spacebook, MyFace and Twister accounts and actually tell a real person what you’re doing and what you do. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Keep on techin’,

Tom

Read Part 2. Read Part 3.

I get a lot of email. Too much email some might say. My inbox starts filling up well before Vickie Milazzo Institute opens, with internal business. I had no idea how much email employees could generate, correspondence from vendors, email from students and Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who need mentoring and who just want to say hello and share their CLNC^® success. Fortunately, I am blessed to be the recipient of professional emails 99% of the time. But the other 1% is what I want to talk about in this blog.

Why is someone communicating to me in all CAPITAL letters or with bad spelling, poor punctuation, rambling styles and with no subject line (Really!). And if that someone is a legal nurse consultant, I worry that they are communicating with their attorney-clients and attorney-prospects, experts and other legal nurse consultants in the same unprofessional way. I have to assume they are. After all, with the possible exception of people with multiple personality disorders (You know who you are, and so do you and you.), most people don’t magically switch styles when they switch email accounts. In fact, some even use the same email account for business and personal – another no-no.

In just three blogs, I’m going to give Certified Legal Nurse Consultants the tips that will guarantee the professionalism of your email communications with your attorney-clients.

Tip #1

Get a real email address. Attorneys communicate with other professionals – attorneys, doctors, engineers, economists, etc. Professionals have email addresses like Marcus.Welby@GeneralHospital.org or B.Smith@SmithBarney.com. Those email addresses communicate more professionalism than NrseJckee2@email.com or LikesKittens@whatever.org.

When you send a business letter you use letterhead stationery and a matching envelope. Think of your email address as your envelope and make it reflect your professionalism. If you have a domain name for your legal nurse consulting business you can easily set up an email account with the hosting provider and have your email address be congruent with your business name. Think Susan.Smith@SmithLegalNurseConsulting.com. That’s called branding and it’s a powerful tool in the right hands.

Tip #2

Use a “Subject:” that makes it clear what the email is about. Many people do not use the “preview” function in their email client which forces them to open the email to see what it’s about. Have you ever opened an email only to find it’s not what you expected or because you couldn’t figure out what it was? I recommend you use a subject that is clear and makes sense, not only today but in a few weeks when you’re searching for an email in a cluttered inbox or “sent” mailbox. If you’re working on a particular case, include the case name somewhere in the subject. If it relates to a meeting, include the date (re: Hawkins case – 10/26 client interview notes) and anything else that will help the recipient decide what priority to assign to reading it.

When someone sends me an email with a bad subject line and I then either reply or forward it, I’ll often correct the subject line by putting my (sensible) subject in front of their (unintelligible) subject. By keeping their subject in the line, they’ll know what the email is about and can delete their subject from further replies, etc. Also, if you change the subject matter of the email, make the appropriate change to the subject line. It only makes sense.

Tip #3

Organize your inbox with folders. Certified Legal Nurse Consultants don’t just keep one general inbox with 547 emails on various subjects. They create subfolders organized by case names or other relevant naming conventions. You do this just like you create paper files in your office. After replying to an email, drag that email into the appropriate folder. That keeps your inbox clear and uncluttered. If you’re waiting for a response, you might keep the original email until you get the response and then file both. Depending upon the communication you can often put a “sent” folder inside each subfolder. Then file the sent email there for easier recall later. This beats searching through a crowded “sent” mailbox and is another reason for using strong subject lines. It makes it easier when searching through those archived messages weeks or months after they’ve been sent or since you last looked at a case.

Tip #4

When you need to communicate a really short message to someone, then do it inside the subject line of the email. End the subject line with “NoMsg” or “EOM” (end of message). This is a wonderful way to communicate a short message to someone. The non-preview people really love this one.

Tip #5

Spend a few minutes figuring out how to turn on the spell-checking function of your particular email client. We use Outlook^® and it’s got a pretty good speller. Just about every email client has a spell-checking function either built in or available as an add-on. If yours does not, then compose your email in Word or another word-processing program that has a spell checker and then cut and paste it over to your email. Nothing, and I mean, nothing (except bad grammar) spells unprofessional more than spelling errors. Even my BlackBerry^® has a spell-checking feature. This helps prevent minor and major typographical errors (but does not replace proofreading). If you do one thing for your legal nurse consulting career after reading this blog, please let it be this tip.

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Comment and share your tips for professional email communications.

People often compliment me and tell me what a great memory I have. While my memory’s respectable, what’s even better is my note-taking prowess. That’s my real secret. I am a voracious note taker in every business situation.

One executive at Vickie Milazzo Institute boils it down to, “The person with the best notes wins.” With that thought in mind, I not only always have a legal pad and pen handy, but also a stack of sticky notes, even in the most informal of meetings. They serve as my external memory, one that doesn’t get erased by sleep, an office crisis or a box of hot glazed donuts.

Have you noticed that as a society we are becoming less skilled at listening? As a legal nurse consultant you can’t afford to be or risk becoming a poor listener.

When you’re talking with an attorney, they must be the center of your attention and you should appear smart and “all in” the conversation. Think about the last time you were talking to someone who was looking past you over your shoulder, checking her Blackberry or appeared to be day-dreaming. Remember how you felt? That’s exactly how the attorney-client will feel – unimportant – if you appear to not be “all in.” You also risk missing a key communication, such as an important issue on your medical-malpractice (or personal injury…) case or worse yet, a deadline. Just like taking notes during the CLNC^® Certification Program increased your exam score, taking notes when you are speaking to your attorney-client will dramatically improve the points you score with that attorney.

Whenever you are in your attorney-client’s office, pull out your Mont Blanc pen (or “be like Vic and buy a Bic”) and your notepad (legal size of course) and take notes as you discuss the case or a future assignment.

If you switch conversations to a different case, switch to a different page. You might be killing an extra leaf on a tree or slaying a forest, but it’s a lot simpler and ultimately more efficient to have only notes for one case per page. That way when you get to your office, you can just file your notes with the corresponding case without having to rewrite a single note.

The more you practice note-taking, the more natural it becomes and soon you can talk, maintain eye contact, smile and take notes all at the same time. The same people in my office who see me take notes all day, every day in every meeting or hallway conversation, are the same people who credit me with a great memory. The notes have become invisible and all they remember is that somehow, day after day, I remember everything we discussed.

Note-taking is a powerful business tool for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. Start today.

Success Is Inside!

I know that many of you readers come here, read what you want, make use of the information you want and go about your day without ever leaving a comment. One of the main benefits of a blog is the ability to start a conversation directly with Vickie and the other legal nurse consulting readers.

So, if you have been a silent reader of this blog and want to know the benefits of leaving comments, let me give you some tips on why you should be doing it.

1. You’re Alerting Vickie to Who You Are.

If you regularly leave comments on this blog, Vickie will start to recognize your name. Don’t forget the other regular contributors and hundreds of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who read it daily. They will start to recognize you also.

If you leave some really interesting comments, Vickie may even ask you to “guest blog” some day.

2. You’re Building a Strong Legal Nurse Consulting Community.

A CLNC^® community is built around CLNC^® consultants and their views. Leaving comments is a way of showing that you care and want to share your opinion with others, including Vickie. The comments can be a suggestion, feedback, appreciation or even constructive criticism. Just be sure they aren’t spammy or abusive.

So, even if you are just stopping by, make that little effort and write a comment, even if it’s just a line.

3. You’re Getting What You Want.

You should leave a comment because that’s how Vickie judges what her legal nurse consultants want. Also this is how you can get your questions answered rapidly.

4. You’re Adding Traffic to Your Site.

When you leave a comment, your name will link to your website. People click your link to see what other interesting stuff you write about. Obvious but true. You might get some CLNC^® subcontracting out of it.

5. You’re Connecting with Nurses and Potential Clients That also Read This Blog.

It’s well known that Vickie is the nation’s most recognized expert on legal nurse consulting. Doesn’t it make sense that some attorneys may subscribe also? An attorney searching for information on a particular subject in Google can easily stumble on one of these blog posts. Then they will see your insightful comments, determine you are an expert and give you a call.

I actually had one new client find me through a blog comment. I ended up billing this contact more than $100,000 over the next year. The people who read the same blog post as I did, but didn’t leave a comment that day, didn’t get the business.

Blogging is not only about the author saying her piece, it is also about going out and joining the conversation where it is happening. It’s about reaching out to people and exposing yourself to new ideas.

There is no greater way to brand yourself as a legal nurse consulting expert than to leave insightful and regular comments on a blog like this one…you may even get some new business out of it.

So, let’s start today…everyone leave a comment and introduce yourself to all the other blog readers.

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 over three years.

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

Read Part 1. Read Part 3.

Obstacles have to be overcome in every economy. What obstacles are you facing now?

Dale: Vickie, my biggest obstacle is time. Particularly trying to squeeze in time to continue marketing every month. I’ve been a CLNC^® consultant for 9½ years, so I don’t have to market at the same level I did in the beginning, but I know that being busy is no justification for not marketing. You taught me to always keep marketing to assure the phone is ringing.

Another challenge during a tough economy is maintaining attorney-client relationships with attorneys who may be dealing with the stress of their clients. Do you have any suggestions?

Dale: One word: communication. In any situation, that’s the factor that enables me to enjoy an excellent relationship with my attorney-clients and to keep them coming back. I’m always a phone call away, and I never let much time pass without being in touch. But more important, anytime I decide to go a different route on a case from what we’ve discussed, or when I have some new ideas, I don’t go forward until I call and talk to my attorney-client. Usually, they’re fine with whatever I’m suggesting as the Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, but they appreciate being kept in the loop. Then, if they get a bigger bill at the end of the month, they’re not startled. Nobody likes surprises of that nature.

Also, if I see something in the record that’s not good for the attorney’s case, I pick up the phone quickly and lay it on the line. It may not be what the attorney wants to hear, but he always appreciates the heads up.

Forging ahead when the world is taking a “wait and see” position shows a very independent and entrepreneurial disposition. How has your independent streak contributed to your CLNC^® success?

Dale: Tremendously. Every day I do what I can to make certain my business is secure, my work is secure, that I have all my ducks in a row and that I have new business coming in. When the world seems to be falling apart around you, everything you do in your legal nurse consulting business takes on a different level of importance. For me, it’s about maintaining what I have and gaining a little too.

What is your best piece of advice to CLNC^® consultants getting started right now?

Dale: My biggest piece of advice is to be prepared for rejection and frustration and to keep plowing ahead. It will pay off. CLNC^® consultants who say, “I’ve spoken to ten attorneys and nobody’s interested,” are going to lose out. Business is a numbers game, and ten attorneys are nothing. Even CLNC^® consultants in rural areas, where attorneys are not as numerous as in cities, can succeed handsomely in their CLNC^® business. You don’t have to market only in your own backyard. You can market anywhere.

In any economy, you need to make a marketing plan and stick to it. Whatever marketing methods you use – whether contacting attorneys in person, on the phone or via mail – be consistent and follow your plan. And always follow up.

Vickie, you always say, “Do what works, not what’s easy.” I’ve known legal nurse consultants who created their marketing packet, mailed them, then sat back and waited for the phone to ring. They were surprised when no one responded. The same thing happened to me. Even when I sent out ten letters and followed up with a phone call, at least half the attorneys said they never received my packet and had no idea who I was. Attorneys, like the rest of us, toss mail they don’t readily recognize.

So I call my attorney-prospects before I mail anything. It takes more time but new CLNC^® consultants should try it.

If you can’t always get through to the attorney, that’s okay; ask for their voice mail. The attorney gets to hear your voice, who you are and why you’re calling. A brief voice mail presentation lets him know that you’re a professional who understands his legal practice. He knows you’ll be sending a packet and that you’ll be following up. I get a much higher success rate when I call first.

Success Is Inside!

I just hung up from mentoring a new Certified Legal Nurse Consultant regarding a med-surg case. After listening to her ramble aimlessly about the case for three minutes, I politely stopped her and said, “I would really like to help you solve your issue, but would you please describe the issue?” After a few more attempts at rambling and a lot more nudging by me to keep her focused, she finally got to the heart of the matter, and we dealt with it easily and swiftly.

As we were about to wrap up, she confessed that she still found it uncomfortable and often unsuccessful to talk to attorneys about her legal nurse consulting role. I immediately realized the source of her problem. I had just lived it! It was her rambling method of communication.

Those of you who know me, know that I tell it like it is. I firmly but nicely shared that I had a direct insight into her communication challenge just from our brief conversation. Attorneys are crazy busy. They’re working for a living. They’re not like patients who lay around in bed with lots of time to spare waiting for the next visit from their favorite nurse, happy for any company other than a bad reality show.

When you are talking to an attorney, you have to focus, focus and focus some more. You cannot go into an interview or meeting with an attorney being unprepared or misdirected. Once you lose the attorney, you lose the opportunity. There’s no place like an attorney’s office to prove the truth of the old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

The fastest way to lose the attorney is to appear unprepared. Practice your presentation before you give it. Try it on a spouse – if you can keep their attention, you’ll probably be able to keep an attorney’s.

Preparation and focus are the keys to successfully communicating and to feeling comfortable about any communication you are about to engage in.

And remember, if you can say it in five words/minutes, try doing it in three words/minutes instead.

Success Is Inside!