The day before Thanksgiving is the perfect time for all Certified Legal Nurse Consultants to contemplate all that we appreciate about each and every attorney-client and what they mean to our CLNC® businesses. Plus, it’s time to start thinking about holiday gifts for your attorney-clients. I asked the CLNC Pros to share some of their favorites, along with some gift-giving strategies for their legal nurse consulting businesses. Check out Larry’s strategy – giving gifts any day of the year. I hope you all have a Thanksgiving filled with love and gratitude.
Over the years, I have sent a variety of gifts, ranging from bottles of wine, wine goblets and crystal votive holders. While my clients always loved the gifts, I think the most appreciated is a personalized note of thanks.
My clients always respond that the gift is never expected but always appreciated. They reaffirm that our attorney-CLNC team consistently brings value to their cases, and while I appreciate them, they also appreciate me!
I always send cards to the legal secretaries and paralegals. Sending a personalized message expressing my appreciation for their teamwork during the year keeps our communications running smoothly.
Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC
I give gifts to my attorney-clients primarily at holiday time. There have been exceptions when I have given a birthday gift to a special attorney-client. I often give gift baskets filled with food that can be enjoyed by the office staff, and they are all appreciative. I have also found some very specialized attorney gifts that have gone over well. I found a chocolate scale of justice that was a huge hit! I have also found some desk items that are personalized and have symbolic law decorations. These were special and personalized, so they were most appreciated.
I have a significant attorney-client who gives me a tremendous amount of work. I found out from his staff when his birthday was and had birthday balloons delivered to his office. Attached to it was a “lawyer” teddy bear. He was so excited about this and has told the story over and over to other attorneys and clients.
Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, PHN, CLNC
I give Harry and DavidTM gourmet food gift boxes as Christmas gifts to my attorney clients. I put both the attorney’s and paralegal’s names on the gift tag.
One Christmas, I sent a gift box to an attorney-client for whom I had just successfully finished a case. When I called a few days before Christmas to see what other CLNC services I could offer to the attorney, the attorney mentioned that the gift box was appreciated by everyone in his office and that he had not had the experience of receiving such a nice gift in a long time. A few weeks into the New Year, the attorney contacted me about another case requiring an expert witness. He mentioned that his paralegal had suggested that he “call Connie.” I like to think that the paralegal remembered my awesome CLNC services, but there is something about good food that seems to say “Remember me!”
Connie S. Chappelle, RN, MN, CLNC
My favorite gifts to give are wine baskets. I sometimes give gift certificates and tell my attorney-client to have a lunch on me. I also give gift certificates and baskets of candy to the paralegals.
I met with an attorney-client for a lunch meeting one day and he said, “Let me buy you lunch.” We had a great lunch and discussed business. When it was over, he said, “This one is on me.” When the bill came, he pulled out the gift certificate I had given him and paid the bill. I had to laugh. Did I just pay for my lunch and he got credit for it? Oh well. I got a case, so all is good.
Nikki J. Chuml, RNC, CCE, FMC, CLNC
I give gifts any day of the year. I include a bag of Ghirardelli chocolates along with my promotional package to potential attorney-clients. This gift produces sweet results. The sweet results include the receptionist putting me through to leave a voice mail for the attorney 100% of the time if the attorney is not in or if the attorney is busy at the time of my call.
I also include the gift of a timeline with every written report (meritorious or not) and have most recently decided to include a Microsoft® PowerPoint 2007 story presentation along with the traditional written report if the case is meritorious. A 5-6 slide PowerPoint presentation with potential case theme included, along with voice narration, written script and eye-catching pictures is quite the unexpected gift and believe it or not quite easy to put together using PowerPoint.
My motto is “Think and market outside the box in order to fulfill attorney needs.” Dare to be creatively different. Dare to be remembered!
Lawrence H. Frace, RN, CLNC
I give birthday gifts to my favorite attorney-clients. I send them a basket of goodies with a gift card to their favorite coffee place. I try to make the baskets different every year. I have done chocolate-covered strawberries, wine baskets, Italian goodies and decorated cookies. Once I gave an attorney who had just passed the bar a Vermont teddy bear that was dressed like a lawyer. He was so surprised and five years later, he still has this bear displayed in his office. My attorney-clients do not expect these gifts from me so they are always surprised and thankful.
Dorene Goldstein, RNC, CLNC
I send my attorney-clients gifts to keep my name in front of them either when they have achieved certain goals or for the holidays.
My favorite gifts are ones that are unusual and personalized for the individual attorney-client. Any gift that portrays thoughtfulness, individuality and creativity are the most appreciated. I like to make my attorney-clients feel like they are my most important client. I send a gift, or better yet, stop by with “just because” gifts such as a themed gift basket or a gift certificate.
On occasion, I give the members of the litigation team bagels and cream cheese with my business cards taped on the boxes. Last Easter, I delivered baskets filled with gum and candy and my business cards! A simple handwritten thank-you note can do wonders for your relationship with the litigation team.
Gift cards to nice restaurants are always appreciated, a good bottle of wine (if you’re like me and you aren’t a wine expert, ask friends who appreciate fine wine to give you suggestions), tickets to concerts, ballet and the symphony are also nice if I know it’s something they would like, I will also periodically take food to attorney-clients who are close to my home, and send food to attorneys who are too far away to deliver personally. One of my CLNC® colleagues turned me on to Edible Arrangements. It’s a wonderful, unique gift idea. Everyone loves the fresh fruit dipped in chocolate. I also send Cheryl & Company gourmet cookies.
I always remember the paralegals and secretaries I work with. I give them the same types of gifts I give to my attorney-clients, only on a smaller scale, or little personal gifts like Bath & Body gift cards or manicures.
The first time I gave a small gift to a receptionist who answered the phone at one of my attorney-client’s offices, she cried. She told me no one had ever given her a gift thanking her for her help. It made me want to cry too.
I gave one of my med-mal attorney-clients a cactus plant after a big successful trial with a note that said “You are as tough as a cactus – congratulations on your success.” He loved it. He had the cactus for years until a helpful cleaning lady watered it every day and drowned it. He wasn’t happy with her.
Jane A. Hurst, RN, CLNC
Everyone seems to enjoy a really great bottle of red wine along with some excellent chocolate, an appointment book for the following year and perhaps some homemade raspberry jam or homemade pesto. They all seem to love the contents and the personal touches.
Camille Joyner, RN, CCM, CLNC
I send a good old-fashioned handwritten thank-you note on beautiful personalized stationery. I am able to personalize my wording and thoughts, give the recognition and thanks deserved and I’m confident that I did so in a professional manner. It is always a pick me up to receive a mailed handwritten note of congratulations and praise.
Julie Somen-Becker, RN, BSN, CLNC
Success Is Inside!
P.S.Comment and share your favorite gift ideas or thank the CLNC Pros for their helpful advice.
4 thoughts on “The CLNC® Pros Share Gift-Giving Strategies”
I give small promotional gifts throughout the year. However, at Christmastime I provide a special gift to those attorney clients (and their office staff members) who have provided casework for me during the past year. I purchase tiny Christmas trees – about 5 inches tall and tie individual Lindor truffles and Andes mints onto the branches with colorful ribbons. Attached to the top of each tree is a Christmas card of thanks containing a discount offer to be applied toward the cost of any CLNC® service provided prior to January 31 of the new year. Since my current attorney-clients are within driving distance, I deliver the gifts personally during the first 10 days of December. Purchasing the tiny trees during the “off season,” they only cost about 40 cents each at a local wholesale house.
I realize as my attorney-client base expands, this practice will have to be changed to something else. This year we are making about 30 individual trees for the attorney-client gifts, but it is a way of getting my family involved in marketing and celebrating the Christmas season at the same time.
Thank you all for sharing your gift-giving ideas. I was just thinking about what gifts I would give to my clients so your information was very timely.
One of the things I had been considering was some type of specially designed chocolate treat. Would Dale be willing to share where she found the scales of justice chocolate she mentions in the blog?
These ideas are great! At Christmas time, my daughter and I spend two days baking all kinds of Christmas cookies. We arrange them in decorative boxes with festive tissue paper, colorful bows, and assorted Christmas candies. I will also add in homemade Christmas ornaments made of Sculpey clay. We love preparing these fun packages and giving them away. My daughter and son-in-law are also entrepreneurs and give the gifts to customers and contractors. I personally deliver them to attorney-clients. Two of my attorney-clients are repeat recipients and love to get them as well as the staff in their offices.
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I give small promotional gifts throughout the year. However, at Christmastime I provide a special gift to those attorney clients (and their office staff members) who have provided casework for me during the past year. I purchase tiny Christmas trees – about 5 inches tall and tie individual Lindor truffles and Andes mints onto the branches with colorful ribbons. Attached to the top of each tree is a Christmas card of thanks containing a discount offer to be applied toward the cost of any CLNC® service provided prior to January 31 of the new year. Since my current attorney-clients are within driving distance, I deliver the gifts personally during the first 10 days of December. Purchasing the tiny trees during the “off season,” they only cost about 40 cents each at a local wholesale house.
I realize as my attorney-client base expands, this practice will have to be changed to something else. This year we are making about 30 individual trees for the attorney-client gifts, but it is a way of getting my family involved in marketing and celebrating the Christmas season at the same time.
Thank you all for sharing your gift-giving ideas. I was just thinking about what gifts I would give to my clients so your information was very timely.
One of the things I had been considering was some type of specially designed chocolate treat. Would Dale be willing to share where she found the scales of justice chocolate she mentions in the blog?
Thank you.
Check with a chocolate shop in your community.
These ideas are great! At Christmas time, my daughter and I spend two days baking all kinds of Christmas cookies. We arrange them in decorative boxes with festive tissue paper, colorful bows, and assorted Christmas candies. I will also add in homemade Christmas ornaments made of Sculpey clay. We love preparing these fun packages and giving them away. My daughter and son-in-law are also entrepreneurs and give the gifts to customers and contractors. I personally deliver them to attorney-clients. Two of my attorney-clients are repeat recipients and love to get them as well as the staff in their offices.