“I saw Judy coming down the aisle with a bellman carrying all of her promotional items for the exhibit. Judy was dressed perfectly in a navy blue suit, however, I quickly noticed that she was very shy. Not the type of person you would expect to put herself in front of more than a thousand attorneys.
At 7:30am I was already striking up conversations with the attorneys, but noticed Judy stayed back. She confessed that she was completely out of her comfort zone. As I talked with the attorneys I would hand them off to Judy so she could address her 35 years of nursing experience.
At first she forgot so many important elements of engaging attorneys, such as getting their business cards and asking them about their legal practice. She even forgot to give the attorneys her promotional pieces and information about herself. I could see how, even though Judy was painfully shy, the attorneys’ eyes would light up when she mentioned her expertise as a nurse-anesthetist.
As the day progressed, she started to open up and her confidence increased as attorneys started talking to her about their cases. At least three attorneys said that they had a specific case for her. By the end of the day Judy was pitching attorneys like a CLNC Pro and was having fun to boot!
Judy walked away with more than 30 business cards from attorneys who were serious about learning more. She jokingly said, ‘Evie, now I’m not afraid of marketing, I’m afraid I have more business than I can handle!’ ”
This shy Certified Legal Nurse Consultant learned at the CLNC Certification Seminar that everything is marketing. But it was only when she stepped outside of her home and comfort zone that she grasped just how sweet the payoff can be when you live this basic principle.
This is my downfall also. I just need to step out of my comfort zone and make some calls. I like Rosie’s saying. I try to remember that lawyers are not God, just another person!
You’re right, they are not God, yet the next worst thing in a sense. We are talking to them to hopefully walk away with a case. If it was at a luncheon or a bar just to talk, I would feel ok, not to pitch what I hope to be my next successful career.
Lori, thank you for the complement on opposite of Shy is Shine. When I first started my CLNC® business, I too was more shy than I realized. I was preparing my office to get started and walked to my office door. I reached for the doorknob and began introducing myself as a CLNC® consultant to the door. That may sound silly but it worked. I practiced my lines before making the first marketing phone calls and the words started flowing. I exhibited last month and I surprised myself how well I have learned to capture their interest. I have followed every tip that Vickie and her mentors have given me which has helped so much and other successful CLNC® consultants. I have fine-tuned my lines and now ask attorneys (who say they have a case for me), “I am making appointments this week and wondering when you will be needing an appointment set up?” I do not know why I have been so scared to ask, but I am getting results within minutes if I ask by email. For example I asked this question yesterday by email and got positive results with getting started on a new case immediately. Keep the passion and the words will flow.
Thanks for the post. I will be exhibiting this coming November. I don’t think of myself as shy, just not sure what to say other than a casual conversation.
Nurses are not used to selling nursing type services and have to change the way of thinking to promoting our CLNC® consulting businesses. Nurses wear many hats, it is like putting on a business hat.
I recently did a case where the attorney had already spent a lot of money and his own time going to a medical facility asking questions (un-billable hours). “My staff told me to drop the case, but I felt like a bulldog with a bone.” He paid out months of investigator fees, when he finally got me involved. I was done in 4 hours letting him know his case was non-meritorious. I told him to get me involved on any medical cases first, to save him time and money. So now he is thinking about it.
LegalNurse.com is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
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.
Thank you Evie. I needed to read that. I am exhibiting in February. I know I will be ready, but that first call is really the toughest to make.
The opposite of SHY is SHINE. Time for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants to shine!
This is my downfall also. I just need to step out of my comfort zone and make some calls. I like Rosie’s saying. I try to remember that lawyers are not God, just another person!
You’re right, they are not God, yet the next worst thing in a sense. We are talking to them to hopefully walk away with a case. If it was at a luncheon or a bar just to talk, I would feel ok, not to pitch what I hope to be my next successful career.
Lori, thank you for the complement on opposite of Shy is Shine. When I first started my CLNC® business, I too was more shy than I realized. I was preparing my office to get started and walked to my office door. I reached for the doorknob and began introducing myself as a CLNC® consultant to the door. That may sound silly but it worked. I practiced my lines before making the first marketing phone calls and the words started flowing. I exhibited last month and I surprised myself how well I have learned to capture their interest. I have followed every tip that Vickie and her mentors have given me which has helped so much and other successful CLNC® consultants. I have fine-tuned my lines and now ask attorneys (who say they have a case for me), “I am making appointments this week and wondering when you will be needing an appointment set up?” I do not know why I have been so scared to ask, but I am getting results within minutes if I ask by email. For example I asked this question yesterday by email and got positive results with getting started on a new case immediately. Keep the passion and the words will flow.
Thanks for the post. I will be exhibiting this coming November. I don’t think of myself as shy, just not sure what to say other than a casual conversation.
Nurses are not used to selling nursing type services and have to change the way of thinking to promoting our CLNC® consulting businesses. Nurses wear many hats, it is like putting on a business hat.
I recently did a case where the attorney had already spent a lot of money and his own time going to a medical facility asking questions (un-billable hours). “My staff told me to drop the case, but I felt like a bulldog with a bone.” He paid out months of investigator fees, when he finally got me involved. I was done in 4 hours letting him know his case was non-meritorious. I told him to get me involved on any medical cases first, to save him time and money. So now he is thinking about it.