17 Attorney-Client Retention Strategies for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants

You wouldn’t have a CLNC^® business without your attorney-clients. And once you gain an attorney-client, you want to keep that client for life. A single attorney can represent hundreds of thousands of revenue dollars to you as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. The CLNC Pros share 17 tips for retaining attorney-clients through good old-fashioned customer service. That’s right – simple customer service is always in vogue. Check in and grade yourself on how you’re applying these attorney-client retention strategies.

Track Your Cases

1. I track all my cases using what I call a “Priority Review Table.” As each case comes in, I quickly add it to the table including the type of project, due date and the assigned CLNC subcontractor. I also track the progress of the project from beginning to end. This table acts as a quick reference so that when an attorney-client emails a question or needs to reprioritize the case, I am able to respond promptly without taking time away from the project that is in front of me. It also helps me to focus and maintain my productivity levels.
   – Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

Respond Promptly to Requests

2. My attorney-clients know that I am available to them at any time. I tell them to call or email me with any questions or to bounce ideas off of me. The attorneys appreciate this. I also extend the same invitation to their paralegals.
   – Jane Hurst, RN, CLNC

Meet or Beat Deadlines

3. I always meet or beat deadlines. Although I make every effort to educate my attorney-clients that planning ahead helps me to help them, sometimes “rushes” are required. When I am able to accommodate the “rush” or even beat the deadline, it communicates accountability and reliability time and time again and keeps the relationship strong.
   – Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

4. Meeting deadlines is top priority. There is nothing better than a good report done on time to retain an attorney client. I also try to go above and beyond what the attorney asked for to give a wow effect. That shows my integrity and my commitment to the legal nurse consultant job.
   – Marcia Bell, RN, BSN, CAPA, CLNC

5. One of the worst things an attorney can tell me is that there is no deadline for the report. Being a procrastinator, this lack of information can be dangerous. In order to alleviate issues, I provide a deadline for the attorney and then I get the task completed a few days before the due date.
   – Dorene Goldstein, RNC, BSN, CLNC

6. It’s important to prioritize your cases in order to meet all deadlines. In addition, timely communication can make the difference of gaining new clients or retaining current clients. I recently had a new potential attorney contact me. I returned his call within an hour. The attorney really appreciated how timely my response was and told me that he had a few legal nurse consultants he had called first, but I was the first to call him back. My timely response gained me a new client and five new cases.
   – Michelle Neal, RN, BSN, CLNC

Practice Quality Improvement

7. Working with employees, subcontractors and various vendors makes quality improvement paramount to the success and reliability of my CLNC business. I have regular conversations not only with my attorney-clients, but also with their paralegals and legal assistants to obtain feedback, receive suggestions and discuss concerns.
   – Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

8. When I first became a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, I worked more hours on a case to ensure I provided a quality work-product. As time went on, I became more efficient in delivering a quality work product. The extra hours I put in initially definitely benefited me and got me to where I am today. I believe this has helped me to retain clients that I continue to still work with today, five years later. Whether you’re just starting out as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant or have been in business for years, it always pays to exceed the attorney’s expectations.
   – Michelle Neal, RN, BSN, CLNC

Collaborate

9. While a case is active, I stay in close contact with the attorney. I don’t call or email them for every little thing, but I do make a point of letting the attorney know when I discover new and important information in the case. I keep the attorney informed about my progress and create an atmosphere of joint collaboration.
   – Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, PHN, CLNC

10. When my attorney-clients suggest additional information be included within a report (per their personal preference), I always ensure I deliver exactly what is requested. This shows the attorney you are listening and willing to meet their needs. My attorney-clients appreciate how efficiently I incorporate their recommendations, which is why they continue to use me.
    – Michelle Neal, RN, BSN, CLNC

Leave Your Other Cases at the Door

11. Let your attorney-clients believe that they and their cases are the only things on your mind when you are dealing with them. There is no reason for them to know you are juggling 10 cases at one time!
    – Margaret Gallagher, RN, BSN, MSN, CLNC

Communicate

12. My attorney-clients respect and appreciate that I provide a status update on pending cases. It helps show you’re organized and are continuing to communicate – especially on cases that may take a long time. My attorneys send me multiple cases at once without specific deadlines. I always provide a status update if it’s been a few weeks since we’ve talked and the requested work product is in process. The attorneys are always grateful for the communication.
    – Michelle Neal, RN, BSN, CLNC

Give a Little Extra

13. I anticipate the attorney’s needs and always give a little more than requested. For example when I am screening a case, I add a few relevant research studies. On the invoice, I indicate this free gift by writing “no charge – professional courtesy.”
    – Dorene Goldstein, RNC, BSN, CLNC

14. I always give my clients more than they expect. In addition to the agreed-upon report and services, I always try to do a little something extra, such as deposition questions. I want them to know that they always get their money’s worth.
    – Jane Hurst, RN, CLNC

Put Yourself in Front of Attorneys

15. Exhibiting is one of my most effective ways to retain attorney-clients. Before I exhibit I review the list of attorneys who have registered for the legal conference. I make sure that I know what cases I have done for which attorneys. That way I can greet them and ask about the cases. I hope that it will remind them that a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant made their case stronger. At one law conference I saw ten attorneys that I had done a case for. On one of the cases I had charged over and above my usual rate because it was a rush job and I felt guilty. When I saw the attorney at the conference, he informed me that the case settled for up to three million dollars. Never again will I feel guilty for charging extra for a rush job.
    – Marcia Bell, RN, BSN, CAPA, CLNC

Show What You Can Do

16. One of my attorney-clients asked me to screen a potential medical malpractice case. This case involved a failure to recognize a non reassuring fetal heart tracing. When I screened the case I identified that the attorney needed a perinatology expert. Since I had never located an expert for this particular attorney, I provided him with this service. He never realized that this was something that I could do for him, but he does now.
    – Dorene Goldstein, RNC, BSN, CLNC

Live the Golden Rule

17. Treat your attorney-client exactly the way you want to be treated. When you provide first-class service, you usually get first-class response in return.
    – Lawrence H. Frace, RN, CLNC

Thanks to all the CLNC Pros for sharing their attorney-client retention strategies.

Success Is Yours,

P.S. Comment and share your unique retention strategies.