Certified Legal Nurse Consultants engage in a variety of communications with a variety of people. We discuss cases with our attorney-clients, CLNC® subcontractors and attorney-prospects. The key to having an effective conversation is not just listening, but also engaging and knowing when to end. One of the Institute’s customer service representatives told me about the time he spent almost an hour speaking with a prospective CLNC® consultant. He listened to her talk about her life, family and dissatisfaction with her current nursing position. They talked about legal nurse consulting and the freedom it provides and they just talked, but according to Evan, he did a lot more listening than talking.
At one point, the prospective CLNC® consultant asked Evan, “Does Vickie have a policy that you cannot end a conversation?” Evan laughed and responded, “We have a lot of policies and procedures, but we sure don’t have a policy on that – we’re here for you. As long as you want to talk, we’re here to listen.” Soon the conversation ended with the woman on the path to becoming a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. But it might have ended with the woman staying a prospect.
Either way, we’re willing to do what’s important, that is to invest the time to listen, whatever the outcome. This strategy works with attorneys too. When you’re interviewing with a prospective attorney-client, the conversation may take different and varying paths. You want to keep it focused, as much as you can, on what you can do for the attorney-client. But at the end of the day, you need to be agile enough to abandon your script and go with the flow. By listening to what the prospect is saying, as well as what they’re not saying, for as long as they need.
Make it your personal policy to be willing to listen for as long as it takes and you’ll see the rewards for your legal nurse consulting business.
I’m just sayin’
P.S. Comment here and share the longest amount of time you’ve spent listening to an attorney-prospect before closing the conversation.
