Building a Thriving LNC Practice With Exhibiting

Building a thriving Legal Nurse Consulting (LNC) practice requires more than just expertise in the field; it necessitates a strategic approach to networking and marketing.

One of the most effective ways to establish and grow your LNC practice is by creating a powerful presence at conferences. While attending these events is a good start, exhibiting at them can significantly amplify your visibility and impact.

Here’s how you can maximize your presence and make the most out of these opportunities.

If your marketing efforts engage people, build relationships, and provide a memorable experience for your prospects, what do you have? You’ve got influence, more revenue, and confidence. This is what being an entrepreneur is all about.

One way to build an LNC practice is to create a powerful presence at an attorney conference. You can show up and network your way through an event, or you can show up, take a piece of the real estate, i.e., exhibit, and then create your presence in that space.

The Return on Investment from Trade Shows

Picture yourself making a cold call to an attorney. The receptionist announced your presence to an attorney, who has agreed to see you in his office for a few minutes. You’re sitting on the other side of his desk. You see this: He’s sitting with his arms across his chest, his legs crossed, and a frown on his face. He’s asking himself, “Who is this person? Why should I spend my time talking with this vendor?” You describe the benefits of your services, and he says, “I’d like to think about it.”

You make a follow-up call, and he comes to the phone. He is still gruff. He says to you, “Oh, you again. You got by my assistant again. I’m busy.”

You speak to him a third time. He says, “All right. Let’s get down to business.”

Those first two interactions are eliminated when you exhibit at a trade show. You are meeting the decision-makers face to face.

Three elements will make your conference experience more powerful

1. Identify the right conferences to attend.
2. Understand what your goal is by either attending or exhibiting at that conference.
3. Carefully prepare your booth and giveaways.

How to Choose the Conference

While running my legal nurse consulting business, I flew to San Francisco with another staff member and exhibited at a conference called “RIMS.” I thought many attorneys would be involved on the defense side, but it attracted many insurance people and a few risk managers. It was a considerable expense, and it yielded zero results.

I realized I would have been far better off doing more research to find out who was in the audience before I bought a table, shipped all of my supplies, and then watched people walk by saying, “Legal nurse consultants? I’m not sure what you do and why I need you, but I will go over here to grab these giveaways from your table because I come here every year. They disappear rapidly, and I want to get mine.”

Be crystal clear on who’s in the audience before you commit. I made an expensive error.

Choosing Your Show

Choosing a trade show may depend on your area of expertise and how easy it is to get there. It’s important to know that every trade show is local, whether billed as a local, regional, national, or international event. Seventy percent of every trade show’s attendees come from a 300-mile radius.

Your LNC business requires you to be eyeball-to-eyeball with your client. You’re in New Jersey and thinking about attending a show in Chicago. Unless you are prepared to make numerous trips to Chicago, you would do better not to go to that show. Instead, going to a show in Philadelphia or New York City would be best.

Living in highly populated areas allows you to reach a larger audience from a shorter distance. If you’re going to the show simply because it’s the national show of that industry, but you’re not geographically prepared to service that city, don’t go.

Choose Your Kind of Participation

The ideal conference is where attorneys come to be exposed to what’s new and different in the marketplace. They are looking for what will help their business.

Attorneys may come to get CLE (Continuing Legal Education) if they have to renew their licenses periodically.

If attorneys are only one part of the group coming, you might be better off as an attendee than an exhibitor. Knowing the exact purpose of the conference is a good place to start.

In addition, attending allows you to network more freely and listen to sessions that discuss attorneys’ challenges and struggles.

If you’re exhibiting, you are more rooted in the exhibit space. You’re waiting for people to come to you and listen for words that describe their needs.

Another option is to sponsor an attorney event such as one of their lunches or meetings if you live in a smaller town and work with local attorneys. In exchange, you are often offered five or ten minutes of dedicated time before them to explain your services.

Beware of the desire to accomplish your goals as quickly as possible. Stay focused on which events are best for you. Investing in exhibit space and conference attendance could be very expensive; choose wisely.

In Summary

Leveraging conferences and conventions as a platform for your Legal Nurse Consulting practice can significantly enhance your professional presence and open doors to new opportunities. By thoughtfully preparing, engaging attendees, and following up effectively, you build your brand and create lasting connections to drive your business forward. Remember, each event is a stepping stone toward establishing yourself as a trusted expert in the field. Embrace the chance to showcase your skills, share your knowledge, and watch your LNC practice flourish.

Join us for our September 26 and 27, 2024 LNC success Online Conference, our 10th online conference. You’ll love the opportunity to gain knowledge, support, and network with colleagues. Register at LNC.tips/September2024virtual. We’ll have an entire session devoted to marketing that will give you practical suggestions.

 

Pat Iyer is president of The Pat Iyer Group, which develops resources to assist LNCs in obtaining more clients, making more money, and achieving their business goals and dreams.

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