Do you have a defeatist mindset? “I spent a lot of money on a legal nurse consulting program and I have not gotten a client. Not one.” I have heard this scenario from several LNCs during my Make More Money calls. It is easy to get discouraged. Before you give up, do an assessment of your mindset.
How are you marketing?
Ask what you have done to market your business. Can you honestly say you’ve researched who are the prominent attorneys in your area, asked for referrals, investigated networking opportunities, looked into exhibiting at attorney conferences, set up your website and issued blogs at least once a week?
If you have not done these legal nurse consulting business building strategies, what is holding you back? Is it your defeatist mindset? Do you believe you will succeed? Or is your belief system and attitude defeating your efforts?
3 tips for overcoming a defeatist mindset
Create a vision board
Feed your mind with images of success. What does success look like for you? Your vision board might have images of attorneys, courtrooms, law firms (because the future you is comfortable with attorneys in these settings). Your business success might be manifested in images of a new home, a second home, or of vacation settings. You may show yourself in a business suit instead of scrubs.
Cut out or print out images that will represent these images of success. Tape them to a board and hang the board where you can see it every day. Start preparing your own environment to match your goals. Take a good look at where you live. Throw out the clutter, invest in fresh paint, organize your work area, and freshen up the house.
Surround yourself with people who are like minded and interested in success
Has this ever happened to you? You came to work in a good mood. Someone in the staff room was complaining. By the time you listened to her and 2 other people complain, you were depressed, anxious, and dreading walking out of the room to start your rounds. I know it has happened to me. I have seen 1 negative person poison an environment. I had to learn to consciously ignore the complainers.
Avoid complainers
It is even more important when you want to be in business to avoid negative people. Make a conscious decision to hang out with people who are positive and motivated to be successful. The whiners and small minded people are “dream stealers” who will drag you down.
It is hard to start and run a business. You need a cheering squad, not a firing squad. Get to know other local business owners. (An added benefit is that they might know attorneys). Ask them how they started getting business. Discuss where you are in your business and what obstacles are in front of you right now. Ask for advice. People love to help others.
Never stop learning
If marketing is your hurdle, get an education. Nothing in nursing school prepared us for the activities required to start a company. Lucky for all of us, there is an abundance of information available on how to market. Read, take online courses, join my Linkedin LNC Marketing group, and ask questions.
Read one business book a week. Make reading a daily habit. I read for an hour a day during the last hour I am awake. Listen to MP3 audiofiles when you are driving. Watch TED talks for focused guidance. Immersing yourself in marketing information will give you new ideas, practical strategies, and a plan for how to reach your market.
Think about the term, “I’m my own worst enemy”. Don’t let your defeatist mindset become your own personal dream stealer.
Pat Iyer MSN RN LNCC founded and ran a successful LNC business for 28 years. She offers a limited number of complimentary 30 minute strategy sessions to legal nurse consultants. Send a request for a call using the form on the right side of this page. Click on the symbol for “Invest in coaching”.