Busting the Objections to LNC Networking: Why Avoiding It Is Costing You Business
What happens inside you when you hear the words LNC networking?
Extrovert Ellen says, “Oh, great! A chance to meet people. Yay!”
But Introvert Ivy says, “Oh, no! Do I have to meet people?”
For some legal nurse consultants, it sounds energizing. For others, it triggers tension.
- A room full of strangers.
- Small talk.
- The possibility of rejection.
- The fear of saying the wrong thing.
- The discomfort of asking for referrals.
Many nurses move into legal nurse consulting with strong clinical skills but very little exposure to business development. Nursing school did not prepare you for marketing, relationship building, or asking for introductions. In clinical practice, your role was defined.
- You were there to help patients.
- You had authority.
- You knew what to do.
Nursing school did not include a business curriculum. Spreadsheets were something you did with a bed.
Networking feels different because the role is not as clearly scripted. One way to view networking in a positive light is to consider it as a very powerful way to learn how to succeed at realizing your dream of having a business as an LNC.
Let’s examine the most common objections to networking — and dismantle them one by one.
“I Don’t Know Anyone Who Knows Attorneys.”
This objection sounds logical. It also assumes something you cannot possibly know.
You do not know who someone knows unless you ask.
Your neighbor may have a cousin who is a trial attorney. The parent sitting next to you at a school event may work at a law firm. A former colleague may have married into a legal family. Connections are rarely obvious.
LNC networking is not limited to legal events. It is the art of expanding relationships and allowing people to understand what you do. Once they understand it, they can connect you to others.
Without asking, you are guessing — and guessing is a poor marketing strategy.
“I Just Moved. I Don’t Know Anyone.”
Geography is less limiting than it used to be. Most legal nurse consultants work nationally. Attorneys hire expertise, not zip codes.
If you moved, your prior contacts still exist.
- Have you told them about your business?
- Have you explained clearly what types of cases you handle?
- Have you asked if they know attorneys who defend or prosecute those cases?
Locally, LNC networking can begin with civic groups, churches, volunteer organizations, and professional associations.
- Staying after events.
- Talking with people.
- Being curious.
The goal is not to close a case at a luncheon. The goal is to expand your circle.
Every successful entrepreneur began somewhere. Few were born into business families. Most learned by showing up, asking questions, and building connections over time.
“It Feels Uncomfortable to Ask for Referrals.”
Of course it does. Most worthwhile skills feel awkward at first.
But let’s examine the belief underneath the discomfort. Many nurses feel that asking for referrals is imposing. That it is somehow inappropriate to request help.
Yet think about how you feel when someone asks you for assistance. If you trust them and respect their work, you are usually glad to help.
When you ask for a referral, you are not begging. You are offering someone the opportunity to connect a capable professional with someone who needs help.
Your services make your referral source look good. If you provide excellent work, you elevate everyone involved.
There is also a deeper truth: successful professionals ask.
Attorneys regularly ask for referrals in legal publications. They solicit cases from other attorneys. They market themselves openly. If they can do it, so can you.
The difference between professionals who grow and those who stagnate often comes down to the willingness to ask.
LNC Networking Is Not Selling
This confusion blocks many nurses.
Selling focuses on closing a deal. Networking focuses on building relationships.
When you network, you are not pushing a contract across the table. You are expanding knowledge, support, and opportunity. Some connections lead directly to business. Others lead to introductions. Some lead to education or collaboration.
Networking is about meeting people. Businesses do not network — people do.
If you walk into every interaction thinking, “I must land a case,” you will feel pressure. If you walk in thinking, “I am here to connect and be helpful,” the tone changes entirely.
Shift the focus from income to relationships. The income often follows.
Myth #1: My Clinical Background Should Be Enough
Many legal nurse consultants believe strong clinical credentials will automatically generate business.
Clinical expertise is the floor, not the ceiling. The entrepreneurial graveyard is filled with talented professionals who assumed competence alone would attract clients.
Attorneys hire LNCs who understand their problems, speak their language, and clearly explain how they reduce risk or clarify complex medical issues.
That clarity comes through communication — which develops through relationships.
Networking accelerates that process.
Myth #2: I Have a Website. Attorneys Will Find Me.
Legal nurse consulting is competitive. Many nurses launch websites and wait. Waiting rarely produces results.
Successful business owners promote their services actively.
- They speak.
- They attend events.
- They write.
- They connect.
- They follow up.
A website is a tool. Networking drives traffic to the tool.
Myth #3: If It’s Working, I Don’t Need to Change Anything
Complacency is dangerous. You create a reputation that is widespread. Attorneys talk to each other constantly. Social media amplifies impressions. A single poor interaction can ripple outward.
Networking is not only about finding new clients. It is about maintaining visibility, strengthening relationships, and staying aware of trends.
If you are not actively improving and expanding your relationships, someone else is.
The Real Issue: Confidence in the Unfamiliar
Many objections to networking are really objections to uncertainty.
Ask yourself:
- Are you confident in your nursing skills?
- Confident as a parent?
- Confident as a friend?
Confidence exists in areas where you have experience. LNC networking feels uncomfortable because it is newer territory.
Skills develop through action. Ultimately, the most effective way to learn is to DO. You need to begin to practice the art of networking. You will make mistakes, and you will learn from them—like everyone who does something new.
The only way to become comfortable networking is to practice networking.
A More Accurate View of Networking
Networking is:
- Receiving and giving.
- Expanding relationships.
- Learning from others.
- Creating opportunities for collaboration.
- Allowing people to understand how you help.
It is not manipulation. It is not begging. It is not self-promotion at the expense of others.
It is connection.
When you shift your mindset from “I have to sell myself” to “I am here to connect and be useful,” resistance decreases.
Your legal nurse consulting business depends not only on your nursing expertise but on your willingness to be visible, relational, and proactive.
Silence does not build businesses. Conversations do.
The attorneys you want to work with are already talking to someone. The question is whether you are part of those conversations — or waiting at home for the phone to ring.
Join us for our March 2, 2026 LNC Power Series at 12 Noon: Never Wonder Where the Next Case is Coming From or get the toolkit to learn at a convenient time. You’ll receive the full video recording, the audio recording, the transcript, and tools you can use to strengthen your networking skills.
Pat Iyer MSN RN LNCC is president of The Pat Iyer Group. She develops resources to assist LNCs in obtaining more clients, making more money, and achieving their business goals and dreams.
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