Insights

As a CMO, I remember sitting in my office close to midnight. I was still working — eyes blurry — trying to finish refining an RFP for a prospective client we likely wouldn’t land. It was directory season, and I was drowning in submissions and strategy. There was also a PR issue we were trying to mitigate. Then the phone…

Every single day, law firms are making leadership changes. It’s great to see succession at work. The tough thing is, stepping into leadership means more than just overseeing legal work—it means driving growth. Business development and marketing are no longer side functions; they are core to your firm’s success. To position your firm for sustainable growth, here are a few…

Capuchin monkeys. Law firm marketing. Holding on to great people. An editor recently asked me, "Why is it that legal marketers leave 🏃‍♀️ their firms?" While there are several reasons, from lack of advancement to culture to compensation, there are several ways to value and retain your business development and marketing staff. I've seen several law firms do this well.…

Growing up in the suburbs, the fourth of July always meant two things: a chance to ooo and ahhhh at fireworks, and the best time of year to buy bathing suits  and grills. I can remember my dad, putting me and my sister in the back of the station wagon and taking us to Sears, just to look at all…

What makes one webinar fail (allowing me to chop carrots while I pretend to watch) while another one, makes me wish it would go on for longer. After watching hundreds of these as a way to learn more on a topic, here are a few  ideas that might be helpful. Only use visuals such as powerpoints if they are CITE -…

In the last two weeks, I’ve given four presentations regarding business development and building a personal brand. But these talks were different than the ones I conducted in the past in that they included something new: a portion on the topic of trust. Why trust? Many years ago, when I asked a partner at a firm why his clients hired…

Are your marketing efforts falling because you're forgetting the most important steps? I worked with a lawyer we'll call Clark. Clark had a gift for writing bylined articles, but despite his talent, he would publish pieces and consider the job done. He never sent them to clients or prospects or shared them on LinkedIn. Clark would mutter to his CMO,…

Did the Zoom attendees arrive and catch me explaining to my dog (Mrs. Lucy Doberman) that she needed to be quiet or would have to leave the room? I hate that first impressions matter, but unfortunately, they do. Will Rogers knew it when he said, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression.” The impact on professional…

Remember the Judy Collins song Both Sides Now? Imagine if the lyrics were about law firm marketing. My now-nearsighted eyes have seen it from both sides – almost three decades in-house and now as a consultant and author having spoken or worked with more than 60 law firms. Here are a few truisms about being a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) that…

Why are certain lawyers successful at developing business while others have a tougher time gaining traction? Based on my research, just a few of the common reasons include... ☔ 1. Competency (a must) ☔ 2. Authenticity ☔ 3 Ability to build relationships ☔ 4. Trusted advisor status ☔ 5. Generosity ☔ 6. Long-term perspective If you are interested in the…