Page 196 - Leaders in Legal Business - PDF - Final 2018
P. 196
Business Development
Much like law firms themselves, legal marketing professionals are challenged constantly
to prove their worth by adding value for their “internal clients.” Marketers today bring to the
table well-honed business development skills and the ability to provide guidance and support to
attorneys as they work to expand their books of business. Marketers leverage sharp business
development skills and enable lawyers to put their best foot forward in pursuing work.
Many law firm marketers are called upon to provide “coaching” for the lawyers they
support. To adopt a sports analogy in which lawyers are the players, business development, when
well executed, can and should encompass not just the role of the game-day coach on the
sidelines, but that of the team’s entire coaching and front office staff. In winning legal work, as
in sports, securing a victory takes more than just fielding the most talented team. Rather, it
requires critical behind-the-scenes planning and preparation that all falls under the rubric of
business development. This includes assessing the landscape and the opponent, selecting the
most effective combination of players, and educating them on the particulars of the challenge
ahead. This helps them to develop a unified approach that utilizes each team member’s strengths,
ensuring that they practice and condition themselves to identify and seize upon opportunities that
may arise, developing contingency plans for how to respond when things don’t go as planned,
and being nimble enough to react when momentum shifts. Although execution and
implementation may ultimately fall on the shoulders of the players, there is no doubt that the
most respected coaches are those who, time and time again, put their teams in the best possible
position to win.
By taking on an active role in business development and collaborating with lawyers to
map out game plans and training regimens that ultimately yield success, legal marketers are
helping to advance the goals of the organization.
Marketing Management and Leadership
A highly functioning marketing organization transforms what would otherwise be
random acts of marketing into systematic efforts that help achieve a firm’s strategic objectives,
thereby amplifying the value of the function.
Understandably, managing and leading a function is an advanced skillset that requires
both “IQ” and “EQ.” Intelligence Quotient, or IQ, refers to a person’s intellectual abilities.
Emotional Quotient, or EQ, measures a person’s ability to identify and manage emotions, both
their own and those of others, which helps them create the relationships that enable collaboration
and leadership.
The intellectual challenges for a marketing leader start with creating a vision for the
function that articulates the difference it can make for a specific law firm. Then, the choice of
organizational structure must support the vision, and reflect the culture and strategy of the firm.
The next task is designing the work processes that will operationalize the structure, including
identifying the marketing technologies and tools that will best support those processes. Finally, a
seasoned marketing leader will be able to develop a resource plan, including a budget, to execute
the vision.
Of course, people are required to bring the organization to life, making personnel
management a central component of successfully leading a marketing function. Attracting,
developing, and retaining high-quality talent requires emotional intelligence and leadership
182
Much like law firms themselves, legal marketing professionals are challenged constantly
to prove their worth by adding value for their “internal clients.” Marketers today bring to the
table well-honed business development skills and the ability to provide guidance and support to
attorneys as they work to expand their books of business. Marketers leverage sharp business
development skills and enable lawyers to put their best foot forward in pursuing work.
Many law firm marketers are called upon to provide “coaching” for the lawyers they
support. To adopt a sports analogy in which lawyers are the players, business development, when
well executed, can and should encompass not just the role of the game-day coach on the
sidelines, but that of the team’s entire coaching and front office staff. In winning legal work, as
in sports, securing a victory takes more than just fielding the most talented team. Rather, it
requires critical behind-the-scenes planning and preparation that all falls under the rubric of
business development. This includes assessing the landscape and the opponent, selecting the
most effective combination of players, and educating them on the particulars of the challenge
ahead. This helps them to develop a unified approach that utilizes each team member’s strengths,
ensuring that they practice and condition themselves to identify and seize upon opportunities that
may arise, developing contingency plans for how to respond when things don’t go as planned,
and being nimble enough to react when momentum shifts. Although execution and
implementation may ultimately fall on the shoulders of the players, there is no doubt that the
most respected coaches are those who, time and time again, put their teams in the best possible
position to win.
By taking on an active role in business development and collaborating with lawyers to
map out game plans and training regimens that ultimately yield success, legal marketers are
helping to advance the goals of the organization.
Marketing Management and Leadership
A highly functioning marketing organization transforms what would otherwise be
random acts of marketing into systematic efforts that help achieve a firm’s strategic objectives,
thereby amplifying the value of the function.
Understandably, managing and leading a function is an advanced skillset that requires
both “IQ” and “EQ.” Intelligence Quotient, or IQ, refers to a person’s intellectual abilities.
Emotional Quotient, or EQ, measures a person’s ability to identify and manage emotions, both
their own and those of others, which helps them create the relationships that enable collaboration
and leadership.
The intellectual challenges for a marketing leader start with creating a vision for the
function that articulates the difference it can make for a specific law firm. Then, the choice of
organizational structure must support the vision, and reflect the culture and strategy of the firm.
The next task is designing the work processes that will operationalize the structure, including
identifying the marketing technologies and tools that will best support those processes. Finally, a
seasoned marketing leader will be able to develop a resource plan, including a budget, to execute
the vision.
Of course, people are required to bring the organization to life, making personnel
management a central component of successfully leading a marketing function. Attracting,
developing, and retaining high-quality talent requires emotional intelligence and leadership
182
