Here’s the truth about business development: actively engaging with your marketing team isn't just another task. It's a critical collaboration that can unlock exponential growth for your practice and your firm. By leveraging their expertise, you can amplify your visibility, reclaim valuable time and build a thriving practice that attracts clients effortlessly. Together, you can create a strategy that feels seamless, organic and aligned with your strengths.
... if you want to build your practice effectively and efficiently, you must tap into the full potential of your marketing team.
This applies to both in-house marketing teams and outside consultants. Let’s explore how to get there.
Why Modern Legal Success Requires Marketing
Reflect on a time when marketing and business development weren't the driving forces behind a successful legal practice. According to Michelle Cotter Richards in her book “Originate: Business Development for Lawyers,” between 1899 and 2005, firms operated under a more straightforward structure.
If you were a natural networker with strong connections, you had the freedom to originate new work. If selling wasn’t your strength but you excelled at managing relationships and overseeing cases, you were valued for your ability to support those who brought in business. If you thrived in the intricacies of the law, your expertise was recognized and rewarded, and you were partnered with those who were good sellers or effective relationship keepers. Regardless of your role, contributions were acknowledged, and success didn’t necessarily hinge on having a formal marketing or business development strategy.
Times have changed.
Demands on lawyers are more complex. You're balancing a mountain of billable hours, client expectations and case management. The legal landscape has become increasingly competitive, with clients expecting not only high-quality legal services but also a proactive approach to their needs. In this environment, having a formal marketing plan is now essential for everyone. Nevertheless, it's easy to push marketing and business development to the bottom of your to-do list. You might find yourself saying, "I'll get to it one day," yet that day often remains elusive, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and unprepared. Or perhaps you’re unsure what marketing or business development entails, making you hesitant to ask for help or even admit this lack of knowing.
Treat Your Team as Partners
Let’s be real: not every lawyer is thrilled about marketing, and that’s completely fine. However, if you want to build your practice effectively and efficiently, you must tap into the full potential of your marketing team. To do that, you need to see them as true partners in your success — not as secondary players who don’t receive the same respect as your colleagues or clients.
Remember, your marketing team is made up of skilled professionals who are often juggling multiple competing deadlines from various attorney groups. How you communicate and engage with them sets the foundation for a productive partnership. When you show them respect and value their contributions, they’re more likely to prioritize your work and go the extra mile. This could mean putting in late nights or weekends to help you meet tight deadlines or last-minute requests. Ultimately, the way you treat them will influence how much effort they invest in your success.
When you approach your team, give them as much clarity and lead time as possible. If they need information, get it to them or set aside time to focus on it. Their next steps depend on that data. Show up to meetings on time, give a heads-up if you need to reschedule and always respond to their requests promptly.
Building a collaborative, respectful relationship allows your team to craft strategies that are not only more effective but also tailored specifically to your needs. The more you invest in this partnership, the more you’ll see your marketing team go above and beyond for you.
Articulate Who You Are and What Makes You Great
To be effective, your marketing team must first understand what you do on the most basic level. Most legal marketers don't have law degrees or legal backgrounds. They likely came from marketing or liberal arts programs and are now navigating the inner workings of a law firm and complex legal jargon.
While it’s part of their job to gain confidence and expertise in the field, they might feel intimidated by the technicalities of your work and hesitant to ask questions. Assume they don’t fully understand the specifics and take the time to break it down for them -- much like you would when explaining a case to a jury. The more straightforward you can be, the better.
Once they have a foundational understanding of your practice, show them what sets you apart. What are your unique experiences, strengths and results that differentiate you from others in your field? What's important to your clients? That’s the information you want to feed your marketing team, so they can weave it into something that feels polished, engaging and designed to capture attention.
Once you’ve done that, your marketing team will be able to curate everything you’ve shared into a sleek and engaging narrative, using content, design, social media and other tools to present your value in a way that resonates. The more insight you give them about your strengths, goals and what makes you unique, the better they can highlight those qualities to attract the right clients. If you give them the raw material, they make it shine.
Create Once, Repurpose Everywhere
As you create content think about how it can be repurposed across different platforms. Did you recently write an article or conduct a presentation about a new regulation, law or trend that impacts your clients or target audience? Don’t stop there. Work with your marketing team to turn it into LinkedIn and blog posts. Include a brief personal introduction and touchpoint about why you wrote it and why it matters. Add graphics or illustrations. Have your team reach out to media to secure interview opportunities to address the law or trend and to reach a new and wider audience with your expertise.
Then, take it further: Share your insights with clients that will be directly impacted by these trends or issues. Sending thought leadership directly to clients isn't pushy or invasive. Don’t assume they’ll see it elsewhere or worry about filling up their inbox. You’re not imposing; you’re adding value.
When you send an article or presentation, you’re giving them something useful: valuable substantive knowledge for which they don’t have to pay. Always add a personal note to introduce the material. Keep it short but meaningful to show that you’re thinking of them.
Clients want to know they’re in good hands and that they can trust you beyond litigation or document preparation. By sharing thought leadership and staying engaged, you show them that you’re always broadening your understanding of their business, their industry and the market. Personal outreach just because you had useful intelligence to share exemplifies that you are indeed a trusted advisor on whom they can rely. And it keeps you top of mind, one of the most critical components to effective relationship building and, in turn, effective business development.
Effective Cross-Collaboration
To create a strong marketing strategy, fostering collaboration across practice areas is crucial. Joint initiatives like webinars or community events, where multiple attorneys share their expertise, are particularly effective for highlighting the firm’s breadth of knowledge. According to Heidi Gardner’s research in “Smart Collaboration,” clients increasingly expect their legal teams to understand not just their specific legal needs but also the broader risks and challenges facing their industries. They value firms that can offer a 360-degree view of their business, connecting the dots between different areas of law to provide comprehensive guidance.
Achieving that requires consistent communication between and among practice groups that serve similar clients or industries. Your marketing team should be central to these efforts, helping to coordinate and identify potential overlap between departments. That said, they may need your insight about which practice groups have the most potential to work together.
Start by focusing on a key client you’re already supporting across multiple practice areas. If the attorneys working with this client aren’t meeting regularly, they should start doing so immediately. Assess what’s working, what’s not and where to make improvements. Another approach is to identify a client or target with potential for collaboration and begin meeting once a month to strategize how to expand your work with them. Our goal is always to make the client’s life easier. By improving internal communication, we can increase efficiency, reduce redundancy and likely save the client both time and money. Demonstrating that you collaborate internally and are invested in their overall success will go a long way.
This targeted, collaborative approach not only strengthens your internal relationships but also ensures your firm presents a unified, cohesive message to clients and demonstrates the depth of expertise available at every touchpoint.
Cultivate Open Feedback Channels
Establishing an environment where feedback flows freely between lawyers and the marketing team is vital for refining strategies and enhancing collaboration. A “Harvard Business Review” study found that teams with high-quality feedback loops saw a 25% increase in overall productivity within just three months.
Let the marketing team know what they did well, what you didn’t like and what you’d like to see happen next time. Don’t silently murmur to yourself about a grammatical error in a post and then stop using marketing altogether. Give them a chance and offer constructive guidance. That doesn’t mean you have to hold their hand — just be direct, yet respectful. Quick feedback in an email or sandwiching constructive criticism with praise can make a big difference. A simple "please" or "thank you" goes a long way. Remember, they can’t read your mind, and you can’t read theirs.
According to Gardner, organizations that prioritize open communication and shared knowledge significantly improve their ability to serve clients effectively. By fostering a culture of feedback, you empower your marketing team to grow and adapt, ultimately leading to more successful and cohesive marketing efforts.
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Aubrey Barrett, a legal communications and business development consultant and Juris Doctor, specializes in helping lawyers build more profitable, sustainable and fulfilling practices.
Brenda McGann, a former legal editor and attorney, is managing partner of Zumado Public Relations, a full-service communications agency retained by law and other professional services firms nationwide.
