The
Legal
Marketing
Association’s
40th
Annual
Conference
(LMA25)
was
brimming
with
insights
and
real
talk
about
where
our
profession
is
heading.
The
big
themes?
Understanding
and
aligning
with
lawyers’
needs,
the
necessity
of
tailored
coaching
and
business
development
(BD)
strategies,
and
the
increasing
role
of
qualitative
and
quantitative
data
and
technology
in
demonstrating
value
of
investment
(VOI).
LMA25
made
it
evident
that
legal
marketing
is
evolving
rapidly,
requiring
a
blend
of
empathy,
strategy,
peer
support,
and
technological
savvy.
These
themes
reflect
a
profession
where
marketing
leaders
are
not
only
positioned
to
drive
results,
but
also
foster
collaboration,
accountability,
and
innovation
in
an
ever-evolving
legal
marketplace.
There
was
plenty
of
content
to
fill
your
legal
marketing
toolkit,
and
I’ve
pulled
together
highlights
from
select
sessions
I
attended.
Cultivating
a
Business
Development
Mindset
Session:
Amplify
Your
Impact:
Getting
Buy-in
to
Help
Lawyers
Cultivate
an
Effective
Business
Development
Mindset
One
thing
was
crystal
clear:
To
really
move
the
needle
in
BD,
we
must
“fall
in
love
with
the
problem,”
not
just
the
solution.
We
heard
from
Mo
Bunnell
about
how
crucial
it
is
to
get
inside
our
lawyers’
heads,
understand
their
pain
points,
and
use
their
language
to
communicate
possible
solutions.
That’s
how
we
become
trusted
advisors,
not
just
another
“marketing
person.”
Amanda
Bruno
advocated
for
defining
success
in
qualitative
and
quantitative
terms,
reminding
attendees
to
be
generous
with
metrics
in
the
short
term
while
keeping
an
eye
on
long-term
impact.
These
insights
reinforce
that
legal
marketers
must
act
as
translators
and
strategists,
bridging
the
gap
between
lawyers’
day-to-day
realities
and
the
firm’s
broader
business
goals.
Key
takeaways
included:
-
Make
it
as
easy
as
possible
for
lawyers
to
engage,
reducing
friction
and
increasing
buy-in
for
new
initiatives. -
Propose
pilot
programs
to
lower
perceived
risk
and
encourage
experimentation. -
Tailor
approaches
to
individual
lawyers
and
practice
groups,
recognizing
that
one
size
does
not
fit
all. -
Know
the
firm’s
offerings
inside
and
out,
from
top
attorneys
to
key
practice
areas,
to
better
position
internal
stakeholders
for
success. -
Cross-selling
and
institutionalizing
client
relationships
can
create
additional
“stickiness”
and
growth
opportunities. -
Breaking
down
strategies
into
bite-sized
steps
and
making
oneself
indispensable
are
critical
for
sustained
impact.
Coach
Attorneys
for
Revenue
Growth
Session:
Coaching
to
Revenue:
Unlocking
Business
Development
Potential
through
Equitable
Strategies
Ditch
the
empty
BD
plan
template
and
implement
coaching
as
a
high-impact
tool
for
unlocking
lawyers’
BD
potential.
Elizabeth
Brick
and
Jordan
Fowler
highlighted
that
business
plans
often
fail
due
to
a
lack
of
equity
—
they
don’t
resonate
with
the
individual
attorney
and
their
capabilities.
The
session
emphasized
that
coaching
is
about
co-creating
a
path
to
growth,
tailored
to
each
lawyer’s
strengths
and
circumstances.
Effective
coaching,
therefore,
must
transcend
practice
or
industry
silos
and
focus
on
the
attorney.
Key
takeaways
included:
-
A
good
BD
plan
sparks
reflection,
focuses
on
relationships,
and
includes
actionable
steps. -
Brain-based
coaching
techniques
and
a
mentor
mindset
help
establish
trust
and
foster
collaboration. -
Understanding
attorney
profiles
—
such
as
self-starters,
hesitant
participants,
and
those
constrained
by
their
environment
—
enables
more
targeted
support. -
Motivation
is
built
through
“doses
of
success,”
and
BD
strategy
plans
should
target
the
“Goldilocks
Zone”
—
challenging
yet
attainable.
Leverage
Qualitative
Data
for
Event
VOI
Session:
Using
Data
&
Technology
to
Drive
ROI
in
Legal
Marketing
Events
The
message
was
clear:
success
is
not
about
the
quantity
of
attendees,
but
the
quality
of
connections
and
outcomes
generated.
The
panel
—
featuring
Tiffany
Christian,
Ryan
Hayes,
Steven
Tyndall,
and
Caryn
Rinaldi
—
challenged
the
notion
that
event
ROI
is
a
myth,
arguing
instead
for
a
focus
on
VOI,
measured
through
engagement,
brand
exposure,
and
relationship
building.
Key
takeaways
included:
-
Define
clear,
measurable
goals
for
each
event
type,
whether
it’s
lead
generation,
thought
leadership,
or
relationship
building. -
Invite
the
right
people
and
act
as
a
strategic
matchmaker
to
maximize
impact. -
Leverage
AI
to
automate
logistics,
generate
event
summaries,
and
facilitate
post-event
follow-up. -
Evaluate
and
revise
your
event
strategy
on
a
regular
basis.
Bonus:
Bringing
It
All
Home
Session:
Developing
A
Future-Focused
BD
Strategy:
Implementing
Lessons
Learned
from
LMA25
During
one
of
the
last
sessions
of
the
final
day,
Carman
Akins,
Ashraf
Lakhani,
Kelly
MacKinnon,
and
Deborah
Ruffins
hosted
an
interactive
panel
to
crowdsource
key
business
development
takeaways
and
workshop
next
steps
for
planning
and
implementation.
Key
takeaways
included:
-
Relationship
building
is
paramount.
Connect
with
attorneys
and
colleagues
when
the
stakes
are
low,
building
rapport
before
there
is
a
pressing
need.
Regular,
proactive
engagement,
such
as
setting
a
goal
to
get
face
time
with
a
partner
or
attorney
every
day,
helps
foster
trust
and
positions
BD
professionals
as
true
partners
to
lawyers. -
Leverage
technology
to
scale
BD
impact.
Tools
that
automate
routine
tasks,
provide
actionable
client
insights,
and
facilitate
relationship
mapping
can
help
teams
scale
their
impact
without
a
proportional
increase
in
resources. -
Data
storytelling
and
qualitative
insights
matter.
While
data
is
valuable,
its
true
power
lies
in
the
story
it
tells
and
how
it
is
applied.
Qualitative
data,
such
as
feedback
from
client
conversations,
should
not
be
overlooked,
as
it
often
reveals
the
context
and
nuances
behind
quantitative
trends. -
Model
the
behaviors
you
want
to
see.
Demonstrate
curiosity
about
internal
collaboration,
share
wins
and
best
practices
with
leadership,
and
maintain
good
BD
hygiene.
Effective
BD
requires
modeling
the
behaviors
you
coach
lawyers
to
adopt.
Christine
Mosley
is
a
business
development
manager
with
ArentFox
Schiff
LLP,
a
destination
firm
for
companies
in
key
industries
driving
the
global
economy.
With
over
seven
years
of
legal
marketing
experience
in
Am
Law
100
firms,
she
also
serves
on
the
LMA
Editorial
Committee.