I recently tuned into an episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, featuring Matt Dixon, co-author of the newly released The Activator Advantage. The episode draws on research from DCM Insights, highlighting what makes top business developers (aka "Activators") stand out. Spoiler alert: it’s not personality or charisma, it’s behavior. This post includes a few highlights that stuck with me.

If you're a solo marketer (or part of a very lean team), you already know you can't do it all. But you can prioritize with strategy, influence and creativity. This article shares 10 ways small-team marketers are finding smart, strategic ways to lead, even when time, budget and staff are in short supply.rs of growth.

I was pleased to contribute to an article for the Legal Sales and Services Organization (LSSO), focused on building stronger internal relationships with attorneys. Just like lawyers work to build trust with their clients, developing trust and rapport with attorneys is essential to becoming a valued partner inside the firm. This article outlines ten practical steps to help legal marketers deepen those relationships in meaningful, effective ways.

The phrase “practice what you preach” gets thrown around a lot. But, when you run a business, it becomes a daily mantra. As a seller/doer, someone who both markets services and delivers them, I've tested the same BD habits I encourage my clients to build. And in the two years since launching Edwards Advisory, a few key tactics have stood out as real drivers of growth.

For years, I’ve advised lawyers and fellow legal marketers to get involved with appropriate industry associations. Why? Because they put you in the room with the people you want to work with and learn from. They’re not just events to attend or places to collect CLEs, they’re communities that can help you learn, grow and open doors you didn’t even know existed.

Summer is notoriously slow for networking. Conferences wrap up. Schedules scatter. Coffee meetings get postponed. But while in-person opportunities cool down, your online presence doesn’t have to. In fact, summer is the perfect time to show up on LinkedIn. This article provides suggestions on how to make the most of it.

Ideas that can help your BD efforts feel more strategic, more authentic, and more aligned with how lawyers actually work.

From the value of brand recognition to frustrations with billing, in-house counsel share the real drivers of relationships, loyalty, and buying decisions. Across the board, the message was clear: relationships, real insight, and thoughtful service are what set firms apart. In a crowded marketplace, it's not about the glossiest pitch deck, it's about understanding your client, showing up with purpose, and making their job a little easier.

The keynote session at Legal Marketing Association (LMA)’s Annual Conference last week in Washington, DC, featured two of President Barack Obama’s speechwriters, Cody Keenan and Terry Szuplat. On the surface, it may not seem like presidential speeches and legal marketing have much in common, but the connections ran deep. Their insights offered not only inspiration, but real lessons for legal marketers trying to help lawyers communicate with clarity, confidence, and authenticity. This article shares my top takeaways, and how they apply to legal marketing.

Solo and small-team marketers in law firms often wear many hats, juggling everything from strategic planning to day-to-day execution—often with limited resources and support. This practical session, taking place at LMA’s Annual Conference in DC, offers actionable strategies for setting priorities, managing attorney expectations, and building support systems—both within the firm and through external partnerships.

Building and maintaining relationships is at the heart of business development, and LinkedIn offers a simple yet powerful tool to stay connected: the Follow button.

In today’s competitive legal market, one of the few ways to truly differentiate yourself from the competition is by delivering exceptional client service. But what defines exceptional client service?

For a few years now, LSSO (Legal Sales and Services Organization, Inc.) has been on my radar as it aligns directly with the purpose behind launching Edwards Advisory: providing innovative business development strategies and service excellence. This year, I was asked to co-chair their Editorial Board and I authored our first executive board profile of the year featuring Jenna Schiappacasse, Director of Client Development & Strategic Growth at Jenner & Block. These are a few highlights from her story.

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As the year winds down, it’s the perfect time to have year-end conversations with key clients. These discussions not only help reflect on your work together in 2024 but also lay the foundation for strengthening relationships and expanding opportunities in 2025. Read on to find out why these conversations are important and what questions to ask.

One of my favorite pieces of annual thought leadership is the Edelman-LinkedIn Thought Leadership Impact Report. Introduced to me by the good people at Passle, this report examines how thought leadership influences buying behaviors among B2B decision-makers and C-suite executives. “Effective thought leadership exerts a surprisingly strong influence on sales and pricing. Thought leadership can be a more powerful marketing tool than traditional methods and makes people more willing to seek you out — and even pay extra for your expertise.” Read on for why you should be publishing thought leadership on a regular basis.

One of the key takeaways shared after Legal Lift was the importance of playing the long game. Meaning, it takes 10 touchpoints with a prospect before a business opportunity appears. Read on for insights into how playing the long game pays off.

The mere thought of self-promotion, client development, or hearing a dreaded “no” can be enough to make any attorney’s skin crawl. Luckily, just as every Halloween has its treats, there are strategies to turn these marketing “scares” into manageable, even enjoyable, experiences. Originally published on JD Supra, this article covers five fears and ways to overcome them. So, don’t let that fright linger year-round, tackle these fears head-on with some not-so-scary strategies.

On this episode of the LMA podcast, our guests discuss the importance of cross-firm collaboration and its impact on client service. Their discussion emphasizes the need for understanding different roles and departments to work smarter and improve efficiency, while also highlighting the significance of effective internal partnerships, communication, and empathy in delivering the best client experience.

As of February 2024, only 39% of LinkedIn users share content. That means you can reach influential buyers (the more than 10 million C-suite executives and 65 million decision-makers) by simply engaging with your connections or posting your own insights once a week, once a month or even once a quarter. This article - originally published in The Richmond Lawyer - will guide you through the essentials of leveraging LinkedIn for business development, from identifying the right connections and crafting personalized messages to sharing content that resonates with your audience. Whether you're new to the platform or looking to enhance your presence, these strategies will help you make the most of LinkedIn's opportunities.