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.

In the world of legal marketing and business development, it’s generally understood that expanding business with current clients is easier than landing a brand-new client. The challenge lies in implementing this approach thoughtfully, ensuring that your efforts enhance, rather than jeopardize, these valuable relationships. This article - originally published by LMA's Strategies & Voices - offers tactics for gradually strengthening your existing client relationships, all while keeping their needs at the forefront.

In today’s dynamic work environment, effective collaboration is the key to success. Our expert panel as they share insights and strategies for building collaboration across firm business operational teams, including your own, and among your clients – lawyers. Join us at LMA's Northeast Regional Conference to discover practical approaches to enhancing communication (including how to ask the right questions to get the information you need) and project management best practices (such as tools and tips that drive innovation and productivity). Whether you’re looking to improve intra-team cooperation or build relationships across departments, this session will equip you with tactics to connect the dots, keep initiatives on track and achieve collective goals.

Join us for a dynamic session that will explore the multifaceted role of Competitive Intelligence (CI) within law firms. Our speakers, including representatives for Business Development, Finance, and Research Services will provide unique insights into how CI intermingles with their roles and the importance of these relationships. This combination program for LMA's CI SIG and LMA Virginias Local Group is not to be missed.

As of May 2024, there are over 10 million C-suite executives and 65 million decision-makers on LinkedIn. If you do not have a complete and accurate LinkedIn profile, you are missing a huge opportunity to be visible among this group of influential buyers. Originally published in The Richmond Lawyer, the first part of this guide will cover best practices for building an impactful profile.

In the book, “How Clients Buy,” authors Tom McMakin and Doug Fletcher, share a smart framework on the client buying journey.

“Prospective clients must, of course, become aware of your existence. They must understand what you do and how you are unique…”

Join the Richmond Bar Association on Thursday, June 27 to kick off an enriching Professional Development series with a dynamic session addressing essential topics including marketing, business development, legal project management, and law firm finance.

How do you increase the success of your business development efforts? Manage business development as an ongoing project. How do you manage BD as an ongoing project?

Write it down. Document your plans and your network. Preferably in some form of a pipeline that includes…