Name: Julie P. Meyers
Company: Burns White
Title: Chief Marketing Officer
Email: jpmeyers@burnswhite.com
- How did you get into legal marketing?
While practicing law years ago, some of that law firm’s client relationships became threatened. Consequently, I made an effort to develop new relationships instinctively, through business development strategies. My contributions to that law firm included bringing in new business and helping to create brand identity, a new website and custom-tailored marketing materials. I found that my efforts were bearing fruit and I enjoyed marketing and business development more than litigation. Ultimately, I focused on and developed a niche, coaching attorneys in marketing and business development. Now I am the CMO at Burns White where, among other things, I continue to work with attorneys to create business plans, identify attainable goals and assist with business development efforts.
- Describe one of your best experiences in legal marketing?
In general, my best experience in legal marketing has been to learn and understand what is behind attorneys’ apprehensions about marketing, to coach attorneys and create marketing and business development systems that allow them to proceed in the face of those concerns, and to witness their successes in developing relationships and bringing in business.
- What is one of your greatest challenges when it comes to legal marketing?
My greatest challenge is sometimes getting others to be equally excited about business development.
- Do you have any words of wisdom to those who are new to the field?
My advice would be to find out what the firm’s goals are, to work with others in your department to stay focused on those goals, and to have confidence that the efforts will have positive results. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to make sure you stay on track in order to achieve those goals.
- What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?
One thing that only a few people know about me is that when I was 12 years old, I won first prize in the Miami/Dade County Youth Fair for the gingerbread house that my (architect) father designed and that I baked, built and decorated. It was an awesome experience!