In my year as president of the LMA Midwest Chapter, I’ve had a unique view into the changing world that today’s law firm chief marketing officers operate in. Today’s CMO is just as involved in the business development and strategic direction of the firm as they are in traditional legal marketing.
I particularly have seen this trend in the types of programming that our members are asking for. Our members not only want to discuss traditional marketing ideas, but also client-team building, pricing, how GCs purchase legal services and how best to lead client project management. In companies, CFOs and GCs are linked even closer as they look for ways to get the best price for their legal services without sacrificing quality. CMOs need to understand that dynamic in order to continue as trusted advisors to their clients. In law firms, I see more people hired as client development officers as opposed to chief marketing officers – another change from even five years ago.
Legal marketers are also specializing themselves as they handle specific practices. They must learn the ins and outs of that industry so to better understand how to help their lawyers reach potential clients. They are also hiring research companies to really study that industry so they can make poignant recommendations.
I can’t neglect to mention how technology and social media have impacted the marketing landscape. LinkedIn, Twitter, video, to name a few. We must think even more about our firm websites, so they tell the best stories of our firms and effectively reach general counsel. Firms not considering this will be left behind. CMOs need to be change agents in order for survival. They need to change as new types of business strategies are needed. It’s a competitive world, and CMOs are often at the frontline.
These changes present great opportunities for LMA programs and training to help CMOs weather the world we work in. For example, in June we did a program with Akina that discussed reimagining the sales process and the best practices for sharing our lawyers’ knowledge to generate new business leads. It provided tips and advice for our membership to execute in their firms. It reinforced the importance of being targeted and smart in our prospecting. We want our potential clients to recognize that we know their business and understand how to be partners in that business.
I’m proud of the year LMA Midwest had, because we’ve done an effective job offering the legal marketing community opportunities to learn and grow in their profession so they will not be left behind. We have provided a forum for them to talk with one another and a forum to take those best practices back into the office. We’ve not only increased our programming this year, but we’ve also grown our membership – reaching more than 450 members in 2014. It has been a great year and given me a chance to take a unique look at the changing world that we as legal marketers now operate in.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone in our chapter who contributed in one way or another, whether as a board member, City Group leader, committee member, attendee at one of our programs, or any other type of activity that benefited our Midwest Chapter. We have some of the best volunteers and supporters of any chapter in the LMA family, and it has been a pleasure serving you in 2014.