Ian Turvill is the chief marketing officer at Freeborn & Peters LLP, a Chicago-based mid-sized law firm. He held marketing roles with several professional services and technology companies for 18 years before coming to Freeborn in 2011. Ian holds a B.A. as well as an M.A. in engineering, economics and management from the University of Oxford and an M.B.A. in finance, marketing and corporate accounting from the University of Rochester. He was elected National Marketing Scholar of the Year by the American Marketing Association in 1997.
1: You are from England originally. What brought you to the United States?
It is actually a rather convoluted story with so much coincidence and serendipity that you would actually think there was a substantial degree of divine intervention involved. Suffice it to say that, when I was just about to graduate from Oxford, I was offered a job by the late Bob Pritzker, who was at the time one of the wealthiest men in Chicago. Being young and adventurous, I jumped at the chance. The job took me to upstate New York, where I met my wife – as she is now – who is originally from Evanston, Illinois.
2: What was the allure of legal marketing after having for so long worked in other industries?
The legal industry is certainly very different from other industries, but as a marketer, many of the underlying principles remain the same. I recently attended the Roundtable Discussion for LMA Midwest Hall of Famers. One of the luminaries there said, "Legal marketing is one of the youngest professions in the world." This statement further reinforced a view I have held for a long time: that legal marketing is a domain where there are many exciting opportunities to drive change.
Equally, the theories of marketing are just as valid in the legal profession as they are in any other industry. The facts and situations may be different, but the same rules apply: put the customer first, differentiate yourself, communicate benefits, and apply an appropriate mixture of creativity and analysis.
3: What are some of the marketing tools you used in organizations you previously worked in that have translated well in your legal marketing efforts?
One of the most important tools that any sales and marketing organization uses is the “opportunity pipeline,” or at least some form of opportunity tracking. At Freeborn, we have really upped the amount of focus on each attorney and the client outreach that he or she is undertaking. This enhanced form of measurement is giving us greater transparency into our likely future results, and the higher level of accountability is leading to improved performance in client acquisition and billings.
4: What are some of the things that you thought would translate well that did not?
I think it is very important to mindful of tone. In other situations, I have used some very “interesting” techniques to get companies, products and services noticed. But lawyers are necessarily conservative and sensitive, and you have to be careful how they are portrayed.
5: You also have an academic background in science and business. What are some of the things you learned in your studies that help you in your current role that you do not think you would have benefitted from otherwise?
Broad education and experience in business brings a level of familiarity and fluency in issues that may affect almost any client of the firm. So, whether I am dealing with issues ranging from seed capital funding for startup companies (I once wrote an edition of the Guide to Venture Capital in the U.K. and Europe) to disputes over insurance policies (I used to consult to property and casualty companies), I have some strand in my background that I can draw upon to make a connection.
Scientific and engineering training is also an incredibly valuable foundation for any marketer. To be successful, you have to be willing to experiment like a scientist, to draw lessons through measurement, and to refine your approach accordingly.
6: If you could have the attorneys in your firm do just one thing in their marketing efforts, what would it be?
The biggest single challenge that attorneys face – that indeed anyone involved in sales or business development must face – is overcoming fear. For attorneys, some of the angst associated with business development is unique to their profession. Understandably and appropriately, they do not like to look foolish or appear wrong. Putting themselves in a situation where they believe they might fall on their faces is quite terrifying to them.
So, the one thing I would ask is to recognize that business development is not law, and that you do not have to be perfect in order to be successful. The key for attorneys is to reach out in authentic ways to existing clients and to prospects and to offer the value of their wisdom. Marketers can help lawyers with many elements of support, but ultimately it is for the attorney to step out and to step up to interacting with buyers of legal services.
7: What do you think separates a good legal marketer from a great one?
A good legal marketer can be a one-trick pony. You can be good at one thing, such as graphic design or public relations, and you are likely to be valued for what you do. A great legal marketer has to be a complete three-ring circus. You have to understand strategy, branding, communications, technology, measurement, business development, intellectual capital and so on. When you have those skills, then you can bring the right approach to bear on the right situation, and you are better able to address the different preferences and ways of working that necessarily exist across a firm.
8: What sorts of things do you bring to your work that you can attribute to being brought up and educated outside the United States and/or in England in particular?
According to my staff, apparently it is strange word usage and a love of puns! One of my staff suggested I sounded like something out of a Jane Austen novel because of my use of the word "fortnight." Another has heard me use so many food-related phrases ("food for thought," "recipe for success," "chewing things over") with respect to our Food and Beverage Practice Group that she often rolls her eyes before I even utter a word!
9: You have been in the United States now for about 20 years, but are there things you still find curious about Americans?
Why do Americans spend so much time obsessing about the Royal Family if they are also so proud of the outcome of the Revolutionary War? That is a curious contradiction.
10: What do you do for fun?
Naturally, I spend a lot of time with my family. My wife and I enjoy the theater scene in Chicago, which we find to be entertaining, vibrant and innovative. One of our favorites is the Piccolo Theater, which resides in the Metra Station at Main Street in Evanston. It is amazing that such a small space can put on such amazing productions – even when diesel locomotives pull up outside every hour on the hour.
My teenage daughter is growing fast, and I enjoy watching her various musical productions. My 10-year-old son consumes a lot of my time with Cub Scouts. I am proud to say that he holds several Pack records for the greatest volume and value of popcorn sales. He has great marketing support!