Megan Senese is the Co-founder and Principal of stage, a woman-owned business development and marketing firm focused on generating relationships, revenue, and growth for lawyers and law firms. With over 16 years of marketing and business development experience, she has instituted client teams and launched industry programs at three AM Law 100 firms. 

As a certified Smart Collaborator and accredited partner to administer the Garden & Co. Smart Collaboration Accelerator, Megan coaches lawyers on internal and external networking, client and industry development, and targeting. Her strengths include developing and implementing co-selling initiatives by connecting lawyers and facilitating discussions and bespoke client initiatives.

Megan wrote a Bloomberg Law article and three Law360 articles and has spoken and presented at various industry events, including the New York Local Group’s Marketing with Empathy Workshop. With a unique marketing and business development approach, she helps lawyers give clients what they truly desire.

In this episode…

In law school, lawyers are taught to maintain a strict level of professionalism and avoid revealing too much of their personal lives. However, the pandemic initiated a radical shift in how attorneys interact with each other and their clients, emphasizing authentic conversations rather than exclusive business relationships. How can you adjust your marketing approach to meet client needs effectively?

Legal marketer and business development veteran Megan Senese promotes empathetic marketing for mutually beneficial relationships. She defines this as actively listening to clients’ pain points to connect with them and build rapport. This may involve sharing elements of your personal life and checking in on clients to foster trust and encourage honesty. Altering your marketing strategies requires facilitating a culture that inspires inclusivity, authenticity, and client feedback, which you can use to develop and refine your messaging.

On today’s episode of The Lawyer’s Edge Podcast, Elise Holtzman invites Megan Senese, the Co-founder and Principal of stage, to chat about marketing with empathy to uncover client needs. Megan shares how perceptions of professionalism have evolved, how to market with authenticity, and her motivation for founding stage.