The Thought Leadership Project

Jay and Tom discuss their view of the seven most common mistakes that lawyers make when embarking on a thought-leadership marketing program, including ways to avoid the pitfalls that plague others. Topics include:

1. Not being clear and concise about your positioning

2. Not being consistent, predictable and reliable in your publishing

3. Not establishing a distinctive “voice”

4. Not marketing your content effectively when the writing is done

5. Not pursuing publication in trade media, content communities and other areas of influence

6. Not fully embracing the notion of "thought leader" by being too self-promotional, too soon, and too often

7. Not leveraging available resources and trying to do it all oneself

We're kicking off 2020 with an episode jam-packed with great tips to help lawyers improve their marketing and business development. Sam McKenna, an award-winning speaker and sales consultant, joins us for an engaging conversation with loads of actionable advice. Among the issues discussed are:

How to find time for business development when time is limited

Why you shouldn't rush to discount your fees

How to push back politely in the sales process

Why urgency is required to close a new engagement

And much more

Mike Mellor is the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Pryor Cashman. Mike shares his thoughts about the importance of building a niche practice that demonstrates one's industry expertise, and reinforcing that expertise through the creation and publication of thought leadership. Mike, Jay, and Tom discuss:

B2B buying and content consumption patterns

How having a niche can help you stand out

Why it's critical to frequently optimize and improve your website and LinkedIn bio

The benefits of LinkedIn Sales Navigator as a business development tool

What to do—and not do—when meeting a prospective client

What's the difference between one-off marketing tactics and integrated marketing campaigns? Jay and Tom explore this and other issues with Kim Rennick, Chief Client Development and Marketing Officer at Shook, Hardy & Bacon. Tune in for a lively discussion about:

How Kim's background in sales informs her role as the CMO of a major law firm

The importance of executing integrated marketing campaigns, as opposed to doing random acts of marketing

How thought leadership supports business development

Why it's critical for marketing leaders to have the support of the firm's leaders

How video marketing interrupts patterns and engages audiences

On this week's episode, Ryan Pasquali joins Jay and Tom to discuss building a law firm culture that promotes and supports thought leadership initiatives. Ryan is the Chief Marketing Officer at Brooks Kushman, a premier intellectual property law firm headquartered in Michigan. Topics discussed in this podcast include:

The importance of content marketing and thought leadership at Ryan's firm

How Ryan and his marketing team work closely with the firm's attorneys to incentivize and encourage the consistent creation of thought leadership content

How content marketing supports business development

Jay and Tom welcome Nat Slavin, a partner in the Wicker Park Group, an international consultancy focused on helping law firms strengthen and deepen their relationships with in-house counsel through client feedback. Their conversation explored ways in which thought leaders can source their content strategy by having authentic and inquisitive conversations with their clients, including:

What are some key takeaways from Edelman's study, entitled, "How Thought Leadership Drives Demand Generation?"

What are buyers of legal services looking for in terms of thought leadership from lawyers, and where are they looking for it?

Why might an attorney object to asking existing and past clients for input regarding the expertise they're looking for, and how can that reluctance be overcome?

What is the danger in asking for a client's input and not taking candid feedback to heart?

What is the advantage an attorney might gain over competitors by integrating client "discovery" into their thought leadership content?

Erik Meier is the Founder/CEO of the EAM Consulting Group and President of Sandler Training, a sales and management training company with locations in Troy, Lansing and Grand Rapids, Michigan. He shared with Jay and Tom his best advice for lawyers looking to grow their practices and optimize their business development efforts, including:

Why is it important for lawyers to focus on "behaviors" and not results, when it comes to business development?

What behaviors should attorneys prioritize?

What are the most common fallacies and limiting beliefs shared by lawyers and other consultants when it comes to the notion of "selling," and how can they overcome them?

How has Erik seen firsthand the ways in which content marketing (specifically thought leadership) has intersected with business development and sales?

Why the first step in the Sandler Sales Training process is the easiest...and the most critical.

John Trentacosta, who is a partner in the Detroit office of Foley & Lardner, joins Tom and Jay to discuss how content marketing and becoming a thought leader is critical to building a practice. John, who is one of the top automotive industry litigators in the industry, is a prolific content creator who has authored a book, frequently writes articles, and does public speaking—and he's built a very successful legal practice in the process.

Topics covered in this episode include:

Why John believes it's important for every lawyer to create and share content

The significance of being able to say, "I wrote the book on it," when prospecting for clients

How to generate ideas for new content

Content marketing tips for young lawyers

Rich Bracken is the Director of Business Development at Minneapolis-headquartered law firm Fredrikson & Byron. He's also a thought leader and content creator in multiple domains, including podcasting, television, and on-stage as a public speaker. On this episode, Jay and Tom talk to Rich about a range of topics, including:

Why it's so important to focus on the fundamentals of marketing and business development

How lawyers can achieve business development success in a complex world by keeping it simple

Why creating memorable client-service moments is a competitive advantage

How to authentically and effective connect with your audience through your content

In this "meta" episode, Jay and Tom podcast about why lawyers should have podcasts. Having a podcast gives you a platform through which to share thought leadership, a way to market your practice, and a means to connect with prospective clients. The discussion focuses on:

Why podcasting for lawyers is one of the most important marketing trends for 2020

Different podcasting formats (solo or guest format)

What you should expect, in terms of benefits and time commitment, from your podcast

The importance of being strategic when starting a podcast by narrowing in on a specific audience

How to make podcasting easy and fun

Why podcasting is a great business development tool