As Business Development Matures, Focus Expands to More Key Players
As competition among law firms of all sizes continues to intensify, sophisticated business development efforts have become a critical component for success. Firms can no longer rely solely on the individual client development efforts of their lawyers. Rather, the firms that are winning are those with a strong marketing and business development infrastructure.
Leading firms have responded in the last dozen years by hiring chief marketing officers and others with similar titles stressing business development or client service. Even with those hires it has become increasingly apparent – particularly because of the growth of Practice Group Management – that the battles are being won or lost because of the quality of the directors and managers who often assume responsibility for supporting key practice and industry groups.
That was one of the key messages in a White Paper we produced for American Lawyer Media about today’s law firm marketing and business development structures. These mid-level executives, while not having the visibility of their C-suite leaders, make a real difference on their firm’s bottom line.
Finding the most talented professionals for these positions is critical. Yet, while leading law firms rely on experienced executive search firms for C-suite positions; many attempt to handle director and manager level positions through in-house recruiters who are juggling dozens of openings throughout the firm. Or they endeavor to cast a wider net by listing the positions with a number of recruiting agencies. Too often, those efforts produce only candidates who are “on the market” for various reasons rather than the top professionals in the industry.
The McCormick Group has been helping firms develop their marketing and business development capabilities since the arrival of the first marketing professionals on the scene. Over that time, searches that initially focused only on the top marketing executive have expanded to include the myriad of complementary roles needed by firms today. If you are interested in hearing more about what we are seeing in the market or knowing more about how we are helping firms win in today’s competitive environment, please contact Principal Cassie Battle or Managing Principal Steve Nelson.
