Proactive marketing and BD executives

November 27, 2025|Accountants, Kim's Blog, Lawyers, Marketing|

Law and accountancy firms from UK, Ireland and Poland were represented at the recent PM Forum workshop: “The Proactive Marketing and Business Development Executive”. Echoing a recent session for MBD assistants (The highs and lows from a new MBD assistants’ point of view), there was a desire for more time to reflect and anticipate. One of the key themes emerging was that of long form content – in particular, podcasts. The other was that MBD can sometimes be seen as Glinda – magical rather than marketing! Proactive marketing and business development executive – Podcasts and Frameworks

Podcasts in professional services marketing

During various discussions and exercises, there was an emphasis on long form content such as podcasts.

Professional services podcasts

Law firm and legal podcasts

Denton’s podcast includes its legal real estate experts (and commercial agency experts from Kirkby Diamond) discussion the evolving landscape of office space Dentons – The Real Deal: A case study podcast

Clifford Chance Podcasts includes categories on: antitrust, ESG, finance, innovation, insurance, litigation, M&A, private equity, real estate and tech

Podcast | White & Case LLP Note that there is an episode where they interview Julie McConnell, Associate Director of Global Industry Groups, and Macarena Ruiz-Jarabo, Associate Director of Business Development for Latin America, about the career journeys that led each of them to White & Case. They discuss the importance of business development in Big Law and outline how they work with partners, associates and clients. Julie and Macarena also share advice for BD professionals and newly-qualified lawyers on integrating business development into their day-to-day work and career development.

Secrets of a Law Firm Podcast – Lamb Brooks LLP A law firm in Basingstoke and North Hampshire provides insights into life at the firm

Accountancy podcasts

Deloitte’s award-winning Green Room podcast campaign (including transport advertising) Being more strategic – Case studies and insights (Ireland May 2023)

Accounting, Audit and Tax Podcasts for Professionals | Mercia Group In one episode of the Mercia podcast, Pete, Head of Marketing at Mercia, sits down with Louise, Mercia’s Management and Skills Trainer, to explore the evolving landscape of leadership and communication within accountancy firms. Together, they unpack the concept of the accidental manager and discuss the importance of soft skills in building resilient, high-performing teams. Louise shares insights from her work with firms across the UK, offering practical advice for everyone from new starters to senior partners.

How to create a podcast

Create (plan and record)
1. Plan (choose topic, decide on the format, align with your brand)
2. Record your episodes (get the right equipment, use a recording platform, record a few episodes)
3. Edit your content (remove mistakes, use editing tools)

Publish and distribute
1. Upload to a host (create an account)
2. Optimise for discovery
3. Promote (social media, web site, email etc)

Guides to creating and promoting a podcast

There are also some helpful ideas on podcast analytics here Measuring Success: Using Analytics to Grow Your Podcast UK Audience

My podcast efforts

Cambridge Marketing College on soft skills for marketing professionals August 2020

On 25^th November I recorded another podcast for Cambridge Marketing College (CMC) considering mental health and the marketing profession based loosely on Improve mental health at work, in marketing and for women (I’ll post the link when it’s available)

Please let me know which resources and examples of podcasts in professional services firms you recommend

The value of marketing and BD frameworks (Glinda’s wand?)

With only a third of delegates having marketing qualifications, there was lively debate about the value of using marketing theory and frameworks.

Pros of marketing theory and frameworks

Useful guide to remind us of best practice
Tried and tested (evidence based) processes
Promotes credibility when working with other professionals
Ensures nothing important is missed
Promotes confidence in proposals

Cons of marketing theory and frameworks

Unnecessary as processes embedded in firm systems
Risk of jargon alienating non-marketing professionals
Prefer a more practical approach

The most commonly used frameworks were:

SOSTAC for strategic marketing plan About Us – SOSTAC®
RACE for digital marketing RACE marketing model definition – What is? – Digital marketing Glossary
Business Development Funnel A Game-Changing Business Development Strategy To Achieve Consistent Growth | Advisorpedia

Others mentioned included: 7Ps marketing mix, SWOT analysis, AIDA, STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning), Client journey mapping (Mapping the client journey in professional services – Kim Tasso) and Porter’s Five Forces (Pitching, differentiation and competitor analysis)

Delegates found it helpful to compare and contrast their experiences (efficiency and effectiveness) with different tactical marketing, business development and communications techniques. In particular, they considered the appropriateness for different audiences and tasks. And the time effort (for marketers and fee-earners) compared to other costs.

The most valued marketing and BD skills

US consultants Hinge conducted research with 700 firms globally (with a combined income of $170 billion). In High Growth Study 2023: Executive Summary – Hinge Marketing They identified the following marketing skills in high growth firms (growing three times faster than competitors).

Project management (7.4)
Simplifying complex concepts (7.3)
Face-to-face networking (7.3)
Strategy development (7.2)
Research (6.9)
Social media (6.6)
Outreach/Public relations (6.5)
Data analytics (6.5)
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) (6.3)

We had done a deeper dive into skills for MBD executives at a session in April 2025 Proactive Marketing and BD Executive: Skills questions – Kim Tasso

Naturally, there was significant discussion about the use of AI in professional services marketing including:

Automating research (including competitor analysis)
Developing profiles and updates on clients (organisations and individuals)
Developing personas
Identifying ideas and opportunities
Tailoring content to particular audiences and locations
Summarising technical content (law, accountancy, surveying etc)
Writing blogs and other content
Repurposing and editing content
Ensuring consistent brand and tone of voice
Developing social media campaigns
Analysing analytics

Recent resources on AI include:

CIM’s hype-free guide to AI agents for marketers – Kim Tasso September 2025

Campaigns, thought leadership and project management – People (and AI) April 2025

Key Insights from the AI in Marketing training by Optix at PM Forum September 2024

The future shape of a Proactive MBD Executive? May 2024

Generative AI – Going Beyond the Content… February 2024

Everyone was aware of the risks of using AI as the Deloitte case was headline news in November 2025 Deloitte allegedly cited AI-generated research in a million-dollar report for a Canadian provincial government | Fortune

About the delegates

As well as MBD executives, other roles included corporate communications. Some were focused on specific sectors (e.g. real estate). Others had worked in other sectors (e.g. Government, marketing agencies). As well as management and marketing degrees, there were those with degrees in English and Psychology. Some had previously worked in facilities and library/research roles.

Delegate aims

Make new connections
Gather tips to offer more value to team and fee-earners
Find new ways to enhance skills to develop career
Gain insight from those in similar roles
Obtain ideas on how to be more proactive
Connect the dots between strategies and activities
Progress my career
Build more confidence
Understand more about professional services marketing
Learn how to position myself
Gain skills to be more proactive

Delegate mid-way reflections

Delegates were asked to consider their main observation from the morning session – either on the skills discussed or their reflections on what resonated most with them

Skills
- Creativity and innovation (doing things differently, challenging the status quo)
- Communicate – both internally with fee-earners and the team and in external relationships
- Develop and motivate junior staff
- Manage expectations – one of the hardest parts of my role
- Strategy

Reflections
- Looking at the pros and cons of tactics within the group was insightful – it helped me understand which activities are commonly used and felt it was beneficial to dive deeper into different activities
- Really good as new to the sector to learn from others and hear what is going well and what activities are more challenging
- I’d like to help promote greater understanding of marketing throughout the firm. There’s been a lot of staff movement in the firm and BD team delivers a lot of BD sessions but I think there’s a gap in knowledge for those new joiners in our overall approach to marketing. And helping people understand the basics before focusing on specific areas of BD as I think a lot of them find it daunting.
- My focus is managing expectations. I find it difficult to make everyone happy

Delegate takeaways

Most memorable idea or image	Key action
AI and Technology	Explore options for future career development
Marketing/BD toolkit	Seek feedback from stakeholders
Working with fee-earners exercise	Develop sales skills and abilities
Collaboration with fee-earners	Spend time with more resistant fee-earners
Rock, pebble and stone technique	Read some of the recommended books
Deep dive into fee-earner buy in	Develop more assertive and proactive mindset
Glinda (creative exercise on how fee-earners might see marketers)	Create a crisis management plan for social media accounts
Strategic process for BD Managers (questions)	Develop business development skills
Showcase our NPS scores	Develop a career plan
Buy in model	Implementation of tactics for buy in