Proactive marketing and business development executives

April 22, 2026|Accountants, Kim's Blog, Lawyers, Marketing, Relationship Management|

Law and accountancy firms were represented at the recent PM Forum workshop: “The Proactive Marketing and Business Development Executive”. Of course we need strategy, planning and expertise to help us be proactive. But a key theme emerging at the workshop was the need to be proactive in creating and cultivating relationships – both internally with fee-earners and externally with suppliers, peers, clients and referrers. This article summarises some of the discussions and acts as supplementary learning materials for the session. Proactive marketing and business development executives – it’s all about relationships?

In one of the breakout sessions, we talked about how MBD executives might be perceived. One group suggested we might be perceived as Minions. A “minion” implies a lack of independent thought or power, focusing entirely on serving the agenda of a superior. Yet we talk to our fee-earners as human beings – we don’t put them on a pedestal. To be proactive we step out of the minion role and consider what opportunities or challenges may lay ahead. We anticipate changes and proactively plan.

While knowledge and skills are critical to high performance in a MBD executive function, so too are our relationships – both internal and external. Like fee-earners, we have to learn to create, nurture, invest in and strengthen our networks of relationships. And we must position ourselves appropriately. We need to proactively assess issues and remedies for our fee-earner relationships, just as they do with their client and referrer relationships.

Internal relationships

We all have to create and nurture a variety of internal relationships:

Relationships with other members of the MBD team

Increasingly, MBD teams are becoming larger with multiple team members having varied responsibilities, specialisations and even locations.

Campaigns are becoming more dynamic and increasingly we work together in agile teams where we come together – sometimes temporarily – for different projects. Whilst we are ultimately all collaborating to support the firm achieve its aims, there will be competition for time, attention and resources.

Our work is managed by automated workflow systems which minimise the time we have to get to know or talk to each other. Remote working reduces the time available to meet face to face – the traditional way to meet and learn about each other’s interests and priorities. And to form relationships. Everyone is under increasing time pressure to process the heavy workloads.

Another dimension here is the need for data – which we may have to obtain from those who specialise in other aspects of marketing and business development – analytics, email A/B testing, social media metrics and so on.

So we invest time in learning about each other’s roles – and how we work together, collaborate, integrate and support each other. We build relationships with other members of the MBD team.

When we move from “doing” to “managing”, we must be prepared to:

Leverage resources around us to complete tasks effectively within timeframes
Take ownership, have foresight and plan ahead
Automate or delegate what we can

Relationships with other business services functions

It’s usual for MBD executives to need to work with other internal business functions. Many of our tasks are complex and span multiple business service functions.

We may need to work with administrative staff who manage venues and catering, technical experts who manage the hosting and development of web site infrastructure, IT specialists who manage the CRM and technologists who help introduce automation and AI.

There’s a natural link with those in human resources when we consider internal communications and internal marketing. And also as we work with learning and development professionals to support marketing and BD training and behaviour change for fee-earners.

Relationships with fee-earners

Perhaps the most important relationships that MBD executives forge is with our internal clients – the Board, partners and fee-earners who we support in marketing and business development activities.

Text, messaging and email communications with fee-earners are not ideal. Relationships flourish with interactive communications through telephone calls and meetings.

We spent time considering various aspects of relationships with fee-earners including

Having the confidence to talk to senior fee-earners
Contributing ideas at meetings with fee-earners
Dealing with unco-operative and resistant fee-earners
Presenting new ideas and campaigns to fee-earners

A delegate asked, “How do I present a new idea to a fee-earner”. The responses included:

Ensure you have an established relationship with the fee-earner – that there is mutual respect and trust
Frame the idea in terms of a solution to the fee-earner’s problem
Or frame it in terms of a potential benefit – answer the question “What’s in it for me?” (e.g. “this will enable you to raise your profile with your target audience”)
Ask the fee-earner questions so that he/she identifies a challenge (so you can offer your idea as a potential solution) – this harnesses a coaching approach Coaching and Consulting – People and Problem-Solving skills
Provide data and evidence of an opportunity or issue – and offer your idea as a potential solution
Ask the fee-earner for their reaction to – or ideas on how to improve – your idea

There are many resources on achieving engagement and buy in with fee-earners – for example::

Animal magic of buy-in and stakeholder engagement (Video)

Achieve more engagement and buy-in

Buy in – Influence and Persuasion Toolbox – Kim Tasso

External relationships

As well as internal relationships, marketing and business development executives need to develop a range of relationships with people external to the firm

Peer relationships

Peers might be people in similar roles in other firms from whom we can obtain information and support.

The Home – PM Forum is a membership organisation that facilitates peer networking for marketing and business development people in professional services.

We always facilitate connections between those who attend training sessions such as this one should they wish to be put in touch. MBD executives can also meet peers at some of the many free events (both on line and in person) that PM Forum organises (see Events & webinars – PM Forum). There are also opportunities to become involved in the regional committees – for example, to host or organise events locally Regions – PM Forum. PM Forum also provides a free mentor service Mentor Match – PM Forum

Supplier relationships

Most MBD professionals will have relationships with a variety of external suppliers (see the list of different supplier relationships in the poll results below).

We need strong relationships with suppliers so that they know how our firms operate, understand the brief and can work collaboratively with us to achieve the project aims.

These people may also be able to share insights about our markets and clients and we can learn a lot from maintaining an active dialogue with them.

And it is helpful to know a good range of suppliers in case we are asked to source services for our firms and its projects.

Business association relationships

Whilst conducting research or organising conferences and events, we will develop relationships with people who are in business, trade and professional organisations that are relevant to our markets and clients.

These people may help us navigate the resources provided by their associations. They may help us identify ways in which our firms and fee-earners can work through them as a channel to their members. We may need to cultivate collaborative, sponsorship or partnership relationships with these people.

Client relationships

As marketing is “the management process responsible for anticipating and meeting client needs profitably” it is vital that we find ways to talk to clients. In professional services this can be tricky – professional associations such as The Law Society and ICAEW place a duty of care and confidentiality on fee-earners. So some fee-earners may be protective of client relationships.

We considered a variety of ways to achieve client contact – such as using events (seminars, webinars, conferences etc) where we can network with clients, potential clients and referrers.

There is also a possible role for us when communicating with clients for activities such as obtaining case studies, testimonials and directory entries. MBD executives may also contact clients during research projects (see client feedback playbook – How professional services firms and turn feedback into strategic advantage (Research)

We might instead seek to forge relationships with potential clients where there is less likely to be protective and risk concerns. And it is a natural part of the business development process – generating and nurturing leads and supporting pitches, proposals and tenders. Sales processes and skills – MBD support for the nurturing gap?

There are many ways in which MBD executives can develop relationships with clients. Perhaps by seeking relationships with peer-level contacts at client relationships (see KAM Basics – Bowties and Diamonds)

Referrer relationships

Referrer management is a core function in professional services marketing, In some types of services – such as corporate transactions or litigation – our main MBD strategy is cultivating and strengthening relationships with referrers.

Some referrers are in silo relationships with just one partner or fee-earner in the firm. Our role in MBD is – where appropriate – to support the development of multiple relationships between referrers and the firm and its teams.

Cross-selling and referrer management – Past, present and future

Information about the MBD Executive delegates

Delegate aims

Role is varied and demanding – move into a more proactive stance
Be more confident in meetings Building the confidence of young professionals – Four tools
Take on my own projects
Showcase my expertise and experience in meetings
Fill in the gaps in my marketing and business development knowledge
Create a more content-led sector approach
Improve my development to support career growth
Enhance my time management and prioritisation skills
Progress towards the next step in my career

At various points through the session, we did a check in to see how we were all feeling. This also helped us develop our emotional intelligence skills – both to know how we are reacting and also how others might be feeling (i.e. developing empathy) when in discussions about MBD.

Check in 1: Calm, Chaotic, Enjoying, Content, Interested, Curious, Overloaded

Check in 2: Refreshed, Ready, All good, Interested, Motivated, Engaged, Energised, Great

Delegates’ break out insights on marketing and business development activities

Aims and strategy
- Strategy drives the direction of the firm and we need to align internal action to present the right information to the right people to generate the right relationships
- We are all using similar tools – thought leadership, seminars, webinars, social media etc) to achieve similar outcomes. So we must work hard to differentiate our approach
- Fee-earners want to get their name and expertise in front of the relevant current and future clients and referrers to demonstrate their specialism as well as that of their team and the firm
Client focus
- Acting as the client representative, proposals, pitches and tenders must be tailored to specific client needs. This requires research, sales insights and collaboration to present the business in a holistic and client-focused manner
MBD roles
- Our role involves knowing the right MBD tools and techniques to apply – and how – in order to achieve the firm, team or fee-earner’s marketing and business development objectives
- The primary skills to be developed by executives are:
  - Analytics
  - (Finding time to) communicate with and report progress to fee-earners
  - Using AI

- Manage day-to-day performance while proactively thinking about what to do differently and better in the future

Campaign development
- Do own research to present opportunities and ideas to fee-earners
- Deploy AI (with care) for research and idea generation
- Engage and challenge fee-earners to plan future activity

Events
- Events with curated guest lists are so important as they play a key part in helping to initiate and develop client and referrer relationships Assistants – Event management
- Events provide an opportunity to achieve multiple aims – but a key element is facilitating human interaction where relationships can flourish

Crisis management
- Ask “What would happen if?”
- Establish clear internal and external communication protocols

Delegate closing key images and reflections

Strategic thinking
Confidence to move things forward
Prioritisation and Project management – balance tasks and relationships as leaders
Time blocking in short chunks
Align activities more with strategy
Be more proactive and involve fee-earners earlier to reduce resistance later
Be proactive and confident in MBD by having a clear strategy and structure (not just tactics)
Getting closer to clients – ideas on how to do this
Find time to be proactive when the day job takes so much of our attention
- 18 ways to stretch MBD resources