future marketing and business development managers

March 16, 2026|Accountants, Kim's Blog, Lawyers, Marketing, Relationship Management, Statistics and trends, Strategy|

It was a small but beautifully-formed group which gathered at the City offices of Crowe UK accountants for the recent PM Forum – PM Forum workshop “Future Marketing and Business Development Manager”. It was wonderful to meet representatives from so many of my former clients including: Hempsons, Wrigleys, Buzzacott and Mayer Brown. These notes form part of the workshop resources. Reflections from future marketing and business development managers – It’s all about relationships, alignment and lifelong learning.

It’s all about relationships

While our technical marketing competencies and track record in delivering results are paramount, there was recognition that in professional services marketing and business development – it’s all about relationships. So future marketing and business development managers need to develop their relationship superpowers.

We need strong relationships with our internal stakeholders – the fee-earners and functional heads. And we support our fee-earners develop relationships with external stakeholders (clients and referrers) – whether through digital or in person channels.

Some delegates reported feelings of inadequacy or nervousness when in the room with all the “big hitters”. So our confidence, communication and influence skills will count. We need to recognise that partners and fee-earners are people too – regardless of the roles they play or masks they wear. We maybe need “a slice of humour”. And transition our role to “partner whisperer”.

This requires strong emotional intelligence (EI) and political skills. From thin slicing (first impression management) to quickly build rapport and trust. To adapt to different personalities and cultures. To be able to tune into the invisible power lines within the firm, practice groups and teams. To be visible. To be trusted. To make a positive impact.

We might also be aware that the more senior people may create and maintain a protective bubble around us – allowing us to fly, but ready to catch us if we falter or fall. These are our champions and sponsors.

The centrality of relationships in professional services marketing is why not all mainstream marketing models are appropriate. Why sometimes our business development activities may feel like they lack strategy and structure. And why events dominate the marketing mix we deploy in most campaigns (see technical sidelines below)

Aligning our firms and ourselves

A key element of our relationships is aligning our view of the world and our place within it with our stakeholders.

We peel away the “layers of the onion” when we conduct a situational analysis or audit. Where we explore the influences outside in the external market and within the firm. A key part of our MBD strategy is aligning our firm and its teams and people with the global landscape (particularly scary and volatile at present with the Middle East conflict), sector changes, competition dynamics, technology disruption and changing client needs. Where we ensure that the client remains central to our thinking, plans and action.

We reviewed the tools and resources to conduct systematic and ongoing environmental analyses e.g.:

Economy trends

Tom Standage’s ten trends to watch in 2026

2026 Outlooks | Goldman Sachs

Legal sector trends

Five challenges for the legal sector in 2025 | The Law Society economic pressures and opportunities, rise of AI in legal services, integrating legal software, building a positive remote culture and driving new business

Strategic sector insights for the legal profession in 2025: mid-sized firms | The Law Society –the key areas of focus identified for firms for the next 12 months include: growth, talent retention, succession planning, technological advancement and geographic expansion. Key themes – lack of appropriate staff/recruitment, rising costs, the economy and increased regulation/compliance

Accountancy sector trends

Top Accounting Trends to Watch in 2026—and How to Prepare – Blog | ShareFile AI-powered efficiency will become baseline, security-first workflows will become non-negotiable, client experience will influence retention and growth, compliance workflow will need to be more dynamic and automation will help address the talent crunch

Eight trends that will impact Accountants and their clients in 2026 (and beyond) – Elite Business Magazine AI becomes a real productivity tool, MTD hits £50K threshold, ESG reporting moves into finance, M&A picks up again, client guidance becomes the real growth engine, skills in the profession shift, resilience becomes a finance priority, smarter tech choices define future growth and the quality of conversations between accountant and client matter

Accounting and finance predicted trends for 2026 | Kaplan UK the rise of the strategic advisor, rise of data analytics, focus on ESG standards, further integration of AI and ML, enhanced cybersecurity measures

We imagined what discussions at Board level might be – and wished we were a “fly on the wall” to tune into senior leadership mindsets. And explored other ways to use empathy to see others’ point of view and align with overall firm and team objectives – and with our own marketing and BD ambitions. We considered how management (operational activities in the present) differed from leadership (strategic activities for the future) – particularly when balancing task and relationships.

This extended to how we, as MBD managers, could align our developing personal brands to the firm’s brand – considering our values, thoughts, feelings and presentation.

On alignment, we also considered how to build a persuasive business case for new projects. And how to prepare and train the next generation of fee-earners for a very different world.

Learning is a lifetime journey

The early quotes and values exercise revealed several delegates shared this view:

“If you’re not failing, you’re not learning. If you’re not learning, you’re not growing. If you’re not growing, you’re not living” Mark Manson, New York Times Bestselling Author of “The Subtle Art of Not Giving F*ck”

Learning technical knowledge and skills

Learning how to build and develop relationships is a lifelong endeavour.

Marketing and BD are fast-paced areas. Not least in technology, automation and artificial intelligence. Just as the market and expectations of our clients continually evolve. So we constantly need to keep abreast of the tsunami of change.

We learn from courses, books and online resources. But mostly we learn by observing others (the power of the case study) and sharing experiences through networking and communities.

This relates to one of my favourite therapy movements – Person-Centred. It is encapsulated by Carl Rogers in his book “On becoming a person” describing our life-long journey to self-actualisation. (See A general law of interpersonal relationships?)

Learning personal management strategies and techniques

But the ongoing and accelerating change flags a potential danger for MBD managers. There is growing pressure to perform and produce more with less. In addition to responding to the never-ending stream of requests there is the ongoing moment-by-moment navigation of each interpersonal interaction. It can be exhilarating for some (“the charm of the new”) but exhausting for others. (see Improve mental health at work, in marketing and for women). We need to learn to be resilient – to increase our ability to absorb and manage the onslaught from others and from ourselves. To convey calm on the outside even if it feels like chaos on the inside.

Some delegates reported that they had recently introduced time sheets within their MBD teams to measure and assess how much of their time was spent supporting different teams – perhaps to reprioritise or reallocate resources.

Others commented on the need for self-compassion and recharging time. To avoid being overwhelmed by stress and to risk burnout. Earlier in the day, one of the values and sayings we considered was “Il dolce far niente” (an Italian phrase meaning “the sweetness of doing nothing,” representing the art of idle pleasure and mindful relaxation).

And as we manage our own emotions, we need to take care with the emotions of others. We considered tools to help us do this in the context of internal relationships (leadership conversation skills: SCARF model of neuroscience).

MBD Technical sidelines

Draw on a multitude of MBD models

Discussions on technical MBD models revealed the widely adopted SOSTAC model (SOSTAC® – Planning Certification Programme) for guiding the MBD process.

Other favoured models and frameworks from the delegates included: PESTLE, SWOT, brand, thought leadership, investment appraisal and client research. Some mentioned BCG portfolio management. Related links:

Build your brand advantage with PM Forum and Sholto

Be more strategic – PESTLE, Positioning and Plans

Thought leadership manual by Tim Prizeman

client feedback playbook – How professional services firms

turn feedback into strategic advantage (Research)

Yet there was recognition that as relationships (both B2C and B2B) and selling are so key in professional services marketing – many tried and tested marketing models don’t go deep enough into these business development aspects. We looked at alternative models and processes for relationship management.

The 3R model – Reputation, Relationships and Revenue (see Strategic marketing case study – Brand at Mishcon de Reya) – was considered simple and practical for professional services.

With regards to segmentation, there were discussions about “mine your own niche” and the use of matrix structures so that internal divisional structures were aligned towards go-to-market sectors.

There were comments too about how the use of established models and frameworks helped us transition from reactive (i.e. respond to requests) to proactive (i.e. anticipate and initiate action) modes.

Thought leadership as a strategy ticked a lot of boxes. Ensuring a focus on the audience and their needs. Original research to understand the challenges faced by clients. And the ability to position firms as experts and thought leaders. Typically, thought leadership is embedded in longer term strategic campaigns that help integrate marketing communications for awareness and fee-earner driven client conversations (relationships, sales and conversion conversations). Thought leadership also accommodates the strong focus on events to support the initiation and development of relationships.

Events are part of almost every professional services MBD strategy

The workshop took place within MIPIM week. Firms with a focus on the real estate market have spent months preparing fee-earners to fly down to Cannes to spend an intense few days in a whirl of networking and meetings at this huge exhibition and conference. And the follow up programmes where relationships will be nurtured will likely take many more months.

As we browsed relevant marketing frameworks, strategies and tools – and considered their use in multiple case studies – one MBD executive (who focused on events) commented that events appear to be missing from many of them.

In professional services relationships, it is not just the use of AI and digital communications that is important for awareness and engagement. We provide platforms and communities where human connections and relationships can thrive. MBD teams spend so much time creating spaces where connections are made and trust can be built. Many firms have dedicated events teams.

Events are ubiquitous in professional services marketing. It is one of the core platforms where relationships ignite and grow. They create memorable experiences. They provide insight and value to clients. They allow firms to showcase their people so attendees can “try before they buy”. They allow regular contact where people stay on the radar, where new people can be introduced into existing relationships and where loyalty grows.

They key is to ensure that events are always part of a strategic and integrated marketing and sales campaign.

Update on event management – Kim Tasso

Delegate views

Delegate aims for the day

Take stock of my present and future plans
Conduct a personal audit
Fill in the blanks
Prioritise my plans and action
Reflect on my journey
Focus on my personal growth
Become a better person
Help my team develop

Delegate midway reflections and actions

Reflections:

Leadership is more than the job – it’s all about the relationships
Take time to consider the bigger picture
Understand what the business needs and personalise your approach
Wide scope of MBD management roles
The need to be data and evidence driven
Map out the gaps in my knowledge, skills and behaviour
Get our heads up (and out of the weeds)

Actions:

Look at more marketing and business development models
Review case studies and success stories Marketing and Business Development (MBD) law firm case studies and Marketing and Business Development (MBD) accountancy firm case studies
Build a personal development plan Managing challenging behaviour and Personal Development Plans
Read the strategy book Book review: The Strategy Book by Max McKeown
Join the dots with planning Be more strategic – A metaphor: Analyse, join and align the dots
Navigate new situations with confidence Building the confidence of young professionals – Four tools

Delegate checklist for managing perceptions

Be brave
Review and remember past successes
Be empathic An introduction to emotional intelligence (EQ) and empathy (Video)
Push back on some things Assertiveness toolbox – Kim Tasso
Coach and guide others Book Review: The Coaching Manual by Julie Starr – Kim Tasso
Know and trust your team
Be present, visible and active with partners Be more visible – the PVI model
Play to your strengths (and develop your weaknesses)
Balance data-driven and intuition in decision making
Think differently Using creativity to turn problems into opportunities in client service
Challenge assumptions and the status quo What is Socratic questioning? (Questioning skills)
See the bigger picture
Become a T-shaped person Future Marketing Manager – T-shaped people, senior promotions

Delegate takeaways from the day

Image	Idea	Action
Sponge	AI and thought leadership System review: CogniClick for instant, personalised research	Create a cheat sheet from the session
EI table	Relationships	Read the strategy book
T-shape	Marketing vs. business development	Produce a Personal Development Plan
Ogre	Managing “difficult” behaviours	Improve time management
Lightbulb	Communication	Reflect on the past and produce a plan for the future
Triangle tiers of a firm	Resources	Manage the team’s workload

Feedback on Future Marketing and Business Development (MBD) Manager workshop

My LinkedIn post and emails from delegates generated the following comments:

Thank you Kim Tasso for a brilliant training session. Lots of incredibly useful takeaways and a drawing of an ogre that has been etched into my memory :)!

In busy roles, it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Yesterday’s Future Marketing & BD Manager workshop was a timely reminder of the importance of stepping back to reflect on our journeys. Creating space to think intentionally about our development and how we can continue adding value to the businesses and teams we support, is an essential part of our role. Thank you for the great session Kim Tasso

What an insightful session bringing Marketing and BD professionals together to reflect on our personal journeys, our approaches to building reputations, strengthening relationships, driving revenue, and the impact we strive to create. It was a valuable opportunity to pause, exchange perspectives and think more intentionally about sustainable growth – both individually and collectively.

Thank you Kim for an inspiring and thought-provoking day and thank you (names) for hosting the session.

It was great to meet you yesterday, and a big thank you to Kim and PM Forum.

It was lovely to meet you all and thank you, Kim, for a very informative day. If you are ever in Sheffield or Leeds, please do let me know – it would be great to catch up.

Likewise, if you’re ever in Manchester, always happy to meet for a coffee and chat 😊

It’s all about relationships

Aligning our firms and ourselves

Economy trends

Legal sector trends

Accountancy sector trends

Learning is a lifetime journey

Learning technical knowledge and skills

Learning personal management strategies and techniques

MBD Technical sidelines

Draw on a multitude of MBD models

Events are part of almost every professional services MBD strategy

Delegate views

Related links on Future Marketing and Business Development Manager

Related Posts

Marketing and Business Development Assistants – Event management

Grounding tools (support for emotional regulation)

Book Review – ADHD 2.0 by Edward M Hallowell MD and John J Ratey MD

From sporadic to systematic – Cross-selling and referrer management programmes

Don’t try to boil the ocean – Be more focused with Cross-Selling and Referrer Management Strategies

Unlock client insights – turn feedback into strategic advantage (Research)

Law firm trainees engage in marketing and business development

Zip your lip – Resist the temptation to provide instant answers (Coaching and Consulting Skills)

Reflections from future marketing and business development managers – It’s all about relationships, alignment and lifelong learning

It’s all about relationships

Aligning our firms and ourselves

Economy trends

Legal sector trends

Accountancy sector trends

Learning is a lifetime journey

Learning technical knowledge and skills

Learning personal management strategies and techniques

MBD Technical sidelines

Draw on a multitude of MBD models

Events are part of almost every professional services MBD strategy

Delegate views

Related links on Future Marketing and Business Development Manager

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