TRP 145: Best Practices In Law Firm Business Development and Marketing, with Deborah Farone

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love speaks with Deborah Farone, legal marketing expert and author of Best Practices in Law Firm Business Development and Marketing, about how law firms can refine their marketing and business development strategies to stay competitive. Deborah shares insights from her extensive experience as a former CMO and consultant, highlighting the common pitfalls firms face when trying to generate new business and the importance of having a strategic, long-term approach. Key topics include why not all partners are naturally skilled at business development and how firms can provide the right training and support, the importance of role models in shaping a firm’s rainmaking culture, and how firms often jump into marketing tactics without a clear plan. Deborah also discusses the power of strategic networking, the role of business development training in law firm retreats, and how professionals can build and sustain valuable client relationships. This episode provides actionable strategies for law firm leaders and professionals looking to elevate their marketing efforts and generate meaningful client growth. Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ ------------------------------------ Deborah Farone has had the unique opportunity to play a role in developing the best practices in law firm marketing by working with the most respected and demanding professionals in the world. Her advisory practice focuses on helping professional service firms and individual lawyers in the US and abroad with their marketing strategy and department creation. She is known for business development training and development and strategic planning, as well as speaking at law firm partner retreats and workshops on related topics.  Deborah is the author of the best-selling legal marketing book, “Best Practices: Marketing and Business Development for Law Firms” (PLI 2019), a work based on more than 60 interviews with successful law firm leaders and marketers, general counsel, and innovators in the profession. Over the past two decades, Ms. Farone has carved out a niche by distinguishing herself as the chief marketing officer of two of the United States’ most prestigious law firms, Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Prior to diving into the legal marketing profession, she honed her business development and communications skills by working at the global management consulting firm Towers Perrin, now Willis Towers Watson, In her early days, she worked both in the new business department and as an account executive at Ketchum Communications, where she represented a large publicly-owned, technology-based toy company based in South San Francisco. Ms. Farone has been involved in the academic arena. She recently spoke at University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School, Cornell Law School, and Fordham Law School, and she has served as an adjunct Assistant Professor on the faculty of New York University. While at NYU, she developed and taught several courses, including “Effective Marketing and Public Relations for Professional Service Companies” and “Marketing and Public Relations for Law Firms,” the first course of its kind offered by a major university to ensure that law firms were creating operational business development departments. ---------------------------------------- This show is sponsored by Leopard Solutions Legal Intelligence Suite of products, Firmscape, and Leopard BI. Push ahead of the pack with the power of Leopard. For a free demo, visit this link: https://www.leopardsolutions.com/index.php/request-a-demo/ Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahfarone/ Order Deborah’s book Best Practices in Law Firm Business Development and Marketing here: https://deborahfarone.com/best-practices/  For other resources and articles from Deborah, click here: https://linktr.ee/DeborahFarone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices