It was a pleasure to listen to a panel discussion on 'the art and science behind marketing' featuring Joy Price (Head of Digital Marketing at Howard Kennedy), Sophie Bowkett (CMO at Bird & Bird) and Barbara Koenen-Geerdink (BD & Marketing Director at Al-Tamimi). 

While each of the panelists recognised the difficulties the pandemic has caused with regards to supporting their staff, there was also a huge amount of positivity around the opportunities that shifting to a more digital way of working has created. Below are some of the key highlights from the discussion: 

• Provide the online service your clients need, rather than the service that suits your offering. All of the panelists highlighted the importance of listening to your clients, this works twofold. Understanding the information and advice your clients need is vital to servicing them. It is also likely to be useful information to others in your network.

• Demonstrate the desired outcomes of the lawyer's BD & Marketing efforts. Whether this is driving new business or providing a service for existing clients, detailing exactly what is expected makes it easier for the fee-earners to understand who they are trying to influence. Particularly when it comes to creating content, picturing an audience or one key individual can make for a simpler task. 

• Having an online presence as a fee-earner should be seen as a necessity, not a nicety. "Lawyers aren't salespeople" was a quote that stood out from the discussion. It is vital that with the shift to digital and lack of events, lawyers need to see their task as a way of advising clients in a different manner, rather than pestering them.