We’re coming to you direct from CMO Series Live in New York, bringing you the insights from the second half of the morning sessions.

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Session One - How Reed Smith Achieved a World-Class Digital Presence

Phill McGowan, Global Director of Corporate Communications, and Sadie Baron, Chief Marketing Officer at Reed Smith, led the second half of the morning’s sessions. They took us through a close-up look at how they built their firm's digital presence around expertise without a strong website to lean on.

Here are the key takeaways: 

Engage audiences with Content Streams - Sadie and Phill explained how Reed Smith engages both existing and new audiences through well-planned content distribution. By delivering valuable and relevant content, they’ve successfully captured and maintained audience attention.

Build a robust digital marketing infrastructure - Another key takeaway was their roadmap for building a digital marketing and content infrastructure. They discussed how Reed Smith designed their digital strategy to facilitate the B2B buyer journey, using a variety of digital tools and platforms to create a cohesive and seamless experience.

Boost market awareness - One of the most impressive parts of their strategy is how Reed Smith has built significant market awareness without depending heavily on a strong website. Sadie and Phill shared practical tips for enhancing digital visibility and reputation through alternative methods.

Session Two - Beyond Rainmakers – Deepening the Client Relationship

Next up, Nicole Petrie, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Schulte Roth + Zabel stepped up to present a session focused around high-impact activities for deepening client engagement, driving revenue and demonstrating the value marketing can bring.

Here are the key takeaways from the session: 

Empower lawyers for sales success - Nicole stressed the importance of championing lawyers to drive sales through self-service means. By empowering them with the tools and support to engage clients directly, marketing and sales efforts can deliver exceptional value and enable deeper client relationships.

Balancing ambition with reality -  Nicole provided practical advice on prioritizing initiatives and maximizing resources to ensure the firm's growth objectives are met effectively, even in challenging financial circumstances.

The importance of discipline - Establishing oneself as a trusted leader requires discipline. Nicole highlighted the power of consistency and focus in executing strategies and leading teams effectively. 

Leveraging technology for transformation - Finally, Nicole underscored the transformative potential of technology in driving business development. By embracing innovative digital solutions, firms can fuel their transformation journey, streamline processes, and enhance overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Session 3 - Case Study: Managing People & Process to Deliver for Clients

In the closing session of the morning, we heard about managing people and processes to deliver exceptional client experiences from Christa Crane, Chief Client Officer at Loeb & Loeb LLP, and Julie Chodos, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP.

We've heard the best practice in how to listen to your clients, bringing your firm into the project of improving client engagement. A recurring point was the importance of questions, to drill down into the reasons behind objections, to find the key people that need to be included and to control the narrative behind the project.

We also heard about the challenges of scale. Improvement should feel clear and structured, but individual people are not as interested in scale as you are as a change maker - so be sure to make any change relevant to the actual people coming along on that journey.