There were so many great sessions at the Annual PM Forum Conference, each packed with valuable insights and practical advice.

The overriding theme of the day was that Marketing and BD teams have an opportunity to move from service providers to strategic growth advisers, using client intelligence, stronger internal relationships and AI to drive meaningful commercial impact.

While we’ve written more in-depth summaries of each session (click the title of each one to read), we know everyone’s time is precious. So, we’ve tried to distil the discussions into three key takeaways from each session.

This approach was inspired by a great tip from the conference chair, Leor Franks: after every session, write down three actionable things you can take away and put into practice. With that in mind, here are our top three takeaways from each session.

1. The Rise of the Confident Firm | Alastair Beddow

• Clarity drives confidence: Firms need clear priorities that are understood by both employees and clients.
• Client listening is a growth opportunity: Only 11% of firms feel confident they listen to clients enough.
• Collaboration is essential: Stronger alignment between leadership, marketing, BD and fee earners helps firms deliver on their strategy.

2. Fight Club: Confidence vs Expertise

• Confidence and expertise go together: Credibility comes from combining knowledge with the ability to communicate it.
• Admitting uncertainty builds trust: Being willing to say “I don't know” can strengthen professional relationships.
• Human skills remain a differentiator: Judgement, persuasion and relationship-building become more valuable as AI develops.

3. CMO Panel: Marketing & BD as Strategic Growth Leaders

• Shape strategy, don't just execute it: Marketing and BD should help determine where firms invest and grow.
• Build commercial credibility: Strong partnerships with leadership and fee earners increase strategic influence.
• Measure outcomes, not activity: Prioritise client relationships, revenue opportunities and business impact over output volumes.

4. Systems Thinking, Creativity and Inclusive Leadership

• Look beyond isolated problems: Systems thinking helps firms understand how people, processes and challenges connect.
• Create space for different perspectives: Inclusive leadership and psychological safety encourage better ideas.
• Use visual collaboration: Techniques such as gigamapping can help teams tackle complex challenges together.

5. AI Panel: Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Confidence?

• Automate repetitive work: AI can free marketing and BD teams to focus on higher-value activities.
• Turn data into commercial insight: AI can help identify opportunities, analyse pitches and uncover client signals.
• Balance innovation with oversight: Training, governance and human judgement remain essential.

6. Relationships, Confidence and Performance, Meirion Jones

• Internal relationships matter: Trust and psychological safety enable better collaboration and performance.
• Make relationship-building part of everyday work: Strong relationships require consistent attention, not occasional networking.
• Embrace difficult conversations: Constructive challenge builds trust and improves outcomes.

7. Confidence, Preparation and Decision-Making, Ruxandra Radelescu

• Win pitches by understanding clients: Focus on the client's real priorities rather than simply showcasing credentials.
• Make BD intelligence strategic: Use market and client insights to influence decisions before opportunities reach the pitch stage.
• Build confidence through preparation: Evidence, practice and honest post-pitch reviews improve decision-making.