If you’re a legal business development or marketing professional, you’ve probably felt the frustration of not having direct access to the existing clients you’re trying to engage or the prospects you’re aiming to secure as new clients. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. How do you create the perfect pitch when you don’t know exactly what the client needs? How do you build relationships when you can’t even get in the same room? These are real challenges but they’re not impossible to overcome.

Success in legal marketing without direct client access is achievable. It just requires a bit of creativity and a lot of resourcefulness. Here are some practical strategies to help you navigate this challenge and be successful.

Understanding the Challenge

First, let’s acknowledge the challenge. In many law firms—especially larger ones—the relationships with clients are usually managed by partners or senior attorneys. These folks have spent years, sometimes decades, building trust with clients and they naturally become the primary point of contact. As a business development or marketing pro, you’re often working behind the scenes—crafting pitches, developing strategies and generating content—without the benefit of directly interacting with clients.

This setup can lead to a few hurdles:

• Limited Insight into Client Needs: Without those direct conversations, it can be tough to fully understand what the client’s pain points are.
• Indirect Communication: Your recommendations often have to go through partners which can sometimes dilute the message or cause misalignment.
• Challenges in Building Trust: It’s harder to build trust and rapport when you’re not the one having those face-to-face interactions.

There is almost no client-facing sales from marketing and business development professionals. While this doesn’t mean that these professionals aren’t involved in pitch preparation or background research on a client, the lack of direct client interaction can limit the effectiveness of these efforts. If marketing and business development professionals had more direct client engagement, there could be more “stickiness” with the personnel and potentially more promotional opportunities for those who excel at client-facing work.

This scenario creates a challenge, but it also presents an opportunity for growth within the role. Professionals in these positions could add industry focus, be put on a client team or become a key account manager—ways they could grow laterally in their position. Otherwise, they might find themselves looking for a different job at a different firm.

How to Succeed as a Legal Marketer Despite These Challenges

Despite these obstacles, there are plenty of ways to be successful in your legal marketing role. Here’s how to tackle the challenge and turn it into an advantage.

1. Strengthen Internal Relationships

Even if you can’t connect directly with clients, you can—and should—build strong relationships with those who do. Here’s how:

• Become a Go-To Resource: Position yourself as the person partners can’t live without by consistently offering valuable insights, market trends and fresh ideas. Show that you understand the industry and the clients’ needs, even if you’re not directly involved in client conversations.
• Regular Check-Ins: Make it a habit to regularly check in with partners. Use these opportunities to gather insights about client interactions, understand their concerns and make sure your marketing strategies are aligned with what clients are actually looking for.
• Collaborate on Content: Work closely with partners to create content, like thought leadership pieces or client alerts. This not only helps strengthen your relationship with partners but also ensures the content truly reflects the needs of clients.

2. Do Your Homework on Clients

Even without direct access, there’s a lot you can learn about clients through research. Here’s how to make the most of it:

• Do Your Own Due Diligence: Dig into industry reports, news articles, firm resources (Pitchbook, Foundation, etc.) and LinkedIn to get a stronger sense of the client’s or prospect’s business, the trends in their industry and challenges they might be facing. This research can help you craft stronger targeting strategies.
• Analyze Past Interactions: Look at previous proposals, pitches and communications with the client. What’s worked well in the past? What hasn’t? This can give you a clearer picture of what resonates with clients.
• Leverage CRM Data: If your firm uses a CRM system (which they should be!), don’t let that data go to waste. Use it to identify patterns in client behavior and preferences so you can tailor your marketing efforts more effectively.

3. Get to Know the Client’s Industry

Understanding the client’s industry is so important when you can’t interact with them directly. The better you understand the landscape in which they’re operating, the more you can anticipate their needs.

• Specialize in an Industry: Consider becoming an expert in a specific industry. This allows you to develop deep knowledge and become the go-to marketing person in the firm for that sector. When you know the industry inside and out, you can create more targeted and effective marketing strategies.
• Join Industry Groups: Participate in industry associations or attend events. This gives you access to the latest trends and developments plus it’s a great way to network with potential clients and industry experts.
• Create Industry-Specific Content: Develop content that speaks directly to the challenges and needs of the industry. Whether it’s a white paper, webinar, podcast, blog post or case study, industry-specific content shows that your firm understands what matters most to clients in that space.

4. Build the Firm’s Brand

When direct client access is limited, one of the best ways to support business development is by building a strong firm brand. A well-regarded brand can attract clients by positioning the firm as a leader in the market.

• Encourage Thought Leadership: Help your firm’s attorneys create thought leadership content, such as published articles, blogs, podcasts, videos or webinars. Thought leadership not only establishes the firm as an authority but also attracts clients who are looking for experts.
• Boost Public Relations: Work on getting the firm featured in the media. Whether it’s pitching stories to industry publications, securing speaking slots at conferences or launching a podcast, positive media coverage can enhance the firm’s reputation and visibility.
• Highlight Client Success Stories: Collect client testimonials and case studies. Even if you don’t directly interact with clients, you can work with partners to gather feedback and success stories that demonstrate the firm’s value.

5. Create Client-Focused Marketing Strategies

When you’re not able to speak with clients directly, your marketing strategies need to be even more client-focused and data-driven. This approach ensures that your efforts align with what clients actually want and value.

• Segment Your Audience: Use data to break down your client base into segments, then tailor your marketing messages to address the specific needs and pain points of each group.
• Personalize Your Outreach: Personalization can make clients feel valued. Use the insights you’ve gathered to create personalized marketing materials, like tailored emails or customized pitch decks.
• Implement Feedback Loops: Set up feedback loops where partners can share client responses to your marketing efforts. This way, you can refine your strategies based on actual client feedback.

6. Leverage Technology

Technology can help bridge the gap when direct client access isn’t available. There are several tools that can enhance your marketing efforts and provide valuable insights.

• Marketing Automation: Use marketing automation platforms to streamline your campaigns, track engagement and gather data on what’s working. These tools can help you identify trends and fine-tune your strategies.
• Analytics Tools: Invest in analytics platforms that give you insights into client behavior and preferences. This data can guide your marketing strategies and help you make informed decisions.
• Client Portals: If your firm offers a client portal, use it to engage with clients indirectly. Share relevant content, gather feedback and provide value through the portal.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Not having direct client access is definitely a challenge for legal marketers but it’s one you can overcome with the right strategies. By building strong internal relationships, doing your homework, understanding the client’s industry and leveraging technology, you can create marketing strategies that resonate even when you’re not speaking to clients directly.

The key is to be proactive, resourceful and always focused on client needs. Even without direct access to your clients, you can play an important role in your firm’s business development efforts by connecting the firm’s expertise with what clients are looking for. With these strategies in place, you can turn a common challenge faced by legal marketers into a real opportunity for success.