Episode 6: Rethinking Rainmakers

In this episode, Ben and James delve into a comprehensive study on business development culture within professional services firms. They discuss the methodology behind the research, which surveyed 235 business leaders across various sectors, focusing on the evolving landscape of business development. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding cultural dynamics, identifying archetypes of business development maturity, and the impact of rainmaker dependence on organizational performance. The discussion also addresses operational gaps, challenges in remuneration models, and the significance of metrics and technology in driving effective business development strategies.

This episode features an interview with Matt Cooksley, Head of Digital Marketing at Fieldfisher.Fieldfisher is a European law firm with 26 offices across Europe, Asia and the United States. Prior to joining Fieldfisher, Matt worked in other global roles at Grant Thornton International, Legal & General and Cushman & Wakefield.Ben and James chat to Matt about all things global v local when it comes to marketing technology in firms and what the challenges and benefits are to rolling out projects across the globe.

This episode features an interview with Anthony Lieu, Head of Marketing and Partnerships at LegalVision. LegalVision isn't your typical law firm. They operate on a tiered subscription model that provides access to hundreds of lawyers at affordable rates. This different business model enables LegalVision to put their clients at the centre of their marketing, and they use marketing automation to drive powerful client journeys to create better experiences for their buyer personas and ultimately, better marketing.

This episode features Sam Burrett, the AI Lead at MinterEllison Consulting, talking all things AI. Ben and James question Sam on AI in professional services, where Australian firms currently sit compared to other countries, discuss some interesting use cases of what works well and what can go wrong, and offer a peek at what we can expect in the next 5-10 years.

This episode sees the show's first guest: Veronica (V) Holmes. It was an absolute coup securing V as our first guest, with V genuinely being known as one of the best Marketing Operations consultants in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. V has almost 20 years of experience working across the spectrum of marketing technology as a marketing automation and CRM consultant, working in-house for some of the large software vendors and also client-side as a marketing director. Ben and James quiz V all about why the professional services industry has a penchant for lacking foundational marketing and sales technology, the lack of skills and maturity in certain areas and how can you best get stakeholder buy-in on your transformation journey.

As a scene-setter for the series - this episode sees Ben Scott (Grant Thornton) and James Fielding (Ummbrella: The Growth Agency) talk through the findings of the Tech-Powered Growth in Professional Services Survey. Topics covered include: technology stacks; easy wins; shifting roles; CRM usage; stakeholder buy-in, opportunity pipeline; and the relationship between technology and operational maturity.