The challenge

A leading UK law firm had a financial services (FS) sector that had stalled. Their internal Business Development Manager was on long-term sick leave, and that coincided with a change in the sector’s leadership. An away day before Christmas had produced plenty of good ideas, but by the new year the momentum behind them had gone.

The newly appointed Head of Sector had a clear vision: create a sub-sector structure, build market presence, and get BD activity moving across the team. Without direction, though, the team had slipped into busy work. Plenty was happening, but nobody could say what was working, where the time was going, or what the budget was being spent on.

They needed two things at once. Someone to lead the planning, and someone to build foundations that would still be standing when their own BD Manager came back.

The approach

I came in as a senior business development consultant for a focused six-month engagement, with two objectives. First, lead the marketing and BD planning for the FS sector and its newly formed sub-sectors, which were starting from scratch. Second, put solid foundations in place around budget, internal profile and external memberships, so the work would keep going after I left.

Building the plans from the ground up

I set up regular sessions with the Head of Sector, the sub-sector leads and the Practice Development Lawyer. Through structured planning workshops I guided them through the process, challenged ideas where it was useful, and project managed the timelines, so the plans were realistic and the team could genuinely commit to them.

Creating budget clarity

Spending had been happening reactively and nobody had a full picture of it. I built and rolled out a budget tracker across the sector, mapped expenditure against KPIs and aligned it to the P&L. For the first time the team could see where the money was going and make decisions accordingly.

Getting value from memberships

The firm was investing heavily in trade bodies and associations and getting very little back. I audited what each membership actually offered, built a live tracker to monitor engagement, and got activity moving:

• targeted attendance at industry events
• contributing content to member publications
• exploring co-hosting opportunities with partner organisations
• tracking leads from every member touchpoint

Raising the sector’s internal profile

I ran a campaign inside the firm to raise awareness of what the FS sector was doing, including promoting their podcast series. I also recommended quarterly social events and cross-sector speed networking, so collaboration didn’t depend on people happening to bump into each other.

Defining who does what

As the contract came to an end, I ran a working session with the BD and marketing teams to set out responsibilities using a RACI framework, which maps who is responsible, accountable, consulted and informed on each activity. That session mattered. The team were worried about losing momentum once the internal BD Manager returned, and clear roles were the answer.

Throughout, I kept making the same point: do a few things exceptionally well, and within budget, rather than spreading the effort thinly across too much.

The results

This engagement was about setting the sector up for what came next, so there aren’t lead generation or revenue figures to report from my six months. What there is, is a sector that now knows what it’s doing and why.

• Strategic plans in place for every sub-sector, with clear direction behind each one
• Budget tracking introduced and aligned to ROI metrics
• Trade memberships properly leveraged for visibility and lead generation potential
• Internal visibility lifted through a targeted comms campaign and podcast promotion
• Roles and responsibilities defined using RACI, so nothing falls through the gaps

The change in the team was just as noticeable. Work that had felt overwhelming and unclear became manageable, prioritised and purposeful, and there was real relief in that. Helping a sector step back from the day to day and think properly about where it’s going is the part of this work I enjoy most.

What to take from this

If any of this sounds familiar in your own firm, four things are worth holding on to.

• Get the foundations in first. Planning, clarity and structure come before BD activity, not after it.
• Use the memberships you’re already paying for. The value is usually sitting there untouched.
• Do fewer things, better. And measure all of them.
• Agree who does what early. A framework like RACI stops duplication and confusion before they start.

Need to get your marketing back on track?

If your sector or service line needs a reset, from strategic planning through to measuring performance, I can help. Whether you’re looking for interim support or strategic direction, I’ll get your professional services team organised and making an impact that lasts. Get in touch and let’s talk.