Chief Business Development Officer ::

Chief Business Development Officer

Minneapolis

Commensurate with experience.

President/Managing Partner (solid line), COO (dotted line)

Leonard, Street and Deinard is seeking a Chief Business Development Officer who will direct the firm’s business development and marketing strategies, plans and initiatives. He or she will develop initiatives as well as manage and oversee execution of the approved plans and strategies. The Chief Business Development Officer will be responsible for managing priorities, return on investment and accountability for all business development and marketing activities. He or she will maintain courteous and professional contact with clients, attorneys, paralegals and staff, and observe confidentiality of client matters.

Consult with firm management in the development and implementation of the firm’s strategic marketing plan; continuously analyze and make decisions regarding the growth of certain practice areas or the addition of new practice areas.

Establish lawyer teams to develop new business opportunities with existing and potential clients and manage the firm’s client team program.

Act as a coach to lawyers, providing support, training and techniques targeted to achievement of business development goals.

Develop and implement appropriate business development skills training throughout the firm, including ongoing implementation of the Fast Forward program.

Build a high level of awareness of and support for effective firm, practice group, client and individual business development and marketing efforts.

Participate in specific business development opportunities, including responses to RFPs and presentations to existing and potential clients.

Identify and implement client retention and growth strategies, including client interviews, client surveys and client advisory panels.

Manage the firm’s client relationship management (CRM) system to effectively manage client, prospect and referral contacts; mailing lists; and practice group target lists. 

Identify and facilitate cross-selling opportunities between practice groups and offices.

Work with the Business Development Manager to develop and implement annual practice group marketing plans. Provide marketing budget analysis and best practices to facilitate effective and consistent implementation of marketing plans.

Manage the firm’s brand identity in the marketplace, leveraging both advertising and public relations, for the firm and certain practice groups; oversee the firm’s advertising, communications and public relations efforts, including advertisements, press releases, article placement, brochures, newsletters, practice group descriptions, attorney bios and the firm’s Web site.

Evaluate and monitor existing business development efforts on an ongoing basis; track practice development activities and expenditures and measure results through established baselines and quantifying results.

Collaborate with the Human Resources Department on internal communications. 

Prepare annual marketing budget, including separate budgets for each practice group, and monitors expenditures against budgets.

Manage, mentor, motivate, evaluate and recruit business development and marketing staff.

Ability to plan for, manage and evaluate the business development and marketing and function of a professional service firm at a level normally attained through a J.D. or Master’s degree with an emphasis in marketing.

Approximately 10-15 years of progressively more responsible work experience in order to gain the expertise needed to administer a complex marketing and communication system. Business development experience in a professional services environment.

Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints.

Ability to identify and analyze issues and problems in marketing and communication management, and to recommend and implement solutions.

Outstanding presentation and communication skills, both written and oral.

Managerial and supervisory skills necessary in order to organize, coordinate and supervise appropriate staff.

Interpersonal skills necessary in order to communicate with and effectively follow instructions from a diverse group of clients, attorneys, paralegals and staff and provide information with ordinary courtesy and tact.

Schmidt Marketing has been retained to conduct this search. Interested and qualified candidates should e-mail their resume, in strictest confidence, to Gretchen Semler.

Schmidt Marketing, Inc.
P.O. Box 24198
Edina, Minnesota 55424