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June 29, 2023 by Noah Kerwin

We hear it all the time: the next generation of talent—and leadership—wants more. More balance in their careers. More alignment with their values. More engagement with social issues.

The world of professional services firms—buttoned-up places that have traditionally skewed white, male and older, especially in leadership ranks—is particularly vulnerable to emerging stakeholders’ preferences. In a recent poll, less than 40% of Gen Z lawyers said they would like to join one of the U.S.’s largest 200 firms, down from nearly 60% just three years prior. Meanwhile, recent news out of law firm Barber Ranen involving the name partners’ racist, sexist, homophobic, and antisemitic emails (and those partners’ subsequent exit from the firm) is just one more indication that times are changing. Behavior that might once have been papered over now (rightly) carries significant consequences.

The question, then, isn’t whether these generational shifts are here or will have an impact. That’s a fait accompli. Rather, today’s business leaders should be asking how they can best communicate with their younger workers and clients to mitigate risks and set themselves up for success for years to come. Here’s how.

Get to Know This New Audience

You can look up all the statistics you want: that younger employees care more about corporate culture; that almost 90% of millennial lawyers want flexibility and work-from-home options; that roughly half of accounting and finance students and young professionals cite personal well-being and mental health as a concern and think a great work-life balance is a key attraction factor for employment.

But while that’s a good start, it takes more to operationalize efforts at your own firm. Start by asking some key questions to help hone in:

Who is our audience, internally and externally?
How quickly are their expectations evolving?
What messages do they need to hear and who should they hear them from?
How can we support our messages with tangible actions?

Social media listening, focus groups, surveys, and routine conversations with teammates and clients are extremely helpful tools for answering these questions.

For instance, one major law firm we work with held a series of focus groups last year to create messaging that would help attract and retain attorneys in a post-COVID landscape. The resulting messages—highlighting alternative career paths, the firm’s supportive culture, its initiatives around diversity, equity and inclusion, and a robust benefits program—were in large part aimed at this next generation of lawyers. They also helped with the continued evolution of their sponsoring and mentoring initiatives and talent outreach.

You can do the same with clients: Voice of the Client research can help build a multi-faceted understanding of your client’s needs, expectations and pain points—and can update your approach to the coming generation.

Establish and Live Up To Your Firm’s Values

What does your professional services firm stand for? Why do you do what you do? And what impact do you make in the community, the nation, and the world?

These questions may sound lofty or even squishy to hard-charging business leaders. But these are the elements that millennials and Gen Z care most about. And MIT research shows that even if companies have a set of values written down, far too few are translating them into action in any tangible way.

The good news is since many organizations don’t meaningfully connect their actions to their values, you have an opportunity to set your firm apart in the minds of emerging stakeholders. To do so, you’ll need to look at your existing mission, governing principles, and values and honestly assess how well you’re living up to them.

For example, if your values state that you’re committed to creating an internal culture that’s welcoming and inclusive, evaluate what building blocks you’ve put in place to make that value a reality. Have you taken steps to attract and retain a more diverse workforce? Are you actively combating harassment at your firm? Are you elevating diverse voices and ensuring people from underrepresented groups have a seat at leadership tables?

You’ll also need to be able to read the room and pivot when necessary. One professional services firm we work with did just that – after a series of acquisitions, the firm realized it needed to step up its executive communications game, particularly when it came to reaching newer, younger and prospective employees. A content campaign of internal emails and byline articles from one of the firm’s leaders brought the organization’s values to life in a personal, authentic way—and aimed to infuse the firm’s work with purpose, meaning, technological innovation, and fun.

Embrace an Authentic, Transparent Approach to Communication

Finally, you’ll need to evolve your firm’s communication style to earn the trust of a younger audience. Follow these best practices as you get started:

Carefully consider who to appoint as your firm’s spokesperson in each PR situation. Your CEO or managing partner may not always be the ideal choice, even when you’re countering negative press. A community leader, boots-on-the-ground manager, or third-party expert might be better suited to make your case and establish (or reestablish) trust.
Be strategic about the channels you use when communicating with younger audiences. Social media channels—especially YouTube and TikTok—are more effective at reaching Millennials and Gen Z than traditional media outlets. When you do communicate using these channels, be sure to keep a close eye on your audience’s comments and reactions. Staying engaged even in the face of criticism or intense questioning is key to demonstrating trustworthiness.
Avoid jargon and corporate speak. Use clear, straightforward language that paints a compelling picture. Don’t be afraid to pull back the curtain on your decision making process or draw on personal experiences. Younger audiences in particular roll their eyes at any hint of obfuscation.
Back up your words with action. Authenticity doesn’t just come from words—it comes from meaningful and concrete actions that support those words, whether it’s new hybrid working policies, benefits programs, mentorship opportunities, or DEI initiatives.

The Future is Now for Better Communications and Better Business

It’s imperative that professional services firms recognize the capabilities of Gen Zers and millennials, and work towards meeting their needs as soon as possible. That makes sense from more than a recruitment standpoint. Soon, those generations will also be in need of your services—but only if you take the time to establish trust now.

Taking steps to develop and adhere to strong corporate values, operate transparently and ethically, and understand stakeholder sentiments just make good sense, for your operations today as well as for the future of your business.

Greentarget knows how to develop PR strategies that speak the language of every generation. As a full-service communications firm, we’d love to help you position your firm for success now and down the road. Let’s talk.

June 1, 2023 by Christian Erard

As your professional services firm continues to navigate today’s uncertain economy, it may become necessary to adjust staffing levels and/or cut expenses in other ways. And though these actions are intended to position your firm for long-term success, they can weaken your business if not done thoughtfully and with empathy for your audience.

Take MillerKnoll CEO Andi Owen as a cautionary tale. In April, she urged employees to “leave pity city” in response to complaints that they would not receive bonuses. In her video message, Owen starts off by encouraging employees to “focus on the things we can control.” But as she continues, her thinly veiled frustration starts to seep through. And before long, she raises her voice, wags her finger, and sarcastically scolds her team, saying:

Don’t ask about ‘What are we going to do if we don’t get a bonus?’ Get the damn 26 million dollars! Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million we need and not thinking about what you’re going to do if you don’t get a bonus. Alright? Can I get some commitment for that? I’d appreciate that. I had an old boss who said to me one time, ‘You can visit pity city, but you can’t live there.’ So people? Leave pity city; let’s get it done. Thank you. Have a great day.

She ends the video by making hand motions depicting an explosion, as if she’s just delivered a mind-blowing, enlightening truth bomb. But the biggest hit she delivered was to her own reputation.

Here’s the actual truth bomb: Empathy for your audience is fundamental to effective communication. And as a leader, you can’t afford to alienate your audience by delivering hard truths the wrong way.

The Business Impact of Empathetic Communication

It’s never easy to share difficult news about things like staff reductions, bonus/salary freezes, and budget cuts. However, communicating challenging circumstances skillfully is an excellent way to establish your firm’s authority and build trust with your audience.

A communication plan rooted in empathy can:

Protect your firm’s reputation with internal stakeholders and the public
Limit the amount of time bad news spends in the news cycle
Reassure stakeholders that you know what it takes for your firm to weather the storm and come out on top
Reinforce your brand and underscore your organizational values

Even if your firm is in good financial shape at the moment, you’ll most likely need to communicate difficult news at some point. It’s just part of running a business. And since the best way to manage a PR crisis is to avoid creating one in the first place, it’s wise to start working on your playbook now.

5 Elements of a “Hard Times” Communications Playbook

Your firm’s financial health must guide your decision-making. But your stakeholders’ needs and expectations should be the compass that directs your communication plan. Incorporating the following five elements into your comms strategy will help you make the best of otherwise undesirable situations.

1. Exhibit Compassion

Every decision you make about your business impacts your people in some way. So when you’re communicating news about layoffs, salary freezes/reductions, and other cost-cutting measures, don’t underestimate the human toll the news will take.

Your employees may ask you difficult questions, put you on the spot, and criticize your leadership in response to hard news. Treat them with dignity anyway. You can’t walk in their shoes, but you can remain empathetic and expressgenuine concern for their welfare.

2. Time the Announcement Carefully

You should always share bad news with employees who are directly impacted before you announce it to everyone else. However, you should also know who your secondary and tertiary audiences are and be ready to cascade your messages to them quickly.

Bear in mind, anything you say internally has the potential to be shared externally. So don’t begin communicating with employees until you’ve put together a plan for responding to questions and concerns from public stakeholders and the media.

3. Use the Right Channels to Communicate to Each Audience

It’s also important to think about how you will communicate difficult messages. Should you send an email? Schedule a video conference? Hold a town hall meeting? Personally speak to employees in small groups or one-on-one?

There’s not necessarily a right or wrong answer here. But in general, you should do what feels most authentic to your firm’s culture and you shouldn’t simply take the easy way out.

Firing 900 employees over Zoom won’t win you any goodwill. Again, keep empathy at the forefront when choosing how you’ll deliver the news.

4. Be Blunt, But Kind

This might seem like counterintuitive advice. But when it comes to delivering hard truths, it’s ok to be blunt as long as the message is anchored in genuine kindness.

In fact, it’s often better to deliver the truth in a straightforward manner rather than try to soften bad news or minimize its impact. After all, economic uncertainty causes nearly everyone to feel higher levels of fear and paranoia. So sometimes the kindest thing you can do is remove all uncertainty from the equation.

Don’t beat around the bush or use vague, confusing language. Instead, be transparent and direct. Let your employees know exactly what’s happening and why. Share the business case for the decisions you’re making. And give as many details as you can about what will happen next.

5. Reassure Your Stakeholders That the Future is Bright

Finally, provide your team with a clear idea of where your firm is headed so you can rally them around a shared set of goals and objectives. This is an opportunity to sharpen your value proposition, streamline operations, and align your people for the path forward.

Your stakeholders need to know that you’re making decisions based on what’s best for the company and, ultimately, what’s best for them, too. To that end, don’t share bad news without also painting a picture of a bright future you can all believe in and work toward.

Communicate Effectively to Guide Your Firm Through Challenging Times

In decades past, CEOs and other executive leaders may have had more freedom to communicate bad news in a top-down, authoritarian way. The rules were different, and previous generations of stakeholders and employees were more willing to accept a “this is the way it is” approach to communication.

Whether you accept it or not, that style simply doesn’t cut it anymore. And if you slip into old-school patterns of communication, you can be sure it will come back to haunt you.

Leading your firm through choppy waters starts by winning the trust of your people. And that, of course, begins with communicating effectively in good times and in bad. So if you need help evolving your executive communications playbook? Let’s talk.

April 13, 2023 by Greentarget

If you’re looking for tangible ways to improve your PR or professional services firm’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), you’re not alone. DEI is a key business priority for a majority of C-suite executives and in-house counsel, according to Greentarget and Zeughauser Group’s 2022 State of DEI Content report — and the most frequently mentioned area where decision makers want guidance from their service providers is on how to recruit and retain diverse talent.

That report got me thinking about what leaders could learn from my perspective garnered from wearing various hats at Greentarget: a former intern, a current senior associate and intern coordinator, an Asian-American woman breaking into a historically and predominantly white industry, and — last but not least — a member of Gen Z who, like many of my peers, prioritizes the social impact of my work and the inclusive values of my employer.

Two years ago, I navigated a remote internship with Greentarget in the midst of the pandemic. Last summer, I returned for an in-person internship. And today, not only am I an associate serving clients in the legal and professional services industries, with a focus on media relations — I’m also a coordinator on Greentarget’s intern team, responsible for recruiting, training, and overseeing our intern classes (whose seat I was in not too long ago), as well as expanding our diversity recruiting strategy and partnerships.

My internships played a direct role in influencing my decision to further my career in public relations at Greentarget, not only by giving me hands-on PR experience — but also by fostering a workplace with an authentic commitment to DEI, allowing me to envision myself as a team member, mentor, and leader whose perspective would be encouraged, rather than curtailed. And as value-oriented Gen Z professionals continue entering the job market, decision makers at professional services firms can and must take proactive steps to recruit and retain young talent.

1. Demonstrate an Authentic Commitment to DEI at Your Firm

Gen Z is the most diverse generation in American history. We actively tune into DEI conversations and want to work for organizations that align with our values. And we expect employers to go beyond the performative when it comes to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive atmosphere.

Tackling issues of diversity and inclusion is not easy, and it’s not about establishing quotas or simply boosting your numbers. Rather, it’s about creating a workplace culture where diverse talent wants to invest their professional energies. Getting started can feel intimidating, and DEI initiatives can and should be ongoing. But the good news is there are thoughtful ways to start embedding DEI into your culture that aren’t overly complicated or expensive.

At Greentarget, we started a book club that gives interns and employees an avenue to explore DEI-focused topics. Reading Minor Feelings, for example — an autobiography by Korean American author Cathy Park Hong — particularly resonated with me. Not only was I able to voice how my Asian-American identity has impacted me personally and professionally, but our whole team engaged in open discourse about the Asian-American psyche, and how we can be more culturally competent in the workplace.

If you’re looking to start a similar initiative at your firm, don’t be deterred by your level of understanding about a given identity or aspect of DEI. Initiatives like our book club are, after all, about education: providing a platform for your team to share their experiences, and actively listening for insights and opportunities to become a more socially conscious professional and person.

It’s also important to give interns a seat at the table, and for them to see employees from underrepresented backgrounds taking part in the business, including as decision makers. One way we do this is to invite interns to participate in many of the same professional learning opportunities that associates and leadership team members attend — from company-wide trainings on media relations and strategy, to brainstorms during which we discuss current events and explore new pitching angles. Of course, it’s also important for interns to see diverse employees in action, whether in client-facing roles or leading internal initiatives. Representation matters.

2. Elevate Diverse Voices Internally and Externally

It can be challenging for people of color and members of underrepresented groups to speak up and share ideas freely at work. And frankly, it can be especially intimidating to interact with powerful (often white male) senior executives.

This is as true for associates as it is for interns.

That’s why people in positions of power within your professional services firm should look for ways to open doors of opportunity and amplify diverse voices. This can be as simple as:

Asking questions and truly listening to the answers
Encouraging interns and young associates to share their ideas and giving them merit
Staying curious about perspectives and lived experiences that differ from your own
Seeking input about ways to improve your culture
Offering one-on-one mentorship and support

It’s also important for your interns to see you promote diverse perspectives through your owned and earned media efforts. Greentarget is deliberate about representation on our own Insights page. We use it as a platform to amplify voices from across our entire organization, from our CEO to associates and interns.

The diverse employees at your firm have unique and compelling points of view that will resonate with your audience. Use your platform to make their voices heard.

3. Provide Interns Access to Meaningful Work

The best internships offer students a glimpse of what their professional futures could look like. So if you want your internship program to become a powerful recruiting tool that advances your DEI objectives, you need to give interns work they can be excited about.

From day one of my internships at Greentarget, I felt I was part of something bigger than myself. I was able to:

Immerse myself in topics that matter to society as a whole — like tax law, healthcare/drug pricing, and labor/employment law
Create a start-to-finish media campaign addressing corporate responses to the Black Lives Matter movement and present it to the entire company
Interact with and learn from junior, mid-level, and senior members of the team

That’s not to say I didn’t also handle lower-level tasks as an intern. After all, I was there to learn the business from the ground up. But employers can elevate even menial tasks if you share the “why” behind each one. For example, I initially overlooked the importance of the media lists I assembled — but by educating my intern cohort on the media relations process and how our work shaped this process, my mentors at Greentarget illuminated the significance of a “simple” task like a media list.

4. Connect the Dots Between Your Firm and a Larger Societal Impact

The media and the PR industry help shape our understanding of the world around us, from business trends and political news to social issues. Consider what role the media has played in cultivating your awareness of the most pressing issues today — climate change, inflation, racial and gender inequality, presidential elections and geopolitical struggles happening halfway across the world?

When most people read a Washington Post article or watch a CNN segment, they probably don’t think about everything that occurred behind the scenes to produce those pieces. Before I entered the PR industry, I certainly didn’t. But PR professionals like us at Greentarget often play a key role in helping that work come together.

Reporters often say to me, “My reporting is only as good as my sources.” Journalists rely on trustworthy, expert authorities — lawyers, accountants, consultants, and more — to explain complex issues in straightforward language and provide credibility for the accuracy of their reporting. PR professionals may spend weeks, even months, cultivating the reporter-source relationship behind a three-sentence quote.

Over the two years since my initial internship with Greentarget, I gained an understanding of the end-to-end media relations process that has illuminated the value in even the most routine tasks. From helping a client articulate their unique perspective on a topic, sharing that perspective with reporters, coordinating and attending an in-depth interview, and eventually seeing our clients’ words from that discussion contribute to a tangible story, I see how my efforts contribute to the larger conversation.

So, how does this apply to you? To reach intern candidates who value the social impact of their work, highlight the larger results of their role. Remind them that when they do research to ensure the stories we pitch are rooted in fact, not fiction, we help fight fake news. And underscore the reality that when they secure a writing opportunity or a quote placement for a source with a diverse perspective, they’re giving that individual the opportunity to shape a broader public discourse.

As a PR firm with clients constantly grappling with big issues, part of our job is imbuing big stories with their insights — and interns play a foundational role in this process. Developing a media list of healthcare publications or researching energy tax credits might not seem all that exciting or meaningful. But that media list could be used to pitch a story on drug-pricing legislation affecting millions of Americans. That research might prepare an energy lawyer for an interview about sustainable financing that could help businesses or communities tap into programs aimed at reducing their carbon footprint.

Your interns and associates — especially those who are part of Gen Z — need to see a connection between their work and the most pressing social issues of our day. Being part of something bigger — something that’s driving progress and change — is a significant motivating force for my generation.

Create an Inclusive Culture Interns Want to Be Part Of

As an executive leader, you set the tone for your professional services firm. It’s up to you to establish diversity, equity, and inclusion as an organizational priority and empower your team to allocate the necessary time and resources to bring new initiatives to life.

Change won’t happen overnight, and making real strides will require sustained time and effort. But if you truly want to attract and retain a more diverse workforce: now’s the time to get started.

March 16, 2023 by Diana Dixon

For most professional services firms, periods of economic uncertainty bring a renewed focus on shoring up and strengthening existing client relationships while also identifying ways to bring more value to the organizations that have already placed their trust in your firm. In other words, client retention and organic growth take priority over new client acquisition – or at least maintain an equal footing.

As a marketing leader, you can play a key (and maybe even surprising) role in supporting the deepening of the client relationships that are vital to your firm’s long-term well-being. After all, you’re the steward of your organization’s brand promise. And by empowering your internal relationship leaders to deliver that brand promise consistently and effectively, you can directly impact your firm’s bottom line.

To that end, here are three strategies designed to help you serve your internal teams as they work to reinforce their high-value client relationships — and a look “under the hood” at Greentarget’s formalized approach to client service.

1. Codify Client Service Behaviors that Promote Retention

Defining and documenting your organization’s unique approach to client service is a powerful exercise and can serve as a roadmap to navigating economic uncertainty. A good place to start is among your primary relationship leads whose clients tend to be steadfast and have increased their investment in your firm over time.

Some relationship managers are truly exceptional at what they do. They anticipate their clients’ needs and always seem to be one step ahead. But do you know what specifically they do differently than their peers? And have the leaders within your organization made it clear that other client-facing members are also expected to live up to the high bar these shining stars set?

Years ago, an advisor to Greentarget talked to us about the concept of “unconscious competence” – the idea that while it may not be explicitly documented, we had developed a “way of doing things” that was understood by most within the firm but not formally expressed. He encouraged us to formalize our approach to client service which evolved into an effort we refer to today as the “Greentarget Way” of client service.

A first step for your organization might be codifying the behaviors your high performing relationship managers regularly and consistently exhibit. Their “unconscious competence,” so to speak. To do so, try asking questions like:

How often do you interact with clients? What does your client work look like on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis?
What’s your philosophy around client service? In what ways do your behaviors align with our organizational values?
How do you maintain empathy for clients while also protecting approved budgets? What’s the right balance between setting and exceeding expectations?
How do you anticipate your clients’ needs? What actions do you take to stay ahead of their business challenges and the industry trends they’re adapting to?
Tell me about your best client relationship. What makes it so?

Based on what you learn, you can leverage these insights and begin to spell out the behaviors that promote trust and establish credibility. The more relationship leads you speak with, the more you’ll be able to spot commonalities and patterns across key client accounts which will allow you to create best practices that scale across your firm. And in the process, you’ll create the opportunity to position the firm’s marketing team as a valuable resource to your internal clients for insights on successful client retention and growth strategies.

2. Underscore Your Firm’s Role as a Trusted Authority and Advisor

It’s common for clients to scrutinize everything when they’re feeling the pressure of a challenging economic environment. After all, uncertainty can cause even the savviest business leaders to panic. And when they feel unsettled, clients may question your firm’s methodologies, attempt to pivot away from overarching priorities and strategies, and expect your relationship leaders to respond immediately to any and every top-of-mind issue they throw your way.

Now is the time for your relationship managers to lean into — and demonstrate — your firm’s authority.

Again, this requires you to codify and champion the behaviors that help your clients see you as the high-value partner you are. When it comes to emphasizing your firm’s ability to serve as an expert advisor, these behaviors may include:

Taking time to deeply understand each client’s vision for the year and the strategic objectives they want to reach
Making recommendations and providing advice that aligns with those overarching objectives
Pushing back against projects and requests that might ultimately distract the client from reaching their big-picture goals
Keeping the client focused and centered around business-critical tasks
Invest in a “voice of the client” research initiative to understand the critical challenges and pain points that your firm can help address

Of course, you can also underscore your firm’s expertise by doubling down on your owned media efforts. For example, you might develop and promote a series of case studies that showcases specific ways your team used their unique positions of authority to solve clients’ trickiest business challenges. Or, you could help key leaders write articles, research reports, and other collateral to share a compelling point of view on issues that impact your industry.

Regardless of the approach you pursue, your marketing orientation and instincts can be a tremendous asset for relationship leaders within your firm who are challenged to navigate economic uncertainty and contraction. Now’s the time to move beyond the traditional boundaries of marketing and communications by exploring new ways to serve and support the relationship leaders who drive your firm.

3. Create an Internal Rallying Cry Around Client Retention

As a marketing leader, you are also your firm’s “chief repetition officer.” It’s your responsibility to continually beat the drum about your firm’s priorities and keep your team energized around your common goals.

Setting a client retention goal at the beginning of a new year is a good start. But to achieve the results you’re after, you’ll also need to develop creative ways of reinforcing your firm’s commitment to delivering your brand promise.

This can be as simple as encouraging your practice group leaders to carve out a minute or two in team meetings to share anecdotes and stories about how they’ve provided excellent client service. Or you might infuse every piece of internal communication with updates and reminders about your client retention goals and the specific behaviors that support them.

Whatever the case may be, look for ways to repeatedly communicate that providing excellent client service is a key strategy to thriving during a downturn and provide the examples that illustrate those behaviors.

Draw Inspiration From The Greentarget Way

At Greentarget, we’ve spent more than a decade defining and refining the brand promise we deliver to clients. As a result, “The Greentarget Way” has become an integral part of our team culture. Every employee knows what it takes to live out our ideals when working and collaborating with clients.

The Greentarget Way lays out a seven-step approach to client service. Each step maps to specific behaviors that members of our team are expected to embrace in their client work. For example:

PROCESS	BEHAVIORS
1. Identify the problem, challenge, or opportunity	• Ask “how can we help?” • Look to peers for lessons learned and best practices • Get uncomfortable – we are creative problem solvers
2. Understand the objectives	• Ask insightful questions • Focus on the details • Bring a “yes…and” attitude
3. Empathize with the audience	• Ask the right questions to learn everything you can about audience needs • Stay on top of industry trends • Be open to pivoting and changing course • Avoid assumptions and be willing to test your theories about audience preferences and behaviors
4. Build the strategy	• Take calculated risks • Deliver fresh thinking • Trust your reservoir of experience • Ask colleagues for help
5. Craft the narrative	• Be authentic and credible • Work to build connections with the desired audience • Execute with vigilance, diligence, and purpose
6. Distribute across channels	• Deliver results • Build personal connections with media, clients, and peers
7. Measure and assess	• Track appropriate KPIs • Recharge and gain a fresh perspective before the next project • Ask insightful questions about how results impacted the client’s business

This is a brief overview of our in-depth and comprehensive approach. But now that you see what’s possible, how might you develop a similar strategy to improve your firm’s client retention rate?

We’d love to help you think through a model that will enable your firm to deepen and prioritize your high-value client relationships in light of your mission and values. So if you have questions, just reach out.

March 2, 2023 by Greentarget

It’s no secret that law firm profits and productivity slipped last year, as 2021’s legal bonanza gave way to a more challenging stretch in which many firms found themselves with too many lawyers, and not enough work to go around.

Demand for legal services dropped 1.9% in 2022 compared to 2021, while expenses increased 7.9%, according to Wells Fargo’s Legal Specialty Group. Some law firms have already laid off lawyers and staff, while others may be considering reductions.

Last year, when the war for lateral talent still raged, we recommended that firms emphasize culture over profits in their legal media interviews as a way stand out in an environment where strong financial performance was the rule.

But as legal demand dries up while expenses climb, law firms need to adjust their messaging accordingly. Below, we outline considerations as firms prepare for those discussions.

What to Expect During the Interview

Economic uncertainty continues dominating headlines and will be a recurring theme in conversations between legal media and law firm leadership. Expect questions about how your firm plans to navigate the unpredictable financial environment in the coming year, from reining in expenses and headcount to balancing fiscal restraint with the need to invest in technology and talent.

With law firm mergers gaining momentum after a pandemic-era dip, legal reporters may ask whether your firm is open to a combination to grow headcount, expand its regional footprint and/or expand capabilities. Smaller firms and those with softening financial results should prepare for questions about potentially being acquired by larger or more prosperous firms.

The legal media knows your firm’s expenses increased last year, but you can talk about how they grew in 2022 and how you plan to manage them in 2023. On a more granular level, expect journalists to ask how your firm dealt with overcapacity last year – and how it plans to address the issue in 2023. Are you instituting programs to fill lawyers’ unused time through expanded pro bono work or business development initiatives?

Headcount Reductions

Nobody wants to talk about this. However, the legal media has widely covered the firms that have already reduced their headcounts in 2022 and 2023, and reporters will not shy away from questions around this topic.

If your firm plans to lay off attorneys and staff, make sure to announce those reductions internally before discussing them with members of the media. Keep in mind that any memo sent to lawyers and staff will be leaked – so when drafting the announcement, have your external audiences in mind, too.

If your firm has already reduced its attorney or professional staff ranks, interviews can help contextualize those decisions by framing them around your firm’s overall 2022 performance and strategy for 2023.

Real Estate, Technology and DEI

Where and how lawyers work will also be top of mind. Hybrid and remote work continue to be topics of interest. Firms should expect questions about changes to in-office policies and whether they remain open to fully remote hires.

Reporters will likely ask about firms’ physical footprints, too. Firm leaders should plan to discuss any changes in office space, and the adoption of strategies like hoteling. If your firm has a hiring strategy for 2023, this interview offers a great place to share it with potential talent.

Leaders should also expect questions about their firms’ technology investments. Has your firm splashed out on new software or platforms in the past year? Does your firm plan to scale back technology spending in the coming year?

Prepare for questions about potential retrenchment in other areas – including diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), which many firms prioritized after the social and racial reckoning of 2020. Reporters may ask about what measurable progress you made against those commitments last year, and whether your firm plans to cut or pause its DEI and/or talent development initiatives amid profit pressures. Consider sharing your organization’s DEI targets and how you plan to meet those goals in the coming year.

Reflect on 2022 – And Map Out What’s Next

When preparing your talking points about 2022, think about how you would characterize the year at a macro level. Be prepared to talk about the practices, regions and industries that drove growth last year, and where your firm saw shifts in demand. This is a great opportunity to discuss notable matters from 2022, so ensure you have those details on hand.

During these interviews, firm leaders can discuss their strategy for 2023. Any major investments your firm plans for the year – office openings, new practice group focus, ancillary practices – should be shared here if possible.

Explain where the firm will focus this year in terms of practices and initiatives, as well as areas where you will be creating efficiencies. Where do you anticipate increased demand? Leaders should plan to talk about practices that may be ripe for growth, such as bankruptcy and restructuring, data privacy and security and regulatory.

With the economic outlook for the legal industry still uncertain, firms can find value in being transparent about financial results, strategic plans and cultural considerations – topics that will resonate with current employees and potential talent.

February 14, 2023 by Joe Eichner

Look familiar? As a PR pro who develops content for professional services firms, it certainly does to me.

Yet the above didn’t take weeks of focus groups, client calls and multiple rounds of editing to produce. Instead – at the behest of CB Insights’ CEO – it was written in less than two seconds by ChatGPT, the new AI-powered chatbot that has made headlines since its public rollout last November.

Those headlines might have you think that jobs like mine will go the way of the VCR. In my view, though, the real issue isn’t that AI can do my job. Sure, AI can help get things started, draft great SEO headlines, and effectively regurgitate basic information and summaries. But as numerous critics have shown, ChatGPT’s content is rife with inaccuracies and wooden prose – not to mention it’s really bad at jokes.

Perhaps most importantly, however, it is unoriginal by design. In formulating a response based on its ingestion of existing content on the internet, ChatGPT is essentially just “giving you some text that statistically is likely to represent the consensus view on whatever topic you ask it to comment on.” It’s no surprise CNET articles written by AI have come under fire for plagiarism.

An increasingly AI-powered content marketplace poses particular risks to professional services firms, who, with their stiff, jargon-filled language, already tend to sound alike. And not having fresh content could have real consequences: as our 2022 State of Digital & Content Marketing Report shows, more than two-thirds of respondents (71% of in-house counsel; 69% of C-suite members) cited articles from thought leaders as a critical factor when it comes to researching firms for potential hire.

In other words, if your insights or messaging can be easily imitated by ChatGPT, then why should anyone choose you?

To establish yourself as a true authority, you’ve got to go above and beyond the consensus view to create content that is unique, relevant, newsworthy and, above all, useful. Here are a few writing best practices to help rise above the noise – and outdo anything produced by ChatGPT.

Go deep

In determining whether a certain text was written by a bot, a new app, ChatGPTZero, uses two indicators – one of which is “perplexity.” In a nutshell, the more complex a text, the more likely it was written by a human.

The temptation for professional services firms might be to make things more technical, complex, and jargon-ridden. That’s not the answer. While some more arcane language can be helpful – for example, to signal your expertise to certain target audience – remember that the broader goal is to make your content useful and engaging for busy readers.

One way to split the difference: be specific. Focus on a particular angle of a particular topic geared at a particular audience. Then deploy specifics to tell a story that makes a complex issue come alive: Frame the piece through a particular news hook, case study, or example; quote experts, cite relevant research or historical documents; use hypotheticals to put the reader in your shoes.

That’s what Jennifer Hull, a client of ours at Berkeley Research Group, did with a recent piece on crypto. Instead of writing a broad take on a subject that has saturated the internet for months, she focused on accounting standards for crypto assets – an emerging, niche issue in the space – and outlined key challenges and unique guidance using specific, timely examples (without being overly technical or dull). After the piece appeared in BRG’s ThinkSet digital magazine, it caught the attention of Accounting Today, which subsequently published a slightly adapted version for their site.

Write with voice

AI-powered content doesn’t typically read as coming from the voice of an individual in all their complexities. That said, neither does a lot of professional services firm content.

Examples like the bland mission statement at the top of this post should serve as a wake-up call to write with voice and personality.

Ask yourself: Why should I be writing this vs., say, 100 other intellectual property attorneys –or a robot?
What do I uniquely bring to this topic from my professional experience or personal history?
And finally: Can I write like I speak?

To do so, tell stories. Use specific references. Deploy humor, charm, emotion. Draw on your own experiences. Read your piece out loud and ask yourself if it sounds like a human (you!) wrote it.

Vary sentence length and rhythm, too. The other indicator ChatGTPZero tests for, after all, is “burstiness,” described in this recent NPR article as the human tendency to write “some longer or complex sentences alongside shorter ones. AI sentences tend to be more uniform.”

Consider the apology email written by Andrew Benin, the CEO of Graza, a startup that makes squeezable bottles of olive oil. When holiday orders arrived late and badly packaged, he dashed off an 835-word, profoundly human email with this kicker:

“I hope that you stick it out with us on this crazy ride, because damn is Graza tasty, loveable and fun to use…As a small gesture (and keep in mind this email is going out to 10s of thousands of people and we are an 11 month old 5 person business LOL), I’ve created a code wewillgetbetter for $4.43 off any future order (this is truly what we can afford!)”

Authentic, clear, raw, charming, and written in an inimitable voice, the email received a 78% open rate and a resoundingly positive response. Other executive communicators should take note.

Say something new

If ChatGPT’s responses are essentially Frankensteined mashups of existing content – that cuts off (for now) in 2021 – the simple solution is to create something new.

That reinforces our longstanding advice to thought leaders. Don’t just repeat the consensus or tell people what they already know; instead have a unique point-of-view that advances the conversation. To do so, follow these three steps:

1). Frame your topic as a “how” or “why” question. This helps push past a simplistic summary of the issue to a more meaty analysis of why there’s a problem and/or how to address it. It also invites a particular audience and naturally raises the stakes. For instance, to start writing this article I wouldn’t say: I want to write about ChatGPT’s influence on professional services firms. Instead, I’d try: How can professional services firms stand out in an increasingly AI-powered content landscape?

2). Evaluate what’s already been said about the topic. This is where you play ChatGPT – do the research and see what’s already out there. Has what you want to say already been written? If so, try refocusing your question: Is there a more particular audience you can address? A more niche issue that hasn’t gotten as much attention? A timely news hook that can help reframe the piece in a fresh way?

Alternatively, look to yourself: Do you have a unique response to existing solutions? Different solutions to the same problem? A new or more illuminating way to articulate it?

3). Discover what you can uniquely add to the conversation. The key word here is “add.” Don’t contribute to the noise. Engage with what’s already out there and make sure you’ve got a unique and timely contribution. That’s where the two points above come in: leverage your unique expertise, experiences, and voice – and keep the conversation moving forward, not backwards.

Above all, ask yourself: Is this relevant? Newsworthy? Novel? Useful?

That’s what another client of ours, JTC Americas, did in a piece last year about the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Despite a flurry of talk about new CRA reforms, the group noticed one element was missing from the conversation that also aligned with its objectives as a specialty fund administrator – namely, that the Opportunity Zones program could help community banks receive CRA credits. By drawing on their unique expertise, they were able to add to a timely conversation about CRA reform in a way that only they could.

The more things change, the more things stay the same

ChatGPT might help with some basic elements of writing. But it won’t change the fact that the most compelling thought leadership, messaging, executive communications, and web copy is generated by real people – thinking human beings with a unique voice, perspective, and expertise.

As The Atlantic’s Annie Lowery wrote in a recent column:

“As a rule, when companies can substitute machines for people, they will.… But even if ChatGPT can spit out a pretty good paragraph on AI, it can’t interview AI and labor experts, nor can it find historical documents, nor can it assess the quality of studies of technological change and employment. It creates content out of what is already out there, with no authority, no understanding, no ability to correct itself, no way to identify genuinely new or interesting ideas.”

Instead, writers could think of ChatGPT (in its current form, at least) as a tool that can free them up from more mundane content production to focus on complex, in-depth work. Thought leaders should do the same.

“In many ways, AI will help people use expertise better,” MIT economics professor David Autor told Lowery. “It means that we’ll specialize more.”