Long ago, the partner in charge of marketing at a Big Four accounting firm discovered that several members of his team had joined the Association of Accounting Marketing Executives. Not only were they attending meetings, but also they were giving presentations and accepting leadership positions. The partner quickly put a stop to it. “Why are you sharing our expertise and know-how with competitors?” he raged.
Kind of a short-sighted question.
His implication—that only the marketers in his department, brilliant as they were, had valuable ideas—was egotistical. It was also hypocritical, considering the firm’s accountants and consultants regularly shared information with peers and competitors through groups like the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Management Consultants, to name just two.
But most critically, the partner in charge of the firm’s marketing function was missing a deeper truth. In professional services, it’s not about the knowledge shared; it’s about how well that knowledge is applied. Execution is everything.
Plenty of people can break down Scottie Scheffler’s golf swing. Some can even mimic it. But reproducing his performance on the PGA Tour? Unlikely. Or consider Anne-Sophie Pic. Her recipes and techniques are shareable, but few can match the brilliance she serves at her restaurant tables. Similarly, a marketing genius can walk you through exactly how she achieves results. Doesn’t mean anyone else can replicate it.
That’s why the true value of law firm “conclaves,” boardrooms, or peer forums isn’t in the specific information shared. It’s in the collision and refinement of ideas. These gatherings are marketplaces of idea generation. Places where insights emerge, get tested, evolve, and sharpen. At their best, they don’t just exchange information; they expand our capacity to think creatively and execute strategically.
If you’re investing your time (and your firm’s money) in joining a peer forum, boardroom, or cohort, make it count. Here are three ways to ensure that the investment delivers lasting value:
1. Find a Group That Matches Your Aspirations
Seek out a boardroom that aligns with your goals. At LawVision, our boardrooms emphasize revenue generation from existing clients and through acquisition of new ones. That’s not surprising given that our facilitators were once bag-carrying sales professionals from technology and professional services firms who brought their experience to the legal sector.
Other organizations lean toward communications, branding, or technology stacks. The right group challenges your thinking and elevates your approach in an area that matters most to you. It doesn’t just validate what you already know.
2. Demand Exposure Beyond the Usual Legal Bubble
The most transformative conversations often come from unexpected places. Early in my career, I was fortunate to be a communications consultant to a brilliant executive named Will Bishoff, Vice Chairman of Technology at Grumman (now Northrop Grumman). He asked me to develop a mind-expansion series for the technologists who had already engineered the Lunar Lander and the F-14 Tomcat of Top Gun fame.
“Don’t bring in a bunch of eggheads,” he said. “We already have the best scientists, engineers, and researchers. Bring us artists, historians, philosophers—people who expand our horizons.” The legendary initiative became known as the Horizon Series.
The same principle should apply at gatherings of law firm marketing and sales professionals. These are already industry authorities. So, like LawVision does, consider bringing in outside presenters, cross-industry thinkers, and provocateurs who challenge assumptions and spark fresh thinking.
3. Don’t Let the Learning Stop with One Person
A hallmark of high-performing marketing departments is knowledge sharing. Those who attend a boardroom session should bring back ideas and apply them across the team. Use informal debriefs, brown-bag lunches, or “what I learned” updates to turn individual insights into team-wide progress.
Great firms aren’t afraid of knowledge sharing. They know success isn’t about guarding ideas. It’s about executing better than anyone else. And savvy marketers? They know the best way to stay ahead is to find the right room, surround themselves with the right peers, and keep showing up, with curiosity, candor, and a relentless interest in what’s next.
