Law firms continue to try to up their marketing game. At the same time — CMOs are trying to escalate their careers. This can be a match made in heaven — or a disaster. It also drives demand for top CMOs and turnover in first-chair marketers.

We canvassed more than 300 law firms. We tracked law firm CMO movement through LinkedIn and our own research. Here’s what we found:

• 31% of law firm CMOs made a career move — up from 28% last year
• 12% of these were promoted into the CMO slot at their current firm — up from 5% last year
• 10% (of the 31%) were recruited from another firm — up slightly from 7% last year
• Another 8% of law firm CMOs left the world of law — it was 7% last year

To Change or Not to Change

More than twice as many law firms promoted an internal person into the CMO role compared to last year. They see the value in people who understand the culture and know the partners and the firm’s strategic plan. These firms typically like their current approach and want to amp it up.

Almost the same number of firms brought in a new CMO — they want a fresh perspective and/or want to make changes to the role.

Biggest Reasons for CMOs to Move to a Firm

• Chance to make an impact
• More opportunity
• Leadership change at their existing firm
• A new dynamic leader at the destination firm

What About Comp?

Compensation no longer makes the top of the reasons for a change in firms. CMOs tell me salaries matter but making an impact matters more.

CMOs are doing more due diligence on the firms trying to recruit them. They are looking deeply at:

• Leadership attitude toward Marketing and Business Development
• Partner EQ and courtesies extended during the interview process
• Paying more careful attention to the questions asked during the interview process

More Decliners

CMOs are turning down more inquiries and offers than ever. The top reasons for remaining at their current firm include:

• See themselves as part of the leadership team
• Believe they are making an impact
• Are openly appreciated by a measurable number of leadership partners

Law firms and CMOs are getting pickier and want more. Most are becoming more strategic. Every CMO owes it to themselves to assess their current situation with cold, steely eyes. Law firms owe it to themselves to take the same look at the role and their attitude toward Marketing and Business Development.

Law firms can also benefit from shaping the CMO role from the reasons CMOs change firms above.

The most successful firms are putting more distance between themselves and the other firms. CMOs want to be part of the more successful firms. Perform due diligence on your current firm and any potential firm — especially if the CMOs ability to make an impact and be part of leadership matter more than compensation.

In the high-stakes world of law firm marketing, hindsight is 20/20.

We asked over 150 seasoned law firm Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) what advice they’d give their younger selves or to a newly minted CMO. Their responses paint a vivid picture of the challenges and triumphs in our unique corner of the world.

These insights offer a roadmap for success for both aspiring and current legal marketing professionals. Here are the key lessons these veterans wish they had known from day one. The messages are pretty compelling:

1. 1. Don’t take it personally — everyone questions new ideas

The questioners are not attacking you, they are trying to get their head around your ideas. Their approach may be hard and gruff, and they may not believe — but it comes with the territory.

1. 2. Persistence — don’t give up the ship

People won’t really understand what you are saying until they hear it 7 times. This means the initial resistance and indifference are part of the process. These are your first 2 or 3 of 7 points of communication. Very few ideas get off the ground without at least 7 clear messaging events to the right audience(s).

1. 3. Adapt — learn from all the feedback you get

Rejection, resistance, and lack of enthusiasm all tell you the message or approach you propose may not be on target. Change your approach to play to the issues and concerns you hear.

1. 4. Don’t make the job bigger than you

Don’t care more about the job than the firm. There will always be a few law firms who fundamentally don’t respect or care about the marketing and business development function. These law firm marketing leaders would have told a new CMO to jump ship and go to a place where marketing and business development are part of the firm.

1. 5. Really get to know the attorneys

Attorneys have their priorities and preferences. Law firm leaders recommend taking the time to understand these people and their personalities. You are there to make the firm and the attorneys more successful. Your knowledge of the attorney’s personas and how they conduct business helps you develop your roadmap — and helps you make sure you get to know the partners most likely to make you successful.

1. 6. Learn the art of saying no

CMOs are asked to do all manner of things — some relevant and strategic — others are unrelated to anything meaningful. Successful CMOs advise developing your own informal filters to decide when to say no — and then saying no. They also learn a thoughtful diplomatic decline earns you respect and paves the way for more strategic requests.