The Mad Clientist Archives - The BTI Consulting Group

The Mad Clientist

Brand New: Clients Single Out The 40 Law Firms Best at Business Development

Law firms are yelling at clients. They don’t know it – but corporate counsel tell BTI it’s deafening. And it’s all in the name of business development. Firms are throwing every piece of thought leadership, alerts, webinars, briefings, and lateral announcements to gain an edge. To clients, it’s all noise.…

BTIConsultingMarch 25, 2026

The Mad Clientist

The Law Firm CMO: Struggling to Succeed Despite Their Firms

Law firm CMOs can smell the success. They can feel it. But for some – the final 100 feet is like running into a brick wall. We asked more than 130 first-chair legal marketers to describe their experience as CMO in three words. The responses reveal something fascinating – and…

BTIConsultingMarch 18, 2026

The Mad Clientist

7 Words Revealing What Law Firms Have Become

Law firm language is a lagging indicator. Economics and behavior shift first. Vocabulary follows. We are trading polite fictions for professional truths. Once the language changes, the culture rarely goes back. And the biggest truth is this: The center of gravity has moved. From the Institution to the Individual. You…

BTIConsultingMarch 11, 2026

The Mad Clientist

Finally, You Can Fix the Partner BD Crisis

Behavior follows confidence. New results from more than 1,000 partner survey responses reveal a Confidence Sinkhole blocking high-velocity business development. Any partner who doesn’t believe they can develop business won’t. They will cling to one of thousands of reasons not to. It’s easy. Our survey reveals the sinkholes are uneven…

BTIConsultingMarch 4, 2026

The Mad Clientist

85% of Clients Aren’t Exactly Sure Who is in Charge of Their Law Firm Relationship

Remember the childhood game where one person leaves the room, a secret leader is chosen, and everyone imitates their moves while the “detective” tries to guess who’s running the show? Fun when you’re eight. Alarming when you’re a corporate counsel staring at a half-dozen partners billing on the same matter.…

BTIConsultingFebruary 25, 2026

The Mad Clientist

The Great BD Divide: 1,000 Leaders on Why Law Firm Spending is Skyrocketing

It’s either a dream come true – or a warning sign. Law firms are going all in on business development. Not tweaks. Not encouragement. But all in with real money. Everyone wants growth, a premium rate, and the profits to go with it. We asked more than 1,000 law firm…

BTIConsultingFebruary 18, 2026

The Mad Clientist

The Lateral Partner Arms Race Just Went Nuclear – Thank Sullivan & Cromwell

Almost no one understands why firms keep hiring lateral partners – except the people running them. On paper, it looks like a bad bet. Laterals have, at best, a 50% success rate. They can dilute morale, alienate "homegrown" talent, and cost a fortune in guarantees. But behind closed doors, the…

BTIConsultingFebruary 11, 2026

The Mad Clientist

Clients All But Abandon RFPs: Here’s What’s Next

It’s a scramble for clients. Clients are cutting way back on issuing RFPs. As one corporate counsel put it: “It’s about as efficient as a dating app – maybe less so.” Clients aren’t swiping right on RFPs because: Clients have more new and novel matters than anyone can remember Fresh…

BTIConsultingFebruary 4, 2026

The Mad Clientist

The 11 Behaviors and Habits to Drive Business Development in 2026

Clients flipped the BD script on law firms. They’re living in a new world – and most BD pitches are still rooted in the old one. The data is clear: 89% are advising their CEOs on business decisions 39% are now growth enablers 84% of clients are going through a…

BTIConsultingJanuary 28, 2026

The Mad Clientist

Corporate Counsel Quietly Changed Jobs – Did Your Law Firm Miss It?

Without announcements. Without memos. Without fanfare. And it only took 2 years. After surveying corporate counsel for more than 30 years – we uncovered 3 big undisclosed flips in corporate counsel roles. They are living in a different world than just 2 years ago. Tapping into these undisclosed changes is…

BTIConsultingJanuary 21, 2026