“You can’t sell anything if you don’t know what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to,” observes Barbara Koenen, CEO of Boost and Professional Services Consultant at Nexl, during a recent Platforum9 session. After 15 years in legal marketing, Koenen sees a fundamental flaw in how law firms approach business development.

The Product-Market Disconnect 

Most law firms struggle with a basic question: what is their value proposition? “We need to make it more client centric,” Koenen explains. “Law firms talk a lot about ‘we can do this, we can do that,’ but what is it that our clients need and how do we speak in our clients’ language?”

The Research Gap 

Despite being data-driven in their legal work, firms rarely apply the same rigor to market research. “How often have you seen law firms, before introducing new services or opening a sector group, speak to the market to get feedback?” Koenen asks. “From my experience, not very often, if at all.”

The Generational Opportunity 

Koenen advocates for involving junior lawyers in market segmentation: “Get the junior associates involved. They speak the new generation client language.” Yet many firms restrict these discussions to partner level – a mistake that overlooks valuable insights and future client relationships.

The Data Imperative 

While firms sit on wealth of client data, few use it effectively. “Even simple things like email engagement – how often do we actually check who’s read it, who’s engaged with it?” Koenen notes. “Someone has spent a huge amount of time drafting something, but it wasn’t successful because it wasn’t targeted.”

The Technology Solution 

Modern CRM tools, powered by AI, can transform how firms understand and engage with clients. “Before you get into a meeting, you click on the contacts and get a full summary of what has happened with that relationship across the firm,” Koenen explains. “You never go in blind.”

The Success Formula 

Koenen’s experience shows dramatic results from proper segmentation. In one case, shifting from mass marketing to targeted outreach – “rather than sending to 20,000 contacts, we sent to 200” – resulted in 150 attendees at an event. The key? “We knew exactly who we wanted in the room.”

For law firms looking to grow sustainably, the message is clear: success starts with understanding exactly who you’re serving and why. As Koenen concludes, “You need to test it, put the data to it, do proper analysis. You can’t base it on ‘we think this is a great idea.'”