🪄 5 Key Takeaways: How to Market Your Legal Team

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Yesterday, we hosted yet another panel surrounding a topic our community has been eager to learn more about. Moderated by the amazing Lydia Cheuk (GC, Away Travel) we were joined by Arianna Marks (AGC, Beanstalk), Sarah Ouis (Founder, Law But How?), and Ramya Ravishankar (AGC, Bowery Farming) as they shared why it's important to brand your legal team, and their best tips on how to do it successfully.

1. Open The Dialogue

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6:42-14:00

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If you don’t display your value-add, no one else is going to do it for you. Be upfront early on and flag yourself as not only a thought partner but also a business partner. Let’s be real, no one is going to understand the work that legal does. But, they will understand and appreciate any metrics you can provide. Prepare tangible data to showcase your work, so other teams know what you’re working on, and what you have accomplished. It’ll do wonders for promoting your team’s value, and open up an opportunity to collaborate cross-functionally with other teams.

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📣 Let’s Continue The Discussion

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It was wonderful to see so many questions come in from our audience and have a steady flow of dialogue in the chat. We’d love for you to join our own private community of in-house leaders! It’s a place to network, share ideas, meet other like-minded professionals, and continue discussions like these.

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Click here to apply

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2. Leverage The Little Things

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14:00-26:52

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We all know legal is perceived in a certain way (ahem, cost center), but it doesn’t have to be. Many of the people you interface with may not have had previous exposure to legal, or any idea how and when to interact with your team. Don’t underestimate the little resources you can use to build touchpoints with other departments. Incorporate interactive elements within intro presentations or training sessions so they’re fun and engaging. The more you humanize your team, the more others will feel comfortable keeping a regular cadence of communication.

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👂 We’d Like To Hear From You

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At Lawtrades, we’re working hard to build the number one legal community for in-house peeps, and we’d love to have your input. So we’ve created an open line of dialogue to hear what you need. Have a content idea, want to drive a networking session, participate in one of our panels, podcasts, or even provide feedback? Leave it in our community suggestions tab!

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Click here to get involved

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3. Learn Your Audience

26:52-34:20

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You are only going to be better at mitigating risk if you’re involved in the crucial business conversations at the outset. It seems obvious, but it may not be to everybody. Learn how to communicate with those at the executive level, understand what makes them tick, and adapt your language to match theirs. While words are important to legal, the C-suite speaks better in numbers and hard data. Come at it with a positive intent, and show you’re willing to be involved. It’ll further the trust of the legal team, and work to build a positive, long-lasting relationship.

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📆 Coming Up

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If you loved this panel and can’t wait to see more…

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Join us next Thursday, April 28th, for What a First-Time GC Needs to Know About Privacy. Moderated by Ben Isaacson (Fractional Privacy Officer and Lawtrader), come and listen to Peter Day (Global Chief Privacy Officer and DGC at SHEIN) and Jordan Mazur (GC at Lively, INC.) as they share what a first-time GC should know about privacy, from key law concepts to trends and implementation strategies.

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RSVP here

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4. Know Your Business

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‍34:20-37:57

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You have to learn the entire lifecycle of your business…it’s how you can communicate in a meaningful way that resonates with the non-lawyers you work with. Understand where the crucial business decisions are coming from, and mirror them in your negotiation strategies. If the business team sees that you are willing to think creatively to craft solutions when reviewing a contract rather than jumping into a redline and saying no to everything, they’ll view you more as a partner instead of a stopgap.

5. Establish Your Presence

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41:38-51:24

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Get to know your colleagues! Schedule time to have those casual ‘water-cooler conversations’ with your team. As time goes on, those relationships can reap dividends for you. Don’t miss the value of personal branding. When you’re publically visible, people get to know you from a different angle. Encourage your legal team to network and participate in community discussions (like this one!) so they can establish their presence outside of the workplace. Word will spread and trickle back to the value-add of your team.

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Would you like to learn more about building your personal brand? We dove deep into the what, why, and how of cultivating a personal brand. Check it out here.

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