As the head of marketing and business development for Liskow & Lewis, Eric Fletcher has built his entire career on a simple philosophy: relationships are the only things that last. From writing about connecting and communicating on his blog Marketing Brain Fodder to sharing a very personal story about how we measure vision at TedXSanAntonio, Eric is a leader from whom we can all learn. We took a moment to discuss leadership and relationships with him.
What inspired you to share your story through a TEDx talk?
An eye doctor that had been working with me for years. He felt there would be value in sharing my story. I wasn’t terribly comfortable with the idea; but we all know individuals who struggle with various things that threaten to define who they are. So I felt there might be value in using the question of how we measure vision to illustrate that sometimes the measures from which we draw conclusions don’t tell the complete story. After the fact, I’m glad I did it. The responses I’ve received from folks that found it helpful has been gratifying. We’re often tempted to believe we see the entire picture. We rarely do.
Why did you decide to enter legal marketing?
My advertising experience led me to the professional services arena, including doing some work with an AmLaw 100 firm. Marketing and business development were gaining momentum in legal at the same time, and I was hooked.
I was doing work for a great firm. The work was interesting, and the energy level was high. The opportunity to bring a proactive mindset to an industry that had enjoyed enormous success while basically waiting for the market to come to them was fun and interesting.
You’re still here — 18 years or so later. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
Marketers, by nature like to instigate activity; but when I first started in legal marketing, I didn’t understand, or more accurately didn’t pause long enough to learn about the unique challenges that come with legal marketing. For a time I was convinced I had all the answers if only people would listen to me. That is not how we make a mark…much less change anything. Thanks to some patient lawyers and marketing colleagues, I began to realize that I was violating two principles I believe in deeply: first, we won’t change anything if we don’t connect with our audience; and second, listening first is the key to genuine connection.
In other words, we should be modeling basic communication and marketing behavior in the way we approach our work.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
That’s easy. I am proud that I finally learned that listening is the key to everything we propose to do. It took far too long; but the fact that sometimes I actually remember to listen makes me feel as though I’ve evolved. And I’m proud that any of the individuals I’ve worked with through the years are also some of my deepest relationships. I suspect you’ll hear that a lot from the legal marketing community.
If we look at specific work product or initiatives, I take a bit of pride in my blog — not because it is high art, or has won acclaim; but because I’ve been at it on a regular basis since 2002, and it constitutes a digital trail of some very basic ideas and values I believe in
What advice would you give to people just getting started in marketing?
The greatest asset you will ever have is relationships. Invest in good ones. Build equity. Success is not complicated. You certainly can add strategic components and get better at tactics. But success is about building relationships. That…and the ability to write. Please learn to write!
What are you speaking about at LMA annual conference?
I will be speaking about how we as marketers can instigate and lead meaningful change…and do it without being disruptive. Or losing our jobs.