While understanding the client's needs is a fundamental skill in legal business development,  traditional protocols and precedents can inadvertently hinder business growth. On this episode of the CMO Series podcast, we explore the challenges that professionals face in building successful client relationships with someone well-versed in doing just that both in-house and now as a consultant.  Ed Lovatt is lucky to sit down with Megan Senese, Co-founder of Stage, to share her journey of transitioning from Big Law to entrepreneurship. Together with her former colleagues, she founded Stage, a marketing and business development company aimed at assisting busy lawyers in expanding their practices. Megan reflects on the lessons learned from starting a new venture in the legal industry, offering valuable insights and practical tips that in-house business development teams can apply to enhance their strategies and drive growth. Megan and Ed discuss:  Megan’s unique career in professional services from KPMG to legal, and now setting up Stage with her former in-house team The importance of a client focus in business development  The different approaches to BD Megan discovered after starting her own company The key opportunities for BD that law firms could take advantage of, based on her in-house career experiences The significance of understanding the clients and how you go about learning that information and delivering value  Advice for in-house BD professionals looking to take a more client-focused approach