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Many lawyers are hesitant to use generative AI tools—and for good reason. We've all seen headlines about attorneys getting sanctioned after submitting AI-generated pleadings riddled with hallucinations and fake case law.
But that caution, while warranted in legal work, has spilled over into areas where AI can safely and significantly support your practice: marketing and business development.
That hesitation is now a missed opportunity.
Let’s discuss a specific approach that you can implement immediately.
Start With a Project-Based Approach
Don’t think of ChatGPT as a generic intern. Think of it as a BD collaborator that gets better the more context you give it.
A good starting point is to create a Business Development Project focused on an industry you serve—or want to serve.
Before diving too deeply into how that works, first, let’s add a bit of context. If you’ve used ChatGPT before, you might be familiar with the idea of starting a new “chat.” But if you want ChatGPT to really help with business development, you’ll get better results by creating a “Project”—a dedicated workspace where you give the tool context about your goals, your clients (anonymized), your style, and your objectives.
Think of a Project as a custom workspace that helps ChatGPT “think like you.”
For example, instead of starting a new chat every time you need help with a LinkedIn post or client alert, you can set up a Project focused on a specific industry (like renewable energy or fintech), upload reference materials, describe your ideal client, and explain what you’re trying to accomplish. From then on, the model has context—you don’t have to start from scratch, and the model learns more with each input—and your interactions become more focused, efficient, and useful.
Here’s how to take the next step:
Create a Project File: Based on your objectives, title it something like “Healthcare Compliance: BD Project” or “Real Estate Developers – BD Strategy”.
Add Reference Content: Upload writing samples (client alerts, LinkedIn posts, client-facing emails—again, make sure to anonymize everything) to “Project Files” so the model learns your tone and voice.
Describe Your Ideal Client and Articulate Your Goals: In “Instructions”, Profile your targets—job title, industry, business challenges. Also describe BD priorities like “grow visibility in [industry],” “stay in touch with 25 key contacts,” or “publish two posts a month.”
Once you’ve built the project file, ChatGPT becomes exponentially more useful and efficient.
Here Are Some Smart Ways to Use It:
Polish Your Bio and LinkedIn Profile: Ask it to rewrite your bio to better speak to your target clients, emphasizing value not just credentials. Focus on client outcomes, industry alignment, and business insight.
Curate and Share Industry News: Each week, ask ChatGPT to pull recent developments in your target industry, and then package the highlights into a LinkedIn post, and draft a bullet-point email to send to key contacts.
Plan and Practice BD Conversations: Use role play to prep for BD lunches or pitch meetings. You may ask it things like, “Play a GC in fintech—I want to ask smart questions that show I understand their space,” or “Help me rehearse how to ask for a referral without sounding needy.”
Turn Raw Ideas into Polished Thought Leadership Content: You don’t need to start with a blank page. If you have a few bullet points, a rough outline, or even a voice memo from a walk, ChatGPT can help shape your thinking into a clear, professional draft. Whether it’s a LinkedIn post, a short client alert, or the structure for a longer article, you provide the substance—and let the tool help you move faster from idea to execution.
Stay Visible with Less Effort: Use ChatGPT to help maintain your outreach cadence. For example, “Suggest 3 useful check-in ideas for a contact in X industry,” or “Draft a quick “thinking of you” email tied to a relevant news event.
ChatGPT won’t (and shouldn’t) take over your voice, ideas, or relationships. But it can help you act more quickly on your good intentions more often. Give it a shot. At a minimum, by playing more in the “AI Sandbox” with your BD and marketing, you’ll get better at working with AI tools. And we all know it won’t be long before developing skill and proficiency with AI will be important in every facet of your practice.
Jay Harrington is president of our agency, a published author, and nationally-recognized expert in thought-leadership marketing.
From strategic planning to writing, podcasting, video marketing, and design, Jay and his team help lawyers and law firms turn expertise into thought leadership, and thought leadership into new business. Get in touch to learn more about the consulting and coaching services we provide. You can reach Jay at jay@hcommunications.biz.