5 tips to supercharge your AI use for business development and marketing in professional services

Treat prompts like briefing notes

Think of your prompt like you are briefing a colleague or freelancer. The more specific you are, the better the output. Set the format, tone, audience and goal.

Instead of: “Write a client alert”, try: “Summarise the legal update below for a time-poor GC in a professional but engaging tone, under 150 words”.

Or:

“As a social media manager with 15+ years in legal content, draft a LinkedIn post promoting this blog to UK-based tech entrepreneurs. No emojis, keep a professional tone”. 

Add context, set expectations, and be clear on the result you want.

Use AI like a junior team member

AI can save hours – but it’s not psychic. It won’t know your firm’s tone, priorities, or preferences unless you spell them out. Treat it like a capable but junior colleague. If you feed it examples of your past work, tone of voice, and client types, it’ll do a much better job. And always give it clear direction: what the task is, what to include, what to avoid. The more tailored your inputs, the closer you’ll get to a useable output.

Always review and refine

AI-generated content can sound slick but still be wrong. Especially in regulated sectors, double-check everything: facts, links, claims, grammar. If you’re using AI for blogs, emails, or pitches, treat it as a draft. Speed matters – but quality counts more. Polish before you publish.

Don’t start from scratch

AI is great for beating the blank page. Need a draft article, event outline, or deck structure? Ask AI to generate one. Got something written already? Ask it to rework or summarise it. E.g. “Turn this blog into 10 practical tips about ...”

Add the human layer

AI can write. But it can’t build relationships. That’s where you come in. Your judgment, insight, and tone make the difference between “okay content” and something that actually lands. 

Use AI to lay the groundwork, then add the human angle – whether that’s knowing how to pitch something to a client, spotting when a phone call is better than an email, or just making sure content doesn’t sound like it was written by AI.

AI isn’t here to steal your job – unless your job is writing dull, lifeless copy (in which case, maybe watch your back). For everyone else, it’s a tool. Use it well: be specific, stay curious, and always add that human layer. 

The smartest BDMs aren’t competing with AI – they’re using it to save time, elevate their work, and focus on what really matters: relationships, strategy, and smart thinking no bot can replicate.

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Melanie is the Business Development and Marketing Manager at Kingsley Napley. Since joining in 2020, she has supported a range of teams including criminal litigation, clinical negligence, real estate, and corporate, commercial and finance, helping to drive growth and raise the firm’s profile across key markets.