Dr. No – You Are Not Who You Say You Are – And That’s Why No One Listens to Legal

Dear Boss Lawyer,

You might think your biggest challenge is managing risk, drafting bullet proof contracts, or taming the latest regulatory beast. But here’s a harder truth: If your legal department isn't positioned as a strategic asset within your company, you're fighting an unwinnable battle.

If when your CEO lists strategic departments, Legal is missing. You have a situation.

And if you think Positioning is just a marketing concept, let’s take a closer look at why Al Ries and Jack Trout’s classic and mytical book might be the secret weapon your legal team needs.

Why Legal Departments Struggle with Positioning (And How to Win the Battle for Influence)

1️⃣ The “We’re Essential” Fallacy
Most GCs assume that because legal work is necessary, the business values it. Wrong. IT, HR, and finance are also "essential," but they don’t all command power at the strategy table. Perception beats reality. Positioning is about controlling that perception.

2️⃣ The “We Do Great Work” Trap
Quality does NOT automatically lead to recognition. Ries and Trout argue that being the best is useless unless you're also first in your audience’s mind. If you don’t define your legal team’s role, someone else will—and they’ll likely box you in as a cost center.

3️⃣ How to Hack Perception and Reposition Legal as a Business Weapon
🔹 Own a word in the C-suite's mind. What do they think when they hear “legal”? "Bottleneck" or "business enabler"? Apple owns "innovation." Volvo owns "safety." What’s your legal team’s one-word brand?
🔹 Pick an enemy. Strategy is as much about who you fight as who you serve. Ries and Trout argue that strong positioning often involves contrasting against something else. Instead of saying, "We're a proactive legal team," try: "We kill bureaucracy and accelerate deals."
🔹 Be radically simple. If you can’t explain your team’s value in one sentence, neither can your CEO. Cut the legalese. Speak in P&L terms.

AI Booster for the Modern GC

✅ Contract AI: Your legal team is drowning in contracts. This AI platform helps you analyze and manage them with ease—so you can stop firefighting and start strategizing.

Final Thought:

If your legal team disappeared tomorrow, what’s the ONE THING the business would truly miss? If you don’t have a crisp answer, it’s time to rethink your positioning.

Speak soon,

Dr. No

P.S. If you’re still using “we mitigate risk” as your legal team’s elevator pitch, I have bad news: No one cares. Time to sharpen that positioning.