Tell Better Stories: A Business Development Skill for IP Practitioners

We’ve all endured bios that read like a CV recital:

"graduated from here, clerked there, now I’m a partner at X."

But if your goal is to cultivate a book of business or even to elevate your professional reputation, that kind of narrative rarely answers the question that actually matters: Why you?

Whether you're pitching to a prospective client, speaking at an industry event, or having coffee with a referral source, how you articulate your professional value matters. Intellectual property practitioners are trained to be precise, technical, and exhaustive. But those qualities don’t always translate into persuasive or memorable communication.

That’s where storytelling becomes indispensable.

For IP practitioners, the ability to convey relevant, engaging, and strategic stories is an underutilized asset that facilitates relationship-building, attracts client opportunities, and supports career mobility.

Storytelling is not embellishment. It is strategy. Used effectively, it enables others to grasp what you do, remember you when opportunities arise, and trust you enough to send work your way.

Let’s explore how storytelling functions in different contexts, why it is particularly critical for IP practitioners, and how to apply it thoughtfully throughout your career.

Don't forget about sharing the story of your firm too

Business Development vs. Career Growth: Two Distinct Storytelling Modes

Not all storytelling serves the same function. When the goal is business development, your narrative must speak directly to the concerns of prospective clients and referral sources. It should highlight not only your credentials, but also your expertise, approach to problem-solving, and ability to relate to and serve others effectively. The objective is not self-promotion, but to cultivate trust and remain top of mind.

By contrast, IP practitioners are typically more familiar with storytelling in career-advancement settings. Think about your job interviews, internal evaluations, or mentorship conversations. In these career-building moments, the narrative centers on you, your initiative, potential, and accomplishments. 

These stories are also designed to help others advocate on your behalf.

Storytelling for business development, however, is not about you. These stories must be about the listener. It should communicate, “I understand your industry, I solve problems like yours, and I’ve done so effectively before.”

Consider the difference between saying,

“I worked at the PTO"

versus saying,

“As a former examiner, I saw firsthand which prosecution strategies worked. Now I use that perspective to help clients cut through red tape.”

Same background, different framing - one that conveys relevance and trustworthiness.

It’s the difference between “I helped enforce a trademark,” and “I helped a founder protect her brand name so she could license her product and expand internationally.” In the latter, the value is concrete, client-centered, and emotionally resonant.

Why Storytelling Matters to IP Practitioners

Intellectual property law often deals in the abstract: patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and other conceptual protections for intangible assets. Your impact may not be readily visible, and your work is frequently behind the scenes until a crisis emerges or a strategic opportunity arises. Storytelling bridges that visibility gap.

More specifically, IP practitioners benefit from storytelling for three reasons:

• Complexity: The nature of IP work can be opaque to clients. Narrative helps you translate your technical knowledge into relatable value.

• Invisibility: Much of what you accomplish happens behind the scenes. Stories make those behind-the-scenes wins tangible.

• Trust-based Engagement: Most clients do not choose IP counsel through glossy marketing. It's about the relationship. They will be more comfortable working with someone who “gets” them - someone recommended by someone they trust.

A well-crafted story helps your audience not only understand what you do, but why it matters, and why you are the one to do it. Stories transform experience into evidence.

“She helped a startup navigate a freedom-to-operate issue in biotech” is far more memorable and actionable than “She does patent work.”

In a field where specialization matters and referrals are essential, stories don’t just make you relatable. They make you referable.

How to Use Storytelling Across Career Stages

Regardless of whether you're at the beginning of your legal career or leading a practice, storytelling is a skill that evolves and adapts:

• Early-Career: You may lack a portfolio of high-profile matters, but you can still tell stories about why you chose IP, what you’re learning, or how you’ve supported your team or client. Focus on your curiosity, adaptability, and growing insight. These narratives signal potential and character.

• Mid-Career: As your autonomy and responsibilities grow, so does your capacity to craft compelling stories that demonstrate sound judgment, strategic thinking, and client impact. Share lessons learned, subtle wins, and patterns you’ve observed in your practice area. The goal is to move beyond activities to illustrate value.

• Senior-Level: At this stage, stories abound! But discernment is key. Select stories that reinforce your reputation, showcase your leadership, and speak directly to the challenges your ideal clients face. Frame clients as protagonists, with you as the guide. These stories should reflect expertise, not ego.

  
  

At each stage, storytelling becomes both more refined and more purposeful. With practice, it becomes second nature—something you can deploy in conversation, in writing, and in professional appearances to deepen engagement and inspire action.

The Bottom Line: Your Story Is Part of Your Strategy

To build a thriving IP practice, technical excellence is necessary - but not sufficient. You must also be memorable, trusted, and top-of-mind when opportunities arise. Storytelling helps you achieve that by giving others a meaningful way to understand your value and envision working with you.

The most successful IP practitioners I know don’t just produce exceptional work. They ensure others understand and remember that work. Storytelling isn’t performance; it’s connection. It’s how you draw a line between what you do and why it matters to clients, to colleagues, and to your community.

So start simply. One story. One listener. One moment of resonance. That’s often how a practice begins to grow.