Drew Sammeth, Client Educator, LexisNexis:
Four months ago I left my law firm as an InterAction Administrator and joined LexisNexis as a client trainer for InterAction. I am thrilled to work directly with clients, passing the knowledge and tips that I’ve learned to others. After being here a short time now, however, I’ve realized a missed opportunity while I was an IA Administrator.
My dilemma was like so many others…
In the law firms that I’ve worked in, marketing and IT were overwhelmed by manual processes, and the love between the two was at times strained as a result. I was lucky that I had managers who supported efforts to turn things around, but looking back now, one thing I wish I had personally been better at is advocating for automation.
In my law firm days I worked in marketing, and simply didn’t have a complete picture of how back-end systems functioned. I was relieved to have IT pros to help me, but like all IT Security (everywhere, and for good reason), there is trepidation to allow third party platforms to integrate with your systems. With my lack of understanding combined with their hesitation, I was unable to successfully pitch automation.
The puzzle comes together…
As I prepared to deliver my own Administrator client trainings here at LexisNexis, I was delighted to discover how these automation tools can easily be set up and managed by IT folks. What excited me more was how I can train marketing admins these benefits, and how to make the case more than marketing, but benefits for the entire firm! While the classes were always available to me, I wish I had taken the Admin class for this knowledge much earlier.
What I missed out on…
For both large law firms with multiple IA staff and small law firms that have one staff person for IA, automation has so many benefits for your data and organization:
My takeaway for both IT and marketing admins…
I encourage any firm to consider a conversation between your IT and marketing departments to determine ways you can implement some of the automation offered through InterAction, while still ensuring your systems remain secure. And remember, the InterAction team is always here to support you in your efforts!
Understanding how your colleagues work will help you in your approach to advocating automation. The Marketing and Admin training tracks at LexisNexis, while designed to prepare users for their individual tasks, are also hugely beneficial for all users. Together, they provide a complete picture of the software you have become so intimately familiar with, and that knowledge can benefit admins from both departments.