Cross-selling addresses the who and what of client growth…AI is transforming the how
Law firms are under increasing pressure to demonstrate value, deepen client relationships, and drive results to stay ahead and stand out. This is all while operating more efficiently and adapting to fast-changing technologies. Passle’s Connor Kinnear reflects on its survey of UK and US marketing and business development professionals.
Passle’s recent study, Cross-Selling and AI in Legal Marketing 2025, found the most transformative but underutilised levers for growth are cross-selling and the intelligent use of AI in marketing and business development. The survey of 150 senior marketing and BD professionals in the UK and US uncovers a major paradox – while firms overwhelmingly recognise the potential of these tools, most have yet to capitalise on them fully.
To outpace the competition, professional services firms must overcome long-standing cultural and operational barriers and act decisively. Those that do will not only gain a competitive edge but also unlock a significant, sustainable source of revenue growth.
Cross-selling: The untapped revenue stream
“Cross-selling is the cheapest, fastest, and easiest way to grow revenue.”
Those are the words of law firm CMO Sadie Baron, and they capture a sentiment shared by 99% of respondents in our survey. It’s hard to find such consensus in professional services but, when it comes to cross-selling, the business case is universally acknowledged. Yet, in practice, 84% of firms admit they are not capitalising on this opportunity.
The reasons are well known. There’s a reluctance among professionals to “sell” to clients and a cultural aversion to anything perceived as too commercial. Many remain hesitant to share client relationships, and time-poor lawyers often don’t prioritise cross-firm collaboration. These barriers, while human and understandable, are holding firms back.
The result is staggering. An average of 12% of annual revenue is being left on the table, equating to £44 million per top 100 UK firm, and $190 million per firm in the US.
That’s not a pipeline problem. That’s a communication and culture problem.
This is where solutions like CrossPitch AI from Passle are changing the game. It is purpose-built to power cross-selling in professional services. Driven by AI, it shares relevant insights by matching them with the right professionals based on the information in their company biographies and available in their online profiles at just the right moment.
Crucially, CrossPitch doesn’t just push information. It builds trust. By highlighting the expertise and thought leadership of colleagues in real time, it fosters a culture of collaboration and makes it easy and natural for professionals to introduce one another to clients. It also ensures client-facing teams are aware of all the capabilities the firm can offer, enabling more informed, value-driven conversations.
Smarter search for deeper connections
Another key component of CrossPitch AI is its AI-powered search functionality that allows users to find the right professionals based on natural language queries. Whether searching by industry, location, name, or sector, the platform dramatically simplifies internal collaboration. This solves one of the most persistent challenges in large firms: “Who do I talk to about X?”
Instead of navigating outdated directories or relying on guesswork, professionals can now find the exact person with the relevant expertise, instantly. It’s like giving your firm’s internal knowledge and experience base a search engine as powerful and intuitive as Google, tuned specifically for your business.
By making it easier to find the right people and surface the right content, CrossPitch turns cross-selling from a daunting chore into a seamless workflow.
“Cross-selling isn’t a new idea, and AI isn’t a future dream. Both are available now, and the tools to overcome internal resistance are within reach. What’s missing is leadership and execution.”
AI as an engine for growth
While cross-selling addresses the who and what of client growth, AI is transforming the how.
Passle co-founder Adam Elgar uses the analogy of AI as an engine, not a solution. The focus, he suggests, shouldn’t be on what you can do with a shiny new engine, but rather on understanding where you want to go, how you’ll get there, and whether AI is a useful component in the vehicle that takes you there.
We know professional service firms are investing heavily in this space. According to our survey, 50% plan to spend more than £500,000 on AI tools over the next 12 months. The average budget stands at £775,559 in the UK and $853,623 in the US.
The drivers for this don’t come as any surprise; firms are looking to AI to save time, increase efficiency, enhance data analysis, and support marketing content creation. At a time when teams are expected to deliver more with fewer resources, these tools are becoming indispensable.
Yet implementation remains a challenge within many organisations. Data privacy, internal IT restrictions, and integration complexity are frequently cited as barriers. But firms that wait too long risk falling behind.
The most successful firms will be those that take a focused, iterative approach, solving real problems with AI, showing value quickly, and building confidence from there.
A unified strategy
Cross-selling and AI may seem like two distinct strategies but, in truth, they are deeply connected.
Tools like CrossPitch not only make cross-selling easier, they make it smarter. They help identify white space in client relationships, recommend relevant introductions, and equip professionals with timely, personalised content adding value rather than feeling like a pitch.
This is the future of business development in professional services – connected, hyper-personalised and human-driven. The technology doesn’t replace the relationships; it simply enhances them. It gives professionals the tools to do what they’ve always done best: build trust, solve problems, and deliver value to clients.
The time is now
The insights from this survey are a timely wake-up call for firms looking to protect and grow their key clients. They know where the opportunities lie, they’re just not acting fast enough to seize them.
Cross-selling isn’t a new idea, and AI isn’t a future dream. Both are available now, and the tools to overcome internal resistance are within reach. What’s missing is leadership and execution.
Firms must start treating internal collaboration as a revenue-generating strategy, not just a nice-to-have. They must invest in technologies and tools that make it easy to connect people, share relevant insights, and act on opportunities.
There’s behavioural change needed too. Firm culture must move from cautious and siloed to collaborative and forward-looking. Because in a market where clients demand more and expect better, firms can’t afford to leave millions in revenue and critical relationships on the table.
About the research
Based on insights from 150 marketing and business development leaders across the UK and US, this report outlines how law firms can close the gap between opportunity and action by embracing cross-selling and AI. Register here to download the full report.