Episode 321: How a Specialist HR Consulting Firm Wins Major Projects With Global Companies - with Mark Stelzner of IA
A Better HR Business
How do you build a small consulting firm that wins major projects with some of the world's largest companies?
In this episode of the A Better HR Business podcast, Ben Geoghegan speaks with Mark Stelzner, founder and managing principal of IA, an independent advisory firm that has been helping large organizations through HR transformation since 2006.
I was absolutely delighted to have Mark on the show. He's a legend in the HR consulting industry, and it was incredibly generous of him to share so openly what he's learned over the years, including his mistakes, the things that worked, and his advice for others building their own businesses.
IA has a team of just 10 people, yet its median client has approximately 75,000 employees across 70 to 80 countries.
Mark shares how he built the business, the marketing mistakes he made along the way, and why he believes consultants should focus on building relationships, solving specific problems, and selling outcomes rather than hours.
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation is Mark's story about giving 20 keynote speeches in a single year, only to realize he was speaking to the wrong people. He eventually stopped keynoting and returned to building direct relationships with people who could actually hire his firm.
Mark also explains why he regularly gives away advice for free, why he wants clients to become less dependent on IA, and how some business opportunities can take years to turn into paid projects.
In This Episode
Ben and Mark discuss:
Building a specialist consulting firm: How IA grew into a trusted advisor to major global employers while remaining a small team.
Finding the right buyers: Why Mark stopped delivering keynote speeches after realizing the audiences weren't generating business.
Making better use of your existing network: How reconnecting with former colleagues, clients, and professional contacts helped Mark grow IA.
Selling outcomes instead of hours: Why IA doesn't charge by the hour and how Mark thinks about the value of consulting projects.
Giving away advice: How helping people without expecting immediate payment can lead to valuable long-term client relationships.
Choosing the right opportunities: Why consultants and HR tech companies should be willing to walk away from prospects that aren't a good fit.
Winning business as a smaller provider: How specialist HR technology companies can compete alongside much larger software providers.
HR technology and transformation: How IA helps employers improve HR processes, select technology providers, and manage major change projects.
Building trust with clients: Why Mark wants his clients to develop the skills to continue improving after IA's work is finished.
Being interested and interesting: Mark's simple advice for preparing for sales conversations and making a strong impression on potential clients.
About Mark Stelzner
Mark Stelzner is the founder and managing principal of IA, an independent advisory firm that helps organizations achieve their HR transformation goals.
With more than 30 years of experience in the HR industry, Mark is a trusted advisor to C-level leaders, providing independent, candid guidance on complex HR technology and business transformation projects.
Mark has been featured in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, CNN, and NPR. He holds a degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
He is particularly passionate about building long-term relationships, sharing knowledge, and helping clients achieve lasting results.
Connect with Mark:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markstelzner/
Website: https://iatransforms.com/
About IA
Founded in 2006, IA is an independent, technology-neutral advisory firm that supports large organizations through complex HR and business transformation projects.
IA's approach is built around helping clients become more capable and self-sufficient, rather than creating an ongoing dependence on external consultants.
Its main services include:
Strategic Advisory: Helping senior leaders define their transformation goals, priorities, and plans.
Process Optimization: Improving HR and operational processes to reduce waste, increase efficiency, and improve the employee experience.
RFPs and Provider Selection: Helping organizations evaluate and select HR technology and service providers without vendor bias.
Project and Program Management: Supporting the delivery of major transformation projects, from planning through implementation.
IA works with organizations ranging from approximately 1,000 to 600,000 employees, often during periods of major change, such as acquisitions, leadership changes, restructuring, and technology transformation.
The firm reports a 100% business case approval rate and a perfect Net Promoter Score.
About The A Better HR Business Podcast
The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients.
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For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here:
www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast
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