For a long time I assumed HR-related consultancies and HR tech companies struggled with visibility because they were not producing enough content.
Not posting enough on LinkedIn.
Not writing enough articles.
Not showing up often enough.
It seemed logical. If no one sees you, show up more.
It was one RFP meeting in another city that made me realise how incomplete that thinking really was.
Inside the RFP Meeting
A company’s regional HR director had flown me in as an observer to help assess the pitches.
A long glass corridor stretched across the building, lined with small meeting rooms.
Inside, HR consultancy leaders rehearsed lines under their breath or tried to look confident while quietly tense.
One firm had my confidence. Strong track record. Excellent client results. Thoughtful proposal.
I expected them to stand out.
They did not even make the shortlist.
The Feedback That Changed Everything
Later, the CEO described the decision to an internal colleage:
“All the firms looked the same. We chose the one we felt more familiar with.”
It was so simple that it was almost frustrating.
But it was also true.
The firm I believed in did not lose because of capability.
They lost because nothing about them stayed in the buyer’s mind.
They blended in.
They made no lasting impression.
At that moment it became clear that the biggest challenge HR firms face is not content production. It is familiarity. It is trust.
It is the sense of knowing someone before you actually know them.
The Shift That Changed My Thinking
Later, I launched my own podcast without expecting anything significant.
Almost immediately, prospects began reaching out as if we had already met.
Conversations flowed more easily.
Sales cycles shortened.
People referenced things I had said before we ever spoke.
One guest still stands out: Professor Peter Saville.
The founder of SHL. Creator of the OPQ. A global figure in business psychology.
The man who floated SHL on the London Stock Exchange for 240 million pounds.
I expected an insightful conversation. I did not expect the familiarity built during it to lead to a client relationship.
But it did.
Not because of a funnel.
Not because of a pitch.
Simply because a genuine conversation created trust.
That was the moment I understood that most HR firms do not need more content.
The HR-related and workplace-related companies I have helped launch their own shows reported the same shift.
Prospects felt warmer.
Conversations moved faster.
Buyers seemed to know them before the first call.
Most HR-related firms do not need more content. They need more presence. More opportunities for their market to feel connected in a real, human way.
I built a simple approach around this idea. One meaningful conversation each week that becomes posts, articles, emails and clips. A way to build familiarity at scale.
If your HR-related firm does strong work but sometimes feels overlooked, I am always happy to share how others in the industry are approaching this. Feel free to get in touch if you would like to explore it.
All the best,
Ben Geoghegan