{"id":39734,"date":"2026-04-03T14:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T18:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandonhall.com\/?post_type=podcast&#038;p=39734"},"modified":"2026-04-03T14:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T18:08:10","slug":"excellence-at-work-podcast-episode-321-from-linear-to-strategic-how-isolveds-coi-program-is-changing-the-way-advisors-serve-clients","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/brandonhall.com\/podcast\/excellence-at-work-podcast-episode-321-from-linear-to-strategic-how-isolveds-coi-program-is-changing-the-way-advisors-serve-clients\/","title":{"rendered":"Excellence at Work Podcast Episode 321: From Linear to Strategic: How iSolved&#8217;s COI Program Is Changing the Way Advisors Serve Clients"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In this Brandon Hall Group\u2122 Excellence at Work Podcast, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/meredith-reilly-33750246\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meredith Riley,<\/a> Chief Sales Officer for New Business at iSolved, explores how iSolved&#8217;s Center of Influence (COI) program is transforming the way trusted business advisors deliver value to their clients. From benefit brokers to business bankers and accountants, Meredith breaks down why strategic HCM partnerships are no longer optional in today&#8217;s rapidly evolving business landscape.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Discussion Points:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>What a Center of Influence Actually Is:<\/strong>\u00a0A COI is a person or organization with the ability to shape decisions, connect people, and influence outcomes through credibility, expertise, and network. For iSolved, the ideal COI is a trusted business advisor, such as a benefit broker, accountant, business banker, or HR consultant, someone that business leaders already turn to for guidance.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Why the One to Many Model Matters:<\/strong>\u00a0Direct selling is inherently one to one, but the COI model unlocks a one to many dynamic. Through referral and reseller partnerships, iSolved can reach more prospective customers, reduce the cost of acquisition, diversify revenue streams, and amplify its purpose at scale, much like a teacher shaping the minds of hundreds of students over the course of a career.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Why Advisors Need to Zoom Out:<\/strong>\u00a0The business world has grown too complex for linear, transactional thinking. Benefit brokers and other advisors who once focused solely on their core subject matter expertise are now being asked bigger questions about culture, retention, and long-term business strategy. Payroll and HR technology, viewed through a strategic lens, becomes a platform of influence and a data engine behind critical workforce decisions.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>The Biggest Misconception Among Prospective Partners:<\/strong>\u00a0Many advisors hesitate because they assume they need to become experts in HCM themselves. Meredith is clear on this point: they don&#8217;t. The goal is to find trusted partners who complement their existing expertise, not to reinvent their careers. Advisors simply need to find the right people who fit into their business model.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Two Partnership Models Worth Understanding:<\/strong>\u00a0iSolved supports both a referral model, where the advisor introduces iSolved and steps back while the experts take over, and a reseller model, where the advisor becomes a central figure who delivers HCM technology as part of their own offering. Each model carries different levels of ownership and risk, but both create stickier client relationships and stronger differentiation in the market.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Trust as the Foundation of Every Partnership:<\/strong>\u00a0Whether in a referral or reseller arrangement, trust is the thread that holds everything together. Meredith points to consistency, transparency, shared success, and empathy as the building blocks of lasting partnerships. When all three parties, the customer, the partner, and iSolved, benefit and grow together, that trust deepens naturally over time.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>The Bigger Picture for HR Practitioners and Advisors Alike:<\/strong>\u00a0HR practitioners are overworked and expected to do too much alone. Business advisors are navigating a rapidly changing competitive landscape. iSolved&#8217;s message to both groups is the same: you are not alone. Activating the right vendors, partners, and advisors is not a workaround, it is the strategy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The conversation makes clear that the future of business advisory relationships is not about doing more with less. It is about doing more together. iSolved&#8217;s COI program represents a compelling model for how technology providers, trusted advisors, and the businesses they serve can align around shared goals and create something greater than any one of them could deliver alone.<\/p>\n<p>isolved:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>LinkedIn:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/isolved\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.linkedin.com\/company\/isolved\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Website:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.isolvedhcm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.isolvedhcm.com\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Spencer Johnson:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Meredith Riley: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/meredith-reilly-33750246\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/meredith-reilly-33750246<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this Brandon Hall Group\u2122 Excellence at Work Podcast, Meredith Riley, Chief Sales Officer for New Business at iSolved, explores how iSolved&#8217;s Center of Influence (COI) program is transforming the way trusted business advisors deliver value to their clients. From benefit brokers to business bankers and accountants, Meredith breaks down why strategic HCM partnerships are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":39735,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39734","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Excellence at Work Podcast Episode 321: From Linear to Strategic: How iSolved&#039;s COI Program Is Changing the Way Advisors Serve Clients - Brandon Hall Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/brandonhall.com\/podcast\/excellence-at-work-podcast-episode-321-from-linear-to-strategic-how-isolveds-coi-program-is-changing-the-way-advisors-serve-clients\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Excellence at Work Podcast Episode 321: From Linear to Strategic: How iSolved&#039;s COI Program Is Changing the Way Advisors Serve Clients - Brandon Hall Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In this Brandon Hall Group\u2122 Excellence at Work Podcast, Meredith Riley, Chief Sales Officer for New Business at iSolved, explores how iSolved&#8217;s Center of Influence (COI) program is transforming the way trusted business advisors deliver value to their clients. 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