You might be following a proven sales process, you might even be generating consistent revenue. But if you are not building in a regular strategic thinking space, your sales results are almost certainly not as strong as they could be and they are more fragile than you realise.

In this episode of the Selling to Corporate® podcast, Jess Lorimer addresses one of the most common and costly problems she sees across the sales processes of coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and done-for-you service providers: the failure to stop, think strategically, and work on the process rather than just in it. Jess explains why this matters whether your sales are going well or badly, what specifically goes wrong when strategic thinking space is absent, and what you need to do differently in the second half of 2026 to make September and Q4 the most productive quarter of your year.

Who This Episode Is For

• Coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and done-for-you service providers selling to corporate clients

• Anyone who feels busy in their business but is not seeing the sales results they expected

• Those who have invested in a sales strategy or programme but are not consistently reviewing whether it is working

• Business owners who are generating some revenue but want to make the second half of the year significantly stronger

• Anyone who has been experimenting with different sales approaches and wondering why nothing is gaining traction

• Service providers who want to understand why their sales process is difficult to troubleshoot or improve

Questions This Episode Answers

• What is the number one problem in B2B sales processes, even for people already making sales?

• Why does testing and experimenting with sales strategies cost more than buying a proven one?

• What does strategic thinking space mean in a sales context, and why does it matter?

• What are the three specific problems that arise when coaches and consultants skip strategic thinking in their sales process?

• Why does a lack of specificity in B2B sales make everything harder?

• How do I know whether my sales process is working or whether I am working around its gaps?

• What should I focus on in the second half of 2026 to have a stronger September and Q4?

Key Takeaways

1. The Number One Problem Is Not the Market. It Is the Absence of a Proven Process.

Jess opens this episode with a direct challenge to one of the most common narratives she hears from coaches and consultants in 2026: that the market is slow, budgets are frozen, and decision makers are not signing things off. Her clients are signing 40k, 60k, and six-figure retainers. People are charging over 3,000 pounds for a 45-minute corporate session. First-time corporate workshop sales are happening every week.

The difference between those results and the experience of people who feel stuck is not the market. It is whether or not they are using and consistently implementing a proven sales process. If your sales are not producing the results you want, the answer is not to wait for the market to improve, jump to a new specialism or test a new strategy. It is to implement something that is already proven and implement it properly.

2. Experimenting With Your Own Sales Strategy Is More Expensive Than Buying a Proven One

One of the patterns Jess challenges directly in this episode is the tendency among intelligent, cost-conscious business owners to build their own sales strategy using AI tools, borrowed frameworks, or pieced-together advice, rather than investing in something with a verified track record.

When you test an unproven strategy, you have no baseline for what results to expect, no reliable metrics to monitor and no way to troubleshoot what is or is not working. That means that when it does not produce results, you cannot tell whether the strategy failed, whether you executed it incorrectly or whether you simply did not give it enough time or volume.

The real cost of testing unproven strategies is not the time spent on the activity itself. It is the confidence lost when nothing works, the motivation that erodes and the months or quarters where no revenue is generated because the strategy was never set up to succeed in the first place. A proven strategy removes that uncertainty and gives you something concrete to follow, measure, and improve.

3. Strategic Thinking Space Is Not Procrastination. It Is a Sales Action.

The central concept in this episode is what Jess calls strategic thinking space: the deliberate practice of pausing to assess, analyse, and plan before and during sales activity, rather than simply executing tasks and hoping they produce results.

Strategic thinking space is not sitting still, overthinking decisions, or using reflection as a reason to avoid action. It is the opposite: it is taking calculated, informed action rather than reactive, rushed action. In sales, speed and volume matter, but they only produce results when they are applied to the right activities with the right foundations in place.

4. Three Specific Problems Arise When Strategic Thinking Space Is Missing

Jess identifies three concrete ways that the absence of strategic thinking space damages a sales process:

Problem One: Jumping Into Activity Without Laying the Foundations

The most common version of this is outreach. A business owner decides to do email outreach, sends 10, 20, or 50 emails, receives little or no response, and concludes that email outreach does not work. What they skipped was the foundational thinking: who specifically to target, what messaging would resonate with that person commercially and how to position themselves as a credible and relevant resource worth speaking to.

The task was completed. The foundations were not. Without the foundations, the activity produces poor results, the person loses confidence in the method, and they move on to the next thing, repeating the same pattern.

Problem Two: Lack of Specificity

Without thinking space, most coaches and consultants default to broad, generalised positioning: their services work for any organisation, at any level, in any industry. They are afraid to narrow down because it feels like ruling people out. In reality, the absence of specificity makes everything harder.

Lead generation becomes unfocused. Sales calls lack the diagnostic depth that comes from specialised expertise. Proposals feel generic rather than tailored. And when a genuine specialist appears in the same shortlist, the generalist loses.

Specificity is not a limitation on who you can help. It is what makes it possible to identify the right people, ask the right questions and create offers that convert because they speak directly to a defined problem in a defined context.

Problem Three: Troubleshooting Becomes Impossible

For those operating a proven sales process, strategic thinking space is what makes it possible to spot early warning signs that something needs adjusting, before the problem becomes a crisis. Without that thinking space, you remain in constant doing mode, unable to step back and assess whether the activity is producing the right indicators at the right volume.

The risk is that you miss early signals that something is working exceptionally well and could be scaled, or that something is underperforming and needs to change. Both missed opportunities cost revenue. For those not yet on a proven process, troubleshooting is even harder because there are no established benchmarks to compare against.

5. Corporate Clients Want Specialists, Not Trend-Followers

Jess addresses a temptation she sees frequently in the online business space: when sales slow down, pivot to something new. Launch a different course, rebrand to a different specialism, or chase whatever appears to be gaining traction in the market right now.

She is clear about why this does not work for people selling to corporate clients. Organisations are not buying generalists or people who shift their positioning with market trends. They are buying specialists: people who have depth, consistency and a track record in a specific area. Changing specialism under pressure signals exactly the opposite of what corporate buyers are looking for.

The answer to a difficult market is not a new direction. It is a more focused, better-executed version of the proven process you already have, or one you should be implementing.

Key Quotes

"The market is not the problem. The people I work with are signing 40k, 60k, six-figure retainers right now. The difference is that they are using a proven system and following it properly."

"Not allocating thinking space is a real problem in sales. Thinking strategically and allowing yourself that time and energy to do so is an action in sales."

"In being valuable to everybody, your offer is valuable to absolutely no one. Strategic thinking space gives you the specificity that then lets you action every other part of your sales process effectively."

If you've enjoyed listening to #1 problem in sales processes (even if you're generating revenue!) Check out these episodes.

• STC176: The Most Important Skill Professional Salespeople Have (and How You Can Use It!) https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/the-most-important-skill-professional-salespeople-have-and-how-you-can-use-it/

• STC177: 3 Important Sales Actions to Complete Before Summer Starts https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/3-important-sales-actions-to-complete-before-summer-starts/

• STC171: The Simple Sales Technique I Use to Sign Corporate Clients Every Month https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/the-simple-sales-technique-i-use-to-sign-corporate-clients-every-month/

Join the Selling To Corporate B2B Sales Edit: Weekly newsletter for coaches and consultants; sharing the real B2B sales techniques that have taken over 30,000 sales processes from busy -> balanced and profitable.

https://sellingtocorporate.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=applepodcasts&utm_medium=podcast_shownotes&utm_campaign=stc-podcast-shownotes-2026

Cold -> Closed

The self-paced B2B sales experience for coaches / consultants / speakers / trainers and done-for-you service providers who want scalable, sustainable sales from brand new corporate clients in 90 days or less.

https://smartleaderssell.thrivecart.com/-cold-to-closed-product/

Episode Sponsored by The Expert Services Directory

Access The Expert Services Directory here: https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory

A curated directory that proactively markets your services to corporate decision makers every month. Standard listings reach 1,000+ decision makers per month; Directory Plus listings reach 2,000+. Only 10 suppliers per category.

• Standard listing: 1,000+ decision makers per month

• Directory Plus listing: 2,000+ decision makers per month

• Application required, not all applications are accepted

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.

If your B2B sales process relies on one enthusiastic contact inside an organisation to champion your work, you are one resignation away from losing everything you have built. In this episode of the Selling to Corporate® podcast, Jess Lorimer makes the case that single champion selling is not just risky and is a strategy that actively limits the size of deal you can close and the speed at which you can close it.

Jess explains the concept of multiple internal champions: who they are, why they matter, and how building relationships with three to five key people inside each target organisation transforms your lead generation, protects your pipeline, and unlocks bigger, more premium deals. This episode is essential listening for any coach, consultant, trainer, speaker, or done-for-you service provider who is serious about building sustainable B2B revenue in the second half of 2026.

Who This Episode Is For

• Coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and done-for-you service providers selling to corporate clients

• Anyone whose B2B sales process depends on a single point of contact inside each organisation

• Those who have experienced a deal stalling or collapsing because a key contact left, went quiet, or was unable to get internal sign-off

• Anyone looking to close larger deals, including retainers, licensed content, premium speaking fees, with corporate clients

• Service providers who want to understand why corporate decision making takes longer than expected, and how to fix it

Questions This Episode Answers

• What is single champion selling and why is it holding back my B2B sales?

• What is a multiple internal champions strategy and how does it work?

• Why do corporate deals take so long to sign, and how do I speed up the process?

• What happens to my sales pipeline when my main contact leaves an organisation?

• How do I identify and build relationships with multiple decision makers inside the same company?

• Why are bigger deals harder to close with just one contact, and what should I do differently?

• How do proactive and passive lead generation work together to support multi-champion selling?

Key Takeaways from STC179

1. Single Champion Selling Is a High-Risk Strategy

Relying on one internal contact to champion your work inside an organisation is one of the most common and costly mistakes coaches and consultants make when selling to companies. Jess is direct: if that person leaves, takes sick leave, is ghosted by their colleagues, or simply lacks the internal influence to push a decision through, your entire sales process resets to zero.

This is not a rare scenario. Decision makers change jobs regularly, take on new roles, or move on to organisations that feel like a better fit. The risk is not theoretical, it is a pattern Jess sees consistently in the businesses of the coaches and consultants she works with. The solution is not to find a better champion. It is to build multiple ones.

2. What a Multiple Internal Champions Strategy Actually Means

Multiple internal champions is a term Jess has used since early episodes of the Selling to Corporate® podcast. It refers to the practice of building relationships with three to five people inside each target organisation, not just the primary decision maker.

Importantly, not every internal champion needs to control a budget or hold formal authority over the purchasing decision. What they need is relevance: they should be people who would feel the commercial impact of your work, who sit adjacent to the decision making process, or who could provide useful context, internal support, or continuity if something goes wrong.

Examples of how internal champions add value:

• If your main contact is unavailable, another champion can receive a follow-up or help chase a proposal

• If your main contact leaves, a champion can help you identify who has taken on their responsibilities

• For larger deals, champions can help build internal consensus before the final decision is made

• Different champions often have visibility over different budget pots, enabling shared budget conversations that support more premium pricing

3. The Bigger the Deal, the More Decision Makers Are Involved

For deals under approximately £15,000, a single decision maker with their own allocated budget and a clear commercial case may be sufficient to sign off. Above that threshold, organisations almost always involve additional stakeholders before committing.

Jess frames this plainly: if a company is spending £40,000 or $100,000 on an external supplier, it would be unusual for one person to carry that decision alone. In the same way that a business owner would consult a partner, a financial advisor, or a trusted peer before making a large investment, corporate decision makers sense-check significant spend with colleagues. If those colleagues do not know you, they will go and research alternatives. And if you are not visible when they do, you lose ground even when your proposal is strong.

This connects directly to the importance of passive lead generation: if secondary decision makers search for your specialism on Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude and you do not appear, your primary champion is left doing a much harder internal sales job on your behalf.

4. Lead Generation Is the First Point of Quality Control in Your Sales Process

A core principle Jess returns to in this episode is that lead generation is not just about volume, it is about qualifying correctly from the very first touchpoint. A qualified lead in the corporate space meets two specific criteria:

• The person is responsible for your area of specialism within the organisation

• The person has authority over the budget to pay you

Anyone who does not meet both criteria is not a qualified lead. They may be useful to your sales process in other ways, but time spent in extended conversations with unqualified contacts is time not spent building relationships with the people who can actually say yes. Jess is clear that this distinction is not about being dismissive of relationships, it is about protecting the efficiency and effectiveness of a sales process that has to produce consistent results.

Lead generation done well sets the quality of everything that follows: business development, proposals, and delivery. Weak or unqualified lead generation makes every subsequent stage harder.

5. Why Deals Appear to 'Take Ages' in the Corporate Space: and the Real Reason

One of the most common complaints Jess hears from coaches and consultants new to B2B sales is that corporate deals take too long. Jess challenges this directly: in most cases, slow decision making is not a feature of corporate sales. It is a symptom of talking to the wrong people.

When a service provider is speaking to someone too junior to understand the commercial relevance of what they offer, or to someone who lacks the internal influence to advance the decision, the process stalls. It is not the organisation being slow. It is the wrong entry point.

The solution is not to wait longer or follow up more aggressively. It is to qualify more rigorously at the lead generation stage and to build relationships with multiple internal champions who can help navigate the real decision making process inside the organisation.

6. Both Proactive and Passive Lead Generation Are Now Essential

Jess closes the episode with a clear directive for the second half of 2026: coaches and consultants need both proactive and passive lead generation working simultaneously. Neither alone is sufficient.

Proactive lead generation, including cold email outreach, LinkedIn outreach, and other active methods, puts you directly in front of decision makers in a controlled, measurable way. Passive lead generation, such as being featured in curated directories and building AI search visibility, ensures that when secondary decision makers go looking for you independently, they can find you.

The risk of relying solely on proactive outreach and a single champion is that when that champion tries to build internal support for your proposal, the other stakeholders who search for you find nothing. At that moment, your champion is carrying the entire weight of selling you in, with no external evidence to support their case.

The Selling to Corporate® Five Step Framework

The Selling to Corporate® Five Step Framework is the structured sales process Jess teaches to coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and done-for-you service providers:

• Step 1: Clarity: Deciding who you are selling to and what transformation you are selling them

• Step 2: Lead Generation: The process of identifying, targeting, and approaching qualified decision makers to generate sales calls

• Step 3: Business Development: Building, maintaining, and leveraging relationships so they convert to revenue

• Step 4: Offers and Proposals: Creating solutions that meet the client's need and articulating them in a way that closes the contract

• Step 5: Delivery and Resell: Delivering a great client experience and maximising revenue through upsell and resell

In this episode, Jess focuses on the intersection of lead generation and business development, specifically how building multiple internal champions at the lead generation stage makes every subsequent step faster, stronger, and more resilient.

Key Quotes

"If you don't have multiple internal champions at an organisation, you're going to find that sales processes stall, go back to zero, and are much more difficult to be picked up."

"The bigger the deal, the more decision makers who are involved. If a company is spending £40,000 or $100,000 on something, do you honestly think they're going to have one person who just says, yeah, cool, I'll make that decision?"

"Lead generation is the first point of quality control in your sales process. A qualified lead is a decision maker who is responsible for your area of specialism and has authority over the budget to pay you. Anyone else is not a decision maker."

Key Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Expert Services Directory: Get listed and improve your AI search visibility with corporate buyers. Apply at expertservicesdirectory.com

Amplify with AI workshop: A paid, interactive virtual masterclass on Friday 17th July showing coaches, consultants, speakers, and trainers exactly how to leverage generative engine optimization and AI-assisted lead generation in your B2B sales process. https://smartleaderssell.thrivecart.com/amplify-ai/

Join the B2B Sales Edit https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL%

If you've enjoyed listening to Single champion selling is dead; replacing enthusiasm with strategic sales! Check out these episodes.

• STC178: Why Corporate Buyers Can't Find You (Even When They're Looking) https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/stc178-why-corporate-buyers-cant-find-you-even-when-theyre-looking/

• STC175: Two Types of B2B Lead Generation That Coaches + Consultants Need to Use! https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/two-types-of-b2b-lead-generation-that-coaches-consultants-need-to-use/

• STC173: B2B Sales Trends for Q2: Which One Are You Actioning? https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/b2b-sales-trends-for-q2-which-one-are-you-actioning/

Episode sponsored by The Expert Services Directory: A key resource for coaches / consultants / trainers and done-for-you service providers to generate inbound leads. Access The Expert Services Directory here https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory and use code PODCAST for a special bonus.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.

In this episode of Selling to Corporate, Jess Lorimer explains why 66% of corporate decision makers are now using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot to research and shortlist external suppliers before they visit a single website. If you are a coach, consultant, speaker, trainer, or done-for-you service provider selling to corporate clients, this episode covers what that shift means for your lead generation strategy and what you need to do right now to stay visible.

Who this episode is for

• Coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and done-for-you service providers who sell services to corporate clients

• Anyone who has a strong reputation and great client results but is not generating consistent inbound enquiries

• Business owners who want to understand how AI search is changing the B2B buying process

• Those who rely heavily on referrals or proactive outreach and want to add a passive visibility layer to their lead generation

• Anyone preparing for a strong September who wants to be findable by active corporate buyers before the summer ends

How are corporate buyers using AI to find coaches, consultants, and trainers?

The way corporate buyers source external suppliers has changed significantly over the last 12 to 18 months. Traditionally, a decision maker would ask for internal referrals, then send a junior employee to Google to find and benchmark potential suppliers. That process has shifted. Corporate buyers are now going directly to AI tools and typing conversational queries such as "find me a leadership coach who works with financial services firms" rather than searching for short keywords.

The AI platform does not return a list of website links to browse. It returns a shortlist of three to five named suppliers it considers relevant, credible, and well-documented. If you are not being indexed, cited, and recommended by AI, you are not part of that shortlist. You do not exist to that buyer, regardless of how good your website is or how often you post on LinkedIn.

What is passive visibility and why does it matter for B2B coaches and consultants?

Passive visibility is the ability to be found by corporate decision makers who are actively searching for what you offer, without you having to actively reach out to them at that moment. With the rise of AI-powered search, passive visibility has taken on new importance. When a buyer asks ChatGPT or Perplexity to recommend a consultant, coach, or trainer in your specialism, AI platforms surface experts based on structured, credible information it can find and verify about you across the web.

This is different from passive income. Passive visibility means building the conditions so that when corporate buyers are actively looking, your name comes up, even while you sleep.

What is generative engine optimization (GEO) and how does it help you sell to corporate?

Generative engine optimization, or GEO, is the practice of structuring and distributing your content and professional information so that AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google Gemini can index, cite, and recommend you. It is different from traditional SEO (search engine optimization), which focuses on ranking on Google's results pages. GEO focuses on appearing in the AI-generated answers that corporate buyers are now receiving when they search for external suppliers.

In practice, GEO involves creating structured, expert-led content that directly answers the questions your ideal corporate buyers are asking. It involves building a consistent presence across high-quality, curated platforms that AI tools trust and crawl regularly. One example of this is being listed in a specialist directory like the Expert Services Directory, where AI is actively crawling listings every day and surfacing relevant specialists to corporate buyers.

Why isn't my website getting me found by corporate decision makers?

Having a well-designed website is no longer enough to guarantee visibility with corporate buyers. Traditional search engine optimization was built for Google, and Google returns website links. AI-powered search platforms work differently. They synthesize information from multiple trusted sources and return a curated answer. If you are only relying on your website and social media posting to generate inbound enquiries from corporate clients, you are optimizing for a search behaviour that corporate buyers are increasingly moving away from.

The coaches and consultants getting shortlisted by AI are those who have consistent, structured information across multiple authoritative sources. Your website is one piece of that picture. It is not the whole picture.

Should coaches and consultants stop doing proactive outreach now that AI search exists?

No. And in this episode, Jess is very clear about this. Proactive outreach remains the most predictable, measurable, and scalable way to identify and approach corporate decision makers. AI search and passive visibility are not a replacement for proactive lead generation. They are a complement to it.

Proactive outreach gives you control over your pipeline. Passive visibility through AI search gives you additional inbound opportunities from buyers who are already actively looking to buy. The most effective B2B sales strategy for coaches and consultants in 2026 uses both together.

How do I use AI in my B2B sales process without outsourcing my strategy?

Jess is known for her strong views on AI usage in sales, and she addresses them directly in this episode. The issue is not AI itself. The issue is outsourcing your critical thinking, your creative strategy, and your outreach messaging to AI tools that are only as good as the generic, often poor-quality sales content that exists on the internet. Your methodology, your intellectual property, and your client relationships are not things AI can replicate.

What AI can support is the manual, administrative, and research-heavy parts of your lead generation process. That includes improving your passive visibility so you are being found by active buyers, and targeting better qualified cold corporate contacts more efficiently. These are very specific, intentional uses. They are not a shortcut to replacing a proven B2B sales process.

What is the Expert Services Directory and how does it help coaches get found by corporate buyers?

The Expert Services Directory is a curated directory of specialist coaches, consultants, speakers, trainers, and done-for-you service providers who work with corporate organisations. It is limited to 10 specialists per category per location, which means it is a high-quality, structured resource that AI tools actively crawl and trust.

Being listed in the Expert Services Directory means you are part of a curated platform that AI is already indexing and citing when corporate buyers search for external specialists in your area. This is one of the most straightforward ways to improve your passive visibility and start showing up in AI-generated shortlists for active corporate buyers. You can apply at expertservicesdirectory.com.

Key Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Expert Services Directory: Get listed and improve your AI search visibility with corporate buyers. Apply at expertservicesdirectory.com

Amplify with AI workshop: A paid, interactive virtual masterclass on Friday 17th July showing coaches, consultants, speakers, and trainers exactly how to leverage generative engine optimization and AI-assisted lead generation in your B2B sales process. Use code PODCAST for a discount (valid until Monday). https://smartleaderssell.thrivecart.com/amplify-ai/

Join the B2B Sales Edit https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL%

If you've enjoyed listening to Why Corporate Buyers Can't Find You (Even When They're Looking) check out these episodes.

STC175 - Two types of B2B lead generation that coaches + consultants need to use!

https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/two-types-of-b2b-lead-generation-that-coaches-consultants-need-to-use/

STC173 - B2B sales trends for Q2: Which one are you actioning?

https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/b2b-sales-trends-for-q2-which-one-are-you-actioning/

STC158 - Sharing insights: 2025 B2B sales trends for the second half of the year

https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/sharing-insights-2025-b2b-sales-trends-for-the-second-half-of-the-year/

Episode sponsored by The Expert Services Directory: A key resource for coaches / consultants / trainers and done-for-you service providers to generate inbound leads.

About Selling to Corporate

Selling to Corporate is the podcast for coaches, consultants, speakers, trainers, and done-for-you service providers who want to build a predictable, profitable pipeline of corporate clients. Hosted by Jess Lorimer, founder of Selling to Corporate® and the Expert Services Directory, the show covers B2B sales strategy, corporate lead generation, and how genuine experts can win consistent high-value contracts with corporate organisations in the UK and beyond.

New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.

What this episode is about

Summer is closer than you think, and if you want a spectacular September and a strong Q4, the work starts now. In this episode of the Selling to Corporate® podcast, Jess Lorimer shares the three essential sales actions that every coach, consultant, trainer, speaker, and done-for-you service provider needs to complete before UK decision makers head off on their summer holidays.

Whether you are hoping to book sales calls before mid-July or planning ahead for a September pipeline, Jess gives you the clear, practical framework to get it done, without the chaos and catch-up that so many entrepreneurs experience every autumn.

Who this episode is for

• Coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and done-for-you service providers selling services to corporate clients

• Anyone who wants to take time off over summer without coming back to an empty pipeline

• Business owners who have been putting off reviewing their revenue and sales activity

• Anyone who regularly finds themselves scrambling in September, wondering why Q4 never gets off to a strong start

• Those relying on referrals or inbound leads and wondering whether that will hold in the second half of the year

Questions this episode answers

• What should I do before summer to make sure I have a strong September?

• How do I know whether my current outreach strategy is actually working?

• What does a revenue recap involve, and how do I use it to plan my sales activity?

• How should I analyse my half year sales process, and which activities should I be reviewing?

• When is it too late to book corporate sales calls before the summer break?

• What is proven outreach, and why does experimenting with outreach in June and July carry real risk?

Key takeaways

Start your proven outreach now: the summer window is closing fast

The episode is released on 12 June, and the viable window for booking corporate sales calls before the summer slowdown closes around 21 to 22 July which gives you roughly five to six weeks. In the UK, decision makers are largely unavailable from mid-July through to the end of August, which means that if you want sales calls booked for that window, your outreach needs to land now and produce responses within four weeks.

Jess is clear that this is not the time to experiment with new or unproven outreach approaches. Proven outreach, for the purposes of this episode, means targeted, specific outreach with clear, measurable metrics that has an established track record of results. If what you have been using has not been booking five or more qualified sales calls per month, it is not yet proven, and it needs changing before you invest more time in it.

If you are happy to be booking calls into September rather than July, you still need to start now so that responses arrive in time to set up your September calendar before Q4 begins.

Do your revenue recap: know exactly where you stand before you head into summer

A revenue recap means sitting down, reviewing your numbers objectively, and answering three questions:

• How much revenue have you made this year?

• What was your original target?

• What revenue is still confirmed or expected to arrive?

Using this client example, a solo higher education consultant who had reached 78% of their annual revenue target by May.

That number gave them genuine options:

Stretch the target

• Relax their sales activity over summer

• Use the headspace to plan a stronger Q4, depending on what their pipeline looked like.

The revenue recap is not a stick to beat yourself with. It is a planning tool. Looking at both invoiced revenue and pipeline revenue together tells you whether you can afford to ease off, whether you need to intensify your outreach, or whether you need to focus on closing existing proposals before the summer. If your pipeline is slim, go back to the outreach piece and act now.

Analyse your half year sales process: find out which specific activities to improve

The half year sales process analysis is the most granular of the three actions, and it is the one most likely to show you where you can win more contracts without doing more work.

Rather than simply asking whether you made the revenue you wanted, Jess recommends drilling into the individual activities that make up your sales process.

• Has your lead generation been producing five or more qualified sales calls per month, with decision makers who have access to budget and are relevant to your specialism?

If not, that is the activity to address.

• Have your sales calls been converting into proposals and revenue at a rate of 50% or higher?

If not, the issue may lie in call structure, the questions being asked, or the calibre of the people on those calls.

• Have you been relying heavily on referrals or warm inbound leads in the first half of the year?

If so, how confident are you that those sources will continue to perform at the same level in the second half?

Asking these specific questions, rather than looking only at the revenue total, shows you precisely where to direct your time and energy before summer, rather than working harder on the wrong things.

Key quotes

"Now is not the time for more experiments. Now is the time to do proven outreach."

"It takes 90 days to see a cold contact convert into a corporate client. If you are not running a proven process, it might take you longer. So you cannot afford to miss these opportunities to control the variables."

"This is not just looking at your numbers and going, oh gosh, I have got to beat myself up about this. It is also looking at what pipeline you have built and what is still to come."

Resources + links

Join the Selling To Corporate® B2B Sales Edit.

A weekly newsletter for coaches and consultants sharing the real B2B sales techniques to build a balanced, profitable business.

https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL%

The Expert Services Directory

A curated directory that proactively markets your services to corporate decision makers every month. Standard listings reach 1,000+ decision makers per month; Directory Plus listings reach 2,000+. Only 10 suppliers per specialist category. Use code PODCAST for a special bonus.

https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory

Cold to Closed

The self-paced B2B sales experience for coaches, consultants, speakers, trainers and done-for-you service providers who want scalable, sustainable sales from brand new corporate clients in 90 days or less.

https://smartleaderssell.thrivecart.com/-cold-to-closed-product/

If you've enjoyed listening to xxx then check out the following episodes.

STC133 - Why your B2B revenue is stalling this summer (and what to do about it!)

https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/why-your-b2b-revenue-is-stalling-this-summer-and-what-to-do-about-it/

STC154 - How to make the next 6 months of your sales strategy EPIC

https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/how-to-make-the-next-6-months-of-your-sales-strategy-epic/

STC158 - Sharing insights: 2025 B2B sales trends for the second half of the year

https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/sharing-insights-2025-b2b-sales-trends-for-the-second-half-of-the-year/

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.

What This Episode Is About

You've invested in a sales strategy. You've done the training. So why aren't you getting the results you expected? In this episode of the Selling to Corporate® podcast, Jess Lorimer reveals the single most important skill that professional salespeople use to create consistent, replicable results - and it's almost certainly not what you'd expect.

Jess makes the case that the gap between coaches, consultants and professional salespeople isn't intelligence, experience or even strategy. It's one surprisingly simple skill that most business owners overlook, underestimate or quietly choose to ignore. This episode explains exactly what it is, why it matters more than any tactic or technique and what happens to your sales process when you don't use it.

Who This Episode Is For

• Coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and done-for-you service providers selling to corporate clients

• Anyone who has invested in a sales strategy or programme and felt it 'didn't work'

• Business owners who find themselves constantly tweaking, adjusting, or second-guessing their sales process

• Those who are great at selling one offer or to one type of client, but struggle to replicate that success elsewhere

• Anyone who suspects their sales process isn't producing consistent results but isn't sure why

Questions This Episode Answers

• What is the most important skill in B2B sales?

• Why does a sales strategy that worked stop working over time?

• How do professional salespeople create replicable results across different industries and offers?

• What's the difference between buying a sales strategy and actually executing one?

• Why does tweaking a sales process - even slightly - make results impossible to measure or replicate?

Key Takeaways

1. The Most Important Sales Skill Is Following Instructions

The single most important skill professional salespeople possess is the ability to follow instructions precisely and consistently. Not prospecting. Not objection handling. Not closing. Following instructions.

Jess is direct: in her experience working with thousands of professional salespeople and thousands of coaches, consultants, speakers, trainers, and done-for-you service providers, the difference in results almost always comes down to this. Professional salespeople follow a proven process exactly as written. Most coaches and consultants - however intelligent and however well-intentioned - don't.

This isn't a criticism of intelligence. In fact, Jess argues that high intelligence can be a liability here. Smart people are more likely to spot what feels 'wrong' about a set of instructions, more likely to rationalise a small adjustment and more likely to believe their version of the process is 'good enough'. It usually isn't.

2. Any Proven Strategy Has the Ability to Work - If It's Executed Properly

Jess teaches seven different methods of B2B lead generation. She has clients who generate all of their corporate revenue from cold email outreach. She has clients who generate all of their revenue from networking alone - a method she personally dislikes. The method is not the determining factor. Execution is.

The two reasons a sales strategy fails are almost always the same:

• The strategy being used is not proven. It was built in an AI tool, borrowed from a B2C context or sold by someone without hands-on B2B sales experience.

• The strategy is proven but it is not being followed correctly. Steps are skipped, wording is changed, volume is reduced or the process is quietly adjusted whenever something feels uncomfortable.

If your sales process is not producing results, the first question to ask is not 'what strategy should I try next?' It is 'am I executing my current proven strategy exactly as intended?'

3. Small Changes to a Sales Process Create Big Problems

One of the most common patterns Jess sees with experienced clients is a gradual drift away from the original process. It rarely starts as a conscious decision to change strategy. More often it starts with a lost deal, a knock to confidence, and a small adjustment made under pressure to 'save' the next opportunity.

That one small change leads to another. The language shifts. The attachment changes. The objection handling softens. The reassurance given increases. None of it feels significant in the moment. But cumulatively, the process becomes unrecognisable - and critically, it becomes impossible to measure, troubleshoot or improve.

Standardisation is not a constraint on creativity. It is what makes it possible to know whether your sales process is working, identify where it is breaking down, and fix the right thing. When every part of the process is slightly different, there is nothing consistent to evaluate.

4. Sales Should Be Boring - Creativity Comes in the Conversation

Jess uses the analogy of Picasso: before he painted eyes on the sides of heads, he spent years learning the rules of perspective, line and composition. The creative leaps came after the foundations were mastered, not instead of them.

The same principle applies to B2B sales. Your lead generation process, your outreach approach, your proposal structure, your pricing framework - these should be repeatable, measurable and consistent. They should feel a little boring, because boring is what makes them scalable.

The creativity, the consultative problem-solving, the bespoke solution-building - all of that happens in the sales conversation itself, and in the delivery of the work. That's where you get to be brilliant and distinctive. Your process is what gets you to that conversation in the first place.

5. Following Instructions Builds the Confidence That Creativity Cannot

When a sales process is followed precisely, it produces predictable metrics. Those metrics tell you what is working and what is not - early enough to make useful adjustments rather than emergency ones. That predictability is what gives professional salespeople confidence, even in difficult markets.

When a process is modified and the results decline, the person executing it has no way of knowing which change caused the problem. That uncertainty erodes confidence and often leads to further changes, making the situation worse. Following instructions is therefore not just a technical requirement - it is the foundation of sustained confidence in your own sales ability.

6. Replicatable Success Requires Transferable Process, Not Transferable Luck

Jess draws on her own sales career across jewellery, recruitment, tech, and sales training - including becoming the top diamond salesperson in her region at 16, and a top performer within her first year at a company operating across 30 countries - to make a specific point: success that can be replicated across industries, offers, and client types is built on process, not personality.

If you are excellent at selling one particular offer but cannot replicate that success with other offers or other types of decision maker, it is a signal that your results are not yet built on a transferable process. They are built on familiarity, repetition or relationship - which are not scalable. A proven, correctly executed process is what creates results that transfer.

Key Quotes

"The most important skill professional salespeople have in their arsenal is following instructions."

"Literally any proven strategy has the ability to work if it's being done properly. The problem is that most people aren't using proven strategies - or they're not following the instructions for the ones they have."

"Your sales process shouldn't be where you feel creatively satiated. It should be where you are able to replicate a clear process and be given consistent metrics so you know what is working and what isn't."

Resources + Links Mentioned in This Episode

Cold -> Closed

The self-paced B2B sales experience for coaches / consultants / speakers / trainers and done-for-you service providers who want scalable, sustainable sales from brand new corporate clients in 90 days or less.

https://smartleaderssell.thrivecart.com/-cold-to-closed-product/

Join the B2B Sales Edit: Busyness to Business

Weekly newsletter for coaches and consultants; sharing the real B2B sales techniques that have taken over 30,000 sales processes from busy -> balanced and profitable.

https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL%

Episode Sponsored by The Expert Services Directory

Access The Expert Services Directory here and use code PODCAST for a special bonus.

https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory

A curated directory that proactively markets your services to corporate decision makers every month. Standard listings reach 1,000+ decision makers per month; Directory Plus listings reach 2,000+. Only 10 suppliers per category.

• Standard listing: 1,000+ decision makers per month

• Directory Plus listing: 2,000+ decision makers per month

• Application required — not all applications are accepted

If You've Enjoyed Listening to The Most Important Skill Professional Salespeople Have, Check Out These Episodes

STC159 - Mindset Wobbles That Stop Your B2B Sales Progress (and How to Fix Them!)

https://bit.ly/SellingToCorporate159

STC162 - 3 Things That Will Help You Maximise Any Sales Training You're Embarking On

https://bit.ly/SellingToCorporate162

STC171 - The Simple Sales Technique I Use to Sign Corporate Clients Every Month

https://bit.ly/SellingToCorporate171

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.

What this episode is about

If you've been relying on warm referrals and introductions to bring in corporate clients, this episode is your wake-up call. Sales strategist Jess Lorimer breaks down the two distinct types of B2B lead generation that every coach, consultant, trainer, speaker, and done-for-you service provider needs to understand - and crucially, which one to prioritise depending on where you are in your business right now.

With the summer window for reaching corporate decision makers closing fast, Jess explains why now is the time to audit your lead generation approach and plug the gaps before September.

Who this episode is for

• A coach, consultant, trainer, speaker, or done-for-you service provider selling services to corporate clients

• Currently relying on warm referrals or introductions to generate B2B sales leads

• Experiencing the feast-and-famine cycle in your business - busy with delivery, then suddenly with nothing in your pipeline

• Unsure whether your lead generation is failing, or whether the problem lies elsewhere in your sales process

• Planning your B2B sales strategy for Q3 and Q4 2026

Questions this episode answers

• What is B2B lead generation and how is it different from just 'doing outreach'?

• Why isn't my lead generation converting into sales?

• What's the difference between active lead generation and passive visibility?

• When should I use active lead generation vs passive lead generation in my business?

• How do I stop the feast-and-famine cycle in my B2B sales pipeline?

• How are corporate decision makers searching for external suppliers in 2026?

Key takeaways

1. Lead Generation has one job - and it's not to close sales

One of the most common mistakes coaches and consultants make is judging their lead generation by whether it produced a sale. Jess is clear: the job of lead generation is to book qualified sales calls, not to close contracts. When you blend the two, you end up blaming your lead generation for problems that might actually live elsewhere in your sales process - such as your offer, your pricing, or your proposal.

2. Active lead generation: The strategy you control

Active lead generation is any lead generation strategy that works while you are implementing it, and stops when you stop. Examples include:

• Cold email outreach

• LinkedIn outreach

• Any proactive, volume-driven outreach to decision makers

Active lead generation is entirely within your control. You set the metrics, monitor the results, and can troubleshoot what's working. This makes it the right approach when you are not yet fully booked with corporate clients - because you have the time, energy, and capacity to execute it consistently.

The risk: if you become too busy with delivery to keep it running, it stops. Which is exactly when many coaches and consultants find themselves with an empty pipeline.

3. Passive visibility: Lead generation that works without you

Passive visibility is Jess's term for lead generation strategies that build brand awareness, visibility, and inbound leads over time - without requiring you to execute them week in, week out. Examples include:

• Speaking on internal company podcasts

• Being featured in a curated directory with proactive marketing (such as the Expert Services Directory)

• Activities that help you rank in AI search tools (GEO - Generative Engine Optimisation) and Google

• Presenting at awards events or industry panels

Passive visibility strategies are compounding: they build over time. They are not designed to produce a sales call every single week, but they ensure that when a corporate decision maker goes looking for an external supplier, you show up. In 2026, decision makers are actively searching for external suppliers online. If you are not visible in those searches, you are invisible to them.

The risk: passive visibility alone is not enough if you have no clients yet. You need to understand your messaging and what works before you can hand it off or systematise it.

4. You need both - at different stages of your business

Active lead generation and passive visibility are not either/or. They serve different purposes at different stages:

• Not yet fully booked with clients? Prioritise active lead generation. Use the time and capacity you have now to fill your pipeline before it's too late.

• About to be fully booked or in a heavy delivery period? Start building your passive visibility now so your brand continues to generate leads while you're delivering.

• Relying only on warm referrals? You are not in control of your lead generation - and your business is more vulnerable than it looks.

5. The summer window is closing

If you are based in the UK, you have roughly until the second week of July before corporate decision makers become significantly harder to reach. For those in Central Europe or the US, that window closes around mid-June. If you do not have a pipeline of qualified leads generating sales calls now, you need to act before that window shuts.

Key Quotes

"The job of lead generation is to book qualified sales calls, not to make sales."

"Decision makers are searching actively for external suppliers. If you're not doing anything on that passive visibility front, you're not going to show up in search."

"Active lead generation is completely within your control. And there are times in your business when you have the time and energy to be able to implement it - use them."

Resources + Links Mentioned in This Episode

Join the B2B Sales Edit: Busyness to Business

Weekly newsletter for coaches and consultants; sharing the real B2B sales techniques that have taken over 30,000 sales processes from busy -> balanced and profitable.

https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL%

Episode sponsored by The Expert Services Directory: Access The Expert Services Directory here https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory and use code PODCAST for a special bonus.

A curated directory that proactively markets your services to corporate decision makers every month. Standard listings reach 1,000+ decision makers per month; Directory Plus listings reach 2,000+. Only 10 suppliers per category.

• Standard listing: 1,000+ decision makers per month

• Directory Plus listing: 2,000+ decision makers per month

• Application required - not all applications are accepted

Cold -> Closed

The self-paced B2B sales experience for coaches / consultants/ speakers / trainers and done-for-you service providers who want scalable, sustainable sales from brand new corporate clients in 90 days or less.

https://smartleaderssell.thrivecart.com/-cold-to-closed-product/

If you've enjoyed listening to Two types of B2B lead generation that coaches + consultants need to use, check out these episodes.

• STC173 - B2B Sales Trends for Q2: Which One Are You Actioning? https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/40894390

• STC169 - Why 'Normal' Communication Is Stopping You Feeling Confident with Sales Communication https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/40172105

• STC167 - Are You Speaking to Decision Makers or Influencers (and Why It Matters) https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/39846375

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.

In this episode Jess explores the complexities of procurement, including bids, tenders and preferred supplier agreements. If you've been looking at these as a shortcut to big contracts Jess shares the competitive realities of these processes and why they are rarely the 'easy win' they appear to be.

With many decision makers often out of the office throughout the summer months it's vital to prioritise the right business development activities and tighten up your sales strategy so tune in to learn why a sharp strategy in May is your best defense against a quiet July

Key Topics

Definitions and Distinctions

• Learn what preferred supplier agreements, bids, and tenders actually are 14:14

• Differentiates between:

• Preferred supplier agreements (agreements to be a first point of call, often at a discount) 15:07

• Tenders (organisations inviting suppliers to quote for a specific value/project) 17:20

• Bids (suppliers' direct response/proposal to tenders) 19:15

Where to Find Bids, Tenders, and PSAs

• Understanding of public sector portals, government and council websites for sourcing 20:16

• Explains why a business model built solely on price-cutting and competitive bids often fails to scale 21:21

Challenges and Realities of Bids and Tenders

• Highlights the extreme competitiveness of the environment 23:15

• Explains that not all organisations use their PSAs or tender lists exclusively-sometimes specialist suppliers are needed 25:02

• Notes that organisations use tender/bid processes for benchmarking, sometimes wasting suppliers' time 26:36

• Points out how established relationships and proactive business development often influence selection 27:21

Lack of Control and Time Investment

• Describes the lengthy, uncertain, and often frustrating processes for suppliers 29:44

• Emphasises the value of control in one's sales process versus passive, unreliable pipeline building 30:20

• Explains the restrictions of PSA agreements (e.g. often cannot proactively contact decision makers) 31:02

Surprising Complexity vs. Perceived Ease

• Discusses the hidden work involved and misconceptions perpetuated both by proponents and internal procurement teams 32:41

• Describes frequent delays, shifting requirements, and unpredictability 33:41

Strategic Perspective for Coaches, Consultants, Speakers, and Trainers

• Advises listeners to approach bids and tenders with eyes wide open 35:12

• Explains why controlling the sales process is more stable, consultative, and ultimately preferable 36:19

• Endorses using bids/tenders as a bonus, not a core sales strategy-unless there's an established relationship 37:04

• Encourages proactive business development over reliance on tenders/PSAs 38:17

Key Quotes

• "Just because those organisations have preferred supplier lists... doesn't mean that that is always who they end up using." 24:45

• "If you don't have that relationship, prior knowledge... it's really, really difficult to get that signed off." 30:28

• "Go in eyes wide open... treat unsolicited bid submissions like a lottery ticket-a possible bonus, but not a reliable strategy for predictable income." 38:08

• In some cases, being on a preferred supplier agreement even restricts your ability to network internally within an organisation, limiting future opportunities and risking removal from the agreement if rules are broken 32:04.

• The "easy win" of PSAs or tenders is usually an illusion; substantial effort, little control, high competition, and unpredictable returns are the norm 33:41.

Key Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Join the B2B Sales Edit https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL%

Episode sponsored by The Expert Services Directory: A key resource for coaches / consultants / trainers and done-for-you service providers to generate inbound leads.

Check out The Expert Services Directory here https://expertservicesdirectory.com/

If you've enjoyed listening to Why bids + tender processes are a complete waste of time check out these episodes.

How to pep up your B2B sales before the summer slump! - https://bit.ly/SellingtoCorporate098

How to create more sales opportunities (and get your sales process moving before summer) - https://bit.ly/SellingToCorporate124

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.

April is buzzing with opportunity! Companies are hiring more external suppliers than ever, thanks to rising costs for permanent staff and a shifting economy. But here's the catch - decision makers are changing how they search for experts. It's all about referrals and real expertise, not just flashy marketing or big followings.

• External suppliers are in high demand due to increased costs of hiring permanent staff, particularly in the UK, Central Europe, and America. Companies are scaling with interim, freelance, or project-based resources rather than permanent hires.

• The biggest trend change in Q1: decision makers are shifting how they look for suppliers due to an influx of unqualified or marketing-savvy but under-skilled entrants into the B2B market. This is impacting how companies find and select external experts.

• Recommendations and referrals remain the primary method for organisations to find suppliers, which presents challenges for those new to the corporate market. If you're not already known or top-of-mind with decision makers, you're less likely to get referrals, emphasising the importance of strategic business development over content creation.

We'll also explore the challenges posed by an influx of unqualified suppliers and strong marketers, and how that's reshaping corporate buying behavior. If you're aiming to land corporate clients without relying on cold outreach or a big following, stay tuned for practical advice and an invitation to a game-changing masterclass that promises to help you navigate these new opportunities.

Key Topics

Data-Driven Insights for Entrepreneurs

Instead of looking at just a few sales calls, this episode analyses thousands of data points - from finding leads to closing deals. This gives entrepreneurs a proven, data-backed plan for growth that actually works in today's market.

The Importance of Sales Strategy vs. Marketing Activity

Don't mistake marketing for sales. While many business owners spend their time on content creation and social media, these activities have a limited impact in the B2B space. If you want to land corporate clients, you need to move beyond general marketing and build a specific sales strategy designed to close deals.

Market Trends: External Suppliers in Demand

Companies are shifting away from permanent hiring. Due to the high cost of recruitment and a shaky job market, businesses in the UK and abroad are now scaling up using external suppliers and freelancers. For independent consultants, this is a huge opportunity: organisations are actively seeking outside experts to fill the gaps and have the budget to pay for it.

Shift in How Companies Search for Suppliers

A major trend from the start of the year is that corporate bosses are becoming much more cautious about who they hire. Because the market is flooded with 'influencers' who have big social media followings but little experience, companies are now more skeptical.

While these famous names grab attention, they often take spots away from more qualified experts who simply aren't as well-known. We expect to see more of these 'influencers' moving into the business world as they look for new ways to make money.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on relationship-driven sales strategies and lead generation, not just content and marketing activity.

• Emphasise your genuine expertise and track record; companies are looking for proven external suppliers.

• Prepare for unpredictability in referrals and be proactive in building visibility with your target corporate clients.

• Leverage upcoming resources like the masterclass to stay at the forefront of industry shifts.

• Avoid quick-win trends and resist lowering your prices just to compete with newcomers - quality wins in corporate sales.

If you're serious about landing consistent corporate clients, focus on genuine lead generation and proven skills. Stop racing to the bottom and start standing out where it counts.

Want to know how?

Sign up for my masterclass on 'How to Get in Front of Corporate Clients Without Cold Outreach or Having a Big Following.' The session is based on the latest data and will help you develop lead-generation strategies that work in the current environment.

Spaces are limited - secure your place by clicking the link in the show notes now!

Key Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Click below to register for the 'How to get in front of corporate clients without cold outreach or a big following' webinar on Friday 24th April at 12 Noon.

https://my.demio.com/ref/OP47ZXbEtzvVOlWq

Join the B2B Sales Edit https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL%

Episode sponsored by The Expert Services Directory: A key resource for coaches / consultants / trainers and done-for-you service providers to generate inbound leads. Access The Expert Services Directory here https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory and use code PODCAST for a special bonus.

If you've enjoyed listening to XXXX check out these episodes.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.

As we wrap up Q1 (and look ahead to Q2!), I've been taking stock of market trends and what's impacting business for coaches, consultants, and experts selling to corporates. This quarter, I've seen incredible client wins - like proposals accepted at £31,000 and larger scale training projects signed off. But I've also noticed some worrying shifts in the wider landscape.

A phenomenon I'm seeing play out is the "race to the bottom" - companies and entrepreneurs slashing prices, reducing standards and chasing quick wins.

Now's the time to stop panic selling; double down on a proven sales process and refuse to compromise on quality or value. If you've been caught up discounting offers or overwhelmed by noisy trends, use this as your cue to reset. While the market is changing, there are significant risks in adopting a 'herd mentality' without a clear strategy. Focus on what really works and set your business up for a standout year ahead.

Key takeaways for you:

• Stop waiting for change: The old "wait and see" approach isn't working anymore. Set boundaries around your sales process and dedicate time for consistent sales activities or risk being left behind.

• Don't compete only on price: Lowering your fees or creating cheaper offers can create a damaging market feedback loop. Instead, focus on quality, credibility, and premium transformation to stand out and win repeat business.

• Double down on proven processes: Relying on shiny new marketing tactics or AI quick fixes isn't a substitute for a robust sales process. The best results come from consistent lead generation, expert-led sales conversations, and strong proposals.

If your Q1 has plateaued or declined, now is the time to reset and rethink your approach. You still have nine months to turn things around in 2026 - but only if you take action now.

Key Quotes;

Race to the Bottom in Coaching: "What we are seeing is that as a result of this race to the bottom mentality where people are cutting their prices, they're trying to do everything at discounted rates, they are, you know, working often without or in unregulated areas." 00:26:3600:26:53

Quality Over Price: "I have always openly said to my corporate clients, look, I'm not the cheapest resource. But the reason that I'm not is because I'm really, really good at what I do and I've got a really good success rate." 00:33:4900:34:02

The Race to the Bottom in Pricing: "If you have lowered your prices, tried to create cheaper offers in the hope that companies will buy them, or avoided increasing your rates in the last 612 months, that is a way that you're being impacted by the race to the bottom and by public feeling around companies only wanting to buy things that are cheap." 00:46:0200:46:20

The Race to the Bottom in Online Education: "Essentially the online space has entered a race to the bottom and that means that people have compromised quality of service, they have lowered their pricing, they have compromised regulations and standards. In some places they're even compromising Core beliefs that I think are really serious around equality, around diversity, around discrimination that is exactly representative of what race to the bottom looks like, if you consider the online space as its own entity." 00:24:2900:25:12

The Hidden Risks of Relying on AI for Corporate Training: "They're paying for you to be able to go in and use your expertise and lived experience to deliver transformation. Again, fine, to use for inspiration, but I wouldn't be planning out client work using it. That is a contribution to some of those points we talked about earlier around lack of due care and quality and service provision, you know, because we don't know where that information goes and a lot of us don't know what anyone else is plugging into these models and whether they're naming companies, whether they're talking through difficult situations that they're experiencing, you know, outside of the sales process. That could be considered confidential information that then is available for somebody with a good prompt and a lot of time to get access to." 00:54:4100:55:38

Key Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Join the B2B Sales Edit https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL%

Episode sponsored by The Expert Services Directory: A key resource for coaches / consultants / trainers and done-for-you service providers to generate inbound leads. Access The Expert Services Directory here https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory and use code PODCAST for a special bonus.

If you've enjoyed listening to Racing to the bottom' (and what does that mean for revenue in Q2?) check out these episodes.

5 important things to remember when creating an offer to sell to corporate clients

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/5-important-things-to-remember-when-creating-an/id1469526548?i=1000712712897

Creating your best B2B sales mindset (and generating more revenue!) https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/stc112-creating-your-best-b2b-sales-mindset-and-generating-more-revenue/

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.

Do you ever feel like you're hustling non-stop just to keep up with your current delivery—and then, suddenly, your sales pipeline dries up? Or maybe you go from feast to famine: booking lots of work, then radio silence, then panic?

I've been there. In fact, it's something I hear a lot from consultants and coaches so today I'm sharing the straightforward sales technique I've used for the last 10 years to sign new corporate clients every single month - even when things get busy.

Most of us get stuck in a cycle: when we're flush with delivery, we go all-in for our clients, leaving sales activity until we're running on fumes, promising ourselves we'll tackle it "tomorrow." Before you know it, there's no new pipeline… and the cycle starts over.

Why? Three key reasons:

• Pricing: Are you charging enough to justify your time, or is every new client eating into space you should use for business development?

• Forgetting Your Real Job: You're not just a consultant/coach/trainer—you're also the lead salesperson in your business.

• Reactive, Not Proactive: You spend your best energy on client delivery, leaving sales for when you're already exhausted (and it shows).

The Simple Technique That Changes Everything

Ready? Here it is: 10 Before 10.

Every day, before 10am, complete 10 meaningful sales activities. That's it.

I started doing this in my very first corporate role - and have continued ever since:

• It puts your pipeline first, not clients' urgent requests.

• You build the habit and "sales muscle" by practicing daily, not just when the panic sets in.

• By focusing on true sales activities (not just tinkering with your LinkedIn profile!), you consistently generate leads and stay visible.

What counts as a "sales activity"?

• Proactively reaching out to new contacts or decision makers

• Sending follow-ups or chasing invoices

• Writing or sending proposals

• Anything that promotes direct sales action - NOT just passive content posting

How to Make It Work for You

1. Block an Hour Each Morning. No emails, no delivery work - just you and your pipeline.

2. Define Your Sales Activities.

3. Treat Sales Like Your Most Important Client. Because it is. The activities you stack up today will create clients and cash flow 90 days from now.

You deserve a business that's predictable, impactful, and sustainable - not one that leaves you drained or dreading another quarter.

Key Quotes;

Overcoming Sales Overwhelm "People are often feeling quite overwhelmed by their own sales process and particularly how they manage that with delivery." 00:08:0700:08:16

Viral Productivity Hack: "If I can do 10 sales activities every day before 10 AM, then my pipeline will always be building because I'm actively choosing to do sales activity first, which means I'm actively prioritising my pipeline first thing in the morning." 00:19:3500:19:52

"This should be a busy time for your sales process, and you should be making conversations with corporates happen now." 00:05:3200:05:40

"And that's something I've really tried to keep in my own business, is this idea of having definite decompression time where I'm just not working and not thinking about work." 00:01:0400:01:14

"The problem is, a lot of people think about, well, I'm just going to focus all in on this delivery, and then I'm going to do business development when I have the energy. That is really difficult because unfortunately, if you are in that pattern - and you'll recognise it instantly if you are - when that happens, you operate in this feast-famine cycle because your business has to." 00:09:3100:10:04

"There are so many things that fall under sales activities that do not involve any social media platform or any content creation that you absolutely should be prioritizing each day." 00:20:4600:20:57

Avoiding Burnout in Business: "It is a recipe for A, hating your sales activity forever, and B, burning out you know, and actually not enjoying the business that you've spent so much time and energy to create." 00:23:0900:23:22

Key Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Join the B2B Sales Edit https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL%

Episode sponsored by The Expert Services Directory: A key resource for coaches / consultants / trainers and done-for-you service providers to generate inbound leads. Access The Expert Services Directory here https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory and use code PODCAST for a special bonus.

If you've enjoyed listening to The simple sales technique I use to sign corporate clients every month, why don't you check out this episode.

Are you speaking to decision-makers or influencers (& why it matters!)

https://bit.ly/SellingToCorporate167

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.