Racing to the bottom' (and what does that mean for revenue in Q2?)
Release Date: 04/03/2026
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info_outlineAs 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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.