STC178: Why Corporate Buyers Can't Find You (Even When They're Looking)
Release Date: 06/26/2026
3 reasons September is the best time to sell to companies (with a proven sales process)
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STC178: Why Corporate Buyers Can't Find You (Even When They're Looking)
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info_outlineIn 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
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Coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and done-for-you service providers who sell services to corporate clients
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Anyone who has a strong reputation and great client results but is not generating consistent inbound enquiries
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Business owners who want to understand how AI search is changing the B2B buying process
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Those who rely heavily on referrals or proactive outreach and want to add a passive visibility layer to their lead generation
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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!
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
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.
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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.