Tag: selling-content-services

Mastering the art of closing a deal means proving you’re the perfect solution to a potential client’s challenges.  With more than a decade of industry experience under our belt, we’ve perfected our closing system. 

Ready to learn our secrets?

5 Strategies for Effective Deal Closure in Content Services

Agencies need strategies that prove value to build trust, especially when your product is the effectiveness of the content you deliver. With the right tools in your arsenal, you can approach closing conversations with confidence.

1. Highlight your experience with their unique requirements

With a wide array of agencies providing content services, those who stand out win the deal. Generic pitches about “quality content” get drowned out. Instead, hone in on what sets you apart during closing conversations.

When you work with a content provider, you specialize in everything. Tailor your closing so it focuses exactly on your prospects’ needs. You have the flexibility to provide much more than a small team of limited generalists. You’ve got an experienced team that suits whichever oddball scenario comes up, whether it’s: 

• Case study production with face-to-face interviews
• SME-reviewed agricultural thought leadership localized in three languages
• Hyper-niche SaaS email campaigns with corresponding landing pages
• High-volume SEO content with a tough-to-hit voice

g roadblocks is critical to any closing sales strategy. You have to get ahead of common objections before they derail the conversation. Instead of hiding behind jargon, use concrete examples and custom samples to address concerns head-on.

Did a similar client have reservations about price? Demonstrate that the ROI exceeded their initial spend with a case study. Are they concerned about your grasp of a technical niche? Showcase your aptitude with a custom sample and put those concerns to rest.

Be prepared to overcome other common objections with our resource tailored specifically to content production. 

1. Showcase success stories

Numbers speak volumes. Select a success story that spotlights measurable results. Skyrocketing website traffic, increased organic search rankings, and record-breaking lead generation are perfect examples. When prospects see the quantifiable impact of your content, it reassures them about ROI. This demonstrates your ability to be a catalyst for success.

Work with your team to compile a list of real-life statistics showcasing past project results, and keep adding to it as projects come and go. Having this list handy helps you build your prospect’s confidence that you’re the right choice for content production. 

2. Adopt a consultative approach

Become a trusted advisor. Consulting your prospect, even in closing discussions, builds rapport and shows your primary focus is their success, especially when your advice conflicts with their strategy, demands, or workflows. Avoid the urge to agree when things don’t make sense just for the sake of winning the deal. It may work in the short term, but it can easily lead to mistrust and cancellations. 

3. Utilize custom samples for impact

Stop talking to clients about what you can do, and show them. Custom samples turn your agency’s potential into an actionable asset. Doing this gives prospects a powerful reason to believe in your services. 

Custom samples help prospects:

• Visualize the final product. Custom samples offer proof of your writing prowess and give you an opportunity to get the client back to the table for feedback. 
• Assess quality and fit. Custom samples are solid evidence of your ability to adapt to a prospect’s brand voice and style. 
• Trust you. Custom samples build trust by turning a one-sided sales pitch into a collaborative experience. Samples showcase your value up front and shift the focus away from cost to the results you can deliver.

Agency Sample Program 

Stellar’s Agency Sample Program helps you close more deals by providing free custom content samples for prospective clients. This program offers verifiable proof of your ability to deliver exceptional content, building trust and demonstrating your commitment to their success. 

Let’s look at the benefits:

Benefits	Details
Free samples	Request up to two free samples per month (up to 1,500 words each).
Low-cost flexibility	Utilize unlimited $0.10/word samples for additional prospects.
Seamless integration	Tailor samples to address prospect pain points and showcase your understanding of their needs.

Here’s how it works:

How It Works	Details
Opt in	Contact your Account Manager to enroll.
Submit your sample request	Share your project details with your Account Manager via email. Include: Detailed content briefs and outlinesBrand and style guidesLinks to examples that illustrate your desired voice and styleAny other relevant resources
Streamlined workflow	Once we receive your request, our team carefully selects expert writers and manages the production process from start to finish. We provide a clear delivery date.
We deliver	You receive a premium sample, typically within 5 business days.
Close the deal	Impress your potential client with tangible proof of your ability to deliver exceptional content. Custom samples build trust and accelerate the sales process.

Use Custom Content Samples and Close More Deals 

The best content service sales techniques don’t dazzle prospects with buzzwords. Instead, they prove your value and show clients you understand their needs.

Custom samples transform you from just another agency into a trusted, results-driven partner, and in our experience, conversion rates increase significantly when prospects agree to receive one. Let every sample be a proof point and testament to your commitment to client success.

A well-built sales deck makes it easier to close — and harder for clients to walk away.

If you’re selling content services, you’ll need to show how your agency tackles the things clients worry about most: hitting deadlines, sticking to brand voice, and keeping quality high at scale. Add today’s expectations around AI, and the stakes are even higher.

This guide breaks down how to structure your deck to address those concerns and make your pitch stick.

Tip #1: Start With a Strong Opening

Your opening slide sets the tone. It’s your first shot at showing you understand your prospect’s world and the challenges they’re up against. Whether they’re juggling multiple clients or managing inconsistent writers, the right opening can make them feel like you’re already in sync.

And today, that includes addressing concerns about content quality in an AI-saturated landscape. If you can demonstrate relevance in the first 30 seconds, you’ve earned the right to keep presenting.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Personalize the Greeting: Personalize your intro with the client’s name and a reference to their current challenges.
• Lead With a Statistic or Fact: Lead with a compelling stat that highlights an opportunity or risk, especially one related to AI, SEO, or scalability.
• Pose a Provocative Question: Ask a question that surfaces a pain point or misconception you’ll address later.

Deck Design Tips:

• Visually Emphasize Key Points: Use bold visuals or text to highlight important statistics or questions right at the beginning of your deck.
• Incorporate Brand-Specific Elements: Design the first slide to include elements from the client’s brand, such as colors or logos, to create an immediate visual connection.
• Use an Engaging Hook: Start with an interactive element or multimedia content, such as a short video clip or an animated statistic, to capture attention instantly.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Personalized Greeting Example	Narrative: “Good morning, [Client Name]. As a leader in [Client’s Industry], you’ve likely faced challenges in scaling your content needs. Today, we’ll show how our unique approach can transform those challenges into growth.”
Using Statistics Example	Deck: Slide Title: “The Power of Content” Slide Text: “94% of B2B marketers create articles and blog posts. Almost 50% of buyers read a company’s blog when making purchase decisions.” Use engaging graphics and animations to highlight these figures.
Using a Provocative Question Example	Combination: Slide: “Is Your Content Performing as Expected?” Narrative: “Have you ever wondered why, despite significant investment, your content isn’t performing as expected? Could it be a misalignment in content strategy and execution? Let’s dive into how targeted content creation can turn that around.”

Tip #2: Clearly Define Your Value Proposition

Your value proposition is the core reason a client should choose your agency over the competition. It concisely outlines the unique benefits your services offer and directly addresses the client’s main challenges and goals. A clear and compelling value proposition is crucial for convincing clients of the value and relevance of your services.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Articulate Unique Benefits: Emphasize what makes your services unique and how they specifically address the client’s needs and pain points.
• Highlight Competitive Differentiators: Clarify what sets your services apart from competitors, focusing on your strengths like faster delivery, better ROI, or superior content quality.

Deck Design Tips:

• Feature a Standalone Value Proposition Slide: Design a slide that clearly states your value proposition in a compelling and memorable way.
• Consistency Across Slides: Ensure each slide contributes to reinforcing your value proposition, using consistent messaging and visual elements that relate back to the main proposition.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Value Proposition Statement Example	Narrative: “Our content strategy increases your digital reach and engagement by leveraging targeted SEO practices and outstanding content creation uniquely tailored to resonate with your audience and exceed industry standards.”
Value Proposition Slide Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Why Choose Us?” Slide Copy: For digital marketing agencies employing over 50 staff members in North America who aim to provide a diverse client base with premium editorial content, Stellar is a content creation service that delivers timely, SEO content, aligned with the tone and voice of each agency client’s unique brand. Unlike many freelance platforms or generic providers, Stellar ensures consistent quality and brand voice across multiple client accounts thanks to its editorial oversight, intelligent platform, and curated freelancer network.

Tip #3: Use Engaging Visuals

Visual elements are more than embellishments in a sales deck; they’re powerful tools that significantly enhance comprehension and engagement. A deck with strong visuals makes abstract ideas more concrete and maintains viewer interest throughout your presentation.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Explain Visuals in Context: When you introduce a visual, make sure to explain its relevance. This helps the audience connect the visual elements with the narrative of your presentation.

Deck Design Tips:

• Quality Over Quantity: Choose premium images and graphics that look professional and enhance the clarity of your message.
• Highlight Key Data Visually: Use charts, graphs, and infographics to make complex data accessible and understandable.
• Consistent Style and Theme: Maintain a uniform style, color scheme, and typography throughout the presentation to reinforce your brand identity and professionalism.
• Bring the Deck to Life: Consider lightweight video clips or subtle animation to highlight key metrics or workflows early in the deck or in key case study slides. Tools with built-in AI can also help automate these animations or generate data visualizations from raw input.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Visual Explanation Example	Narrative: “As you can see in this graph (point to graph), our content strategies have led to a 50% increase in engagement for our clients within the first 3 months.”
Infographic Slide Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Impact of Valuable Content” Slide Copy: Include an infographic that shows a before-and-after scenario of client engagement metrics. Use contrasting colors to highlight the improvement and draw attention to the key metrics.

Tip #4: Keep It Concise

When attention spans are short, conciseness in your sales deck is key. Communicating your service’s benefits succinctly helps ensure your message lands and sticks.

Remember, rambling, poorly written slides might make prospects think you’ll deliver rambling content. 

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Get to the Point Quickly: Avoid fluff and get straight to what matters most to your audience.
• Treat Slides as Prompts: Use slide content as a launching point for discussion, not a script. Let the conversation flow naturally around key bullets.

Deck Design Tips:

• Limit Slide Content: Stick to one main idea per slide with minimal text to keep the audience focused on your verbal presentation.
• Use Space Efficiently: Adequate whitespace around text and visuals can help draw attention to the key points and make the slide easier to read.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Bullet Points Example	Narrative: “In today’s session, we will cover three key benefits: increased engagement, improved SEO rankings, and enhanced brand consistency.”
Efficient Slide Design Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Core Benefits” Slide Copy: List the three benefits mentioned in the narrative with simple icons next to each: engagement (👥), SEO (🔍), brand consistency (✅). Keep the background clean and the text concise to ensure clarity and impact.

Tip #5: Tell a Story

Storytelling in sales presentations is a powerful way to emotionally connect with your audience, making your message memorable and engaging. A well-crafted story can illustrate the real-world benefits of your content services, turning abstract information into tangible and relatable ideas.

With AI-generated pitches becoming more common, real-world stories rooted in client outcomes help differentiate your agency as human, credible, and battle-tested.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Structure It Simply: Start with the challenge, explain your solution, then share the result. Keep it outcome-focused and easy to follow.
• Relate to the Audience: Use scenarios or challenges your audience can identify with or has likely experienced. With content production, quality, voice, and reliability are usually a safe bet. 

Deck Design Tips:

• Visual Story Elements: Incorporate visuals that support the story, such as images of people, places, or data that relate to the narrative.
• Progressive Disclosure: Use slide transitions to reveal the story progressively, maintaining engagement and building anticipation.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Storytelling Example	Narrative: “Imagine a content marketer struggling to meet deadlines and manage content quality. By partnering with us, they not only streamlined their operations but also achieved a 30% increase in lead generation within the first quarter.”
Visual Support Example	Deck: Slide Sequence: Slide Title: “Before Our Help” – Show an image of a cluttered desk with multiple open documents and a stressed employee. Slide Title: “Our Intervention” – Display a flowchart depicting the streamlined content process we implemented. Slide Title: “After Our Help” – Present a clean desk with a relaxed employee and a graph showing improved engagement metrics.

Tip #6: Address Objections Up Front

Proactively addressing potential objections in your sales presentation enhances your credibility and demonstrates that your agency is knowledgeable and prepared. It shows you understand the client’s concerns and have thought through solutions, which significantly strengthens your proposition.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Identify Common Objections: Before the presentation, prepare a list of potential objections clients might have about your services, such as voice consistency, cost, speed, or how your team uses or doesn’t use AI. Our guide on overcoming content-specific objections with responses can help here. 
• Incorporate Objections Into the Flow: Seamlessly integrate responses to these objections into your presentation to maintain the narrative flow and prevent disruption.

Deck Design Tips:

• Highlight Solutions in Slides: Design slides that focus on how your services achieve specific positive outcomes, such as “Seamless Scalability” or “Ensuring Consistency With High-Volume Projects.” Avoid stating the objection in the slide.
• Use Visual Aids to Reinforce Solutions: Employ diagrams, charts, and infographics that visually represent the effectiveness and benefits of your solutions. For example, a flowchart showing the streamlined content production process or a graph depicting ramp-up capabilities over time.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Objection Handling Example	Narrative: “When it comes to the scalability of content production, we really shine. Our content platform and processes are designed to handle increasing volumes efficiently, and we have an expansive pool of writers and editors who can handle practically any volume without sacrificing quality.”
Solution-Focused Slide Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Seamless Scalability for Every Project” Slide Copy: Display a flowchart or diagram that illustrates your scalable content production process, emphasizing efficiency and quality control at each stage.

Tip #7: Highlight Case Studies or Examples

Case studies and real-world examples are powerful tools in a sales deck, providing concrete evidence of your agency’s capabilities and the results you achieved for clients. They serve as proof points that substantiate your claims and demonstrate your expertise in action.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Detail Specific Success Stories: Choose case studies that are relevant to the potential client’s industry or challenge to make them more impactful.
• Focus on Measurable Outcomes: Emphasize the measurable benefits achieved through your services, such as increased traffic, higher conversion rates, or improved AIO rankings.

Deck Design Tips:

• Use Visuals to Tell the Story: Incorporate charts, graphs, and before-and-after images to visually represent the success stories.
• Keep It Relevant and Concise: Each case study slide must be focused and to the point, highlighting only the most crucial elements that demonstrate your agency’s effectiveness.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Case Study Example	Narrative: “Our partnership with [Client Name] focused on developing a content strategy and on the production scale-up necessary to meet their seasonal marketing peaks. This approach increased their campaign reach by over 50% during the critical holiday season.”
Case Study Slide Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Integrated Strategy and Production Success” Outline the challenge: “[Client Name] needed to scale content production quickly without sacrificing quality during their peak season.”Detail the solution: “Implemented a combined strategy and production workflow that enhanced both the volume and quality of content.”Show results: Include a line graph depicting the increase in content output and engagement metrics before and after the intervention.

Tip #8: Include Social Proof

Social proof in a sales presentation can significantly enhance your credibility by showcasing widespread trust and satisfaction among your existing clients. This can include testimonials, ratings, and endorsements that reflect the effectiveness of your services.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Highlight Diverse Endorsements: Include testimonials from a range of clients to demonstrate broad applicability and satisfaction.
• Emphasize Recognized Brands: If applicable, mention any well-known companies or industry leaders who’ve benefited from your services.

Deck Design Tips:

• Create a Testimonial Slide: Design a slide dedicated to showcasing brief, impactful testimonials from satisfied clients.
• Use Logos and Ratings: If you have permission, display client logos along with any industry awards or ratings that highlight your agency’s reputation.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Testimonial Example	Narrative: “Our work with well-known brands like [Brand Name] has enhanced their digital content strategy and set new benchmarks for industry standards in content quality and engagement.”
Social Proof Slide Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Trusted by Leading Brands” Slide Copy: Display a series of logos from key clients, accompanied by select quotes that praise specific aspects of your service, such as reliability and quality. If available, include any relevant industry awards or recognitions that further bolster your reputation.

Tip #9: Demonstrate Flexibility and Scalability

Flexibility and scalability are crucial aspects potential clients look for, especially in content production. Demonstrating these capabilities reassures clients that your agency can adapt and scale solutions according to their evolving content needs.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Emphasize Adaptive Solutions: Highlight how your services can be custom-fit to different workflows, volumes, and content types.
• Share Examples of Scalable Success: Discuss past scenarios where your agency successfully scaled its services to meet client demands.

Deck Design Tips:

• Visualize Scalability: Use diagrams or growth charts to visually represent your agency’s capability to scale operations effectively.
• Highlight Flexibility: Include slides that showcase different project scopes or adaptations you’ve successfully managed.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Flexibility Narrative Example	Narrative: “For a startup client, we scaled our content production from 10 to 100 articles per month, adapting our strategy and workflow to maintain quality and meet growing demands.”
Scalability Slide Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Scalable Solutions for Every Growth Stage” Slide Copy: Use a line graph showing the increase in content volume over time for a particular client, paired with key performance metrics to demonstrate maintained or improved quality.

Tip #10: Discuss Technology and Tools

Showcasing the advanced technology and tools your agency uses can significantly enhance your credibility and demonstrate your commitment to staying at the forefront of industry standards. This tip helps highlight your agency’s innovative approach and technical capabilities.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Detail Technology Benefits: Explain how specific tools and technologies you use enhance project efficiency, accuracy, and outcomes.
• Connect Technology With Client Benefits: Make clear connections between your technological capabilities and the direct benefits clients will experience, such as faster turnaround times, clearer communication, or superior content.
• Talk About AI: If your team uses AI tools for tasks like brief creation, voice calibration, or SEO optimization, be upfront about how they enhance — not replace — editorial oversight and creative quality.

Deck Design Tips:

• Feature Technology Slides: Create slides that specifically highlight the technologies and tools you use.
• Use Icons and Diagrams: Employ visual aids like icons and diagrams to represent technological processes or tools, making the information more accessible and engaging.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Technology Benefits Narrative Example	Narrative: “Our use of advanced SEO tools and content management systems ensures your projects are not only optimized for search engines but also streamlined for faster delivery.”
Technology Slide Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Cutting-Edge Tools for Superior Results” Slide Copy: Display icons or screenshots of key technologies, like AI content analysis tools or proprietary content creation platforms, with brief descriptions of how they contribute to project success.

Tip #11: End With a Clear Call-to-Action

A compelling call-to-action (CTA) is essential to conclude your sales presentation, guiding your audience on the next steps and encouraging them to take action. Whether it’s scheduling a follow-up meeting, signing up for a demo, or requesting a detailed proposal, your CTA should be clear and persuasive.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Be Direct and Specific: Clearly articulate what you want the client to do next and why it’s in their best interest.
• Create Timely Relevance: Use time-sensitive offers, key upcoming dates, or project kickoff opportunities to encourage immediate action without relying on artificial pressure.

Deck Design Tips:

• Dedicated CTA Slide: Design a standout slide that clearly states the CTA, using bold text and contrasting colors.
• Visual Prompts: Include visual cues like arrows or pointing fingers that draw attention directly to the CTA text.

Examples

Example Type	Example
CTA Narrative Example	Narrative: “To take the first step towards transforming your content strategy to content production, schedule a consultation with our team today. Let’s craft a content plan that propels your business forward.”
CTA Slide Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Ready to Take the Next Step?” Slide Copy: “Let’s discuss how we can specifically tailor our services to meet your unique needs. Are you available for a follow-up meeting this week to explore this further?”

Tip #12: Practice Your Delivery

The effectiveness of a sales presentation often hinges on its delivery. Practicing your delivery ensures you convey your message clearly and confidently, making a strong impression on your audience.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Rehearse Regularly: Practice your presentation in realistic settings (like a Zoom call or conference room) to get comfortable with timing, transitions, and common interruptions.
• Seek Feedback: Practice in front of colleagues or mentors and solicit their feedback for improvements. Record yourself for self-review. 

Deck Design Tips:

• Prepare Speaker Notes: Use speaker notes to remind yourself of key points and transitions, helping smooth out your delivery. 
• Timing Your Slides: Practice slide transitions to keep your flow tight and avoid lingering too long on any one visual.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Rehearsal Example (Narrative)	Narrative: “As you rehearse, focus on the transitions between slides, ensuring each point seamlessly connects to the next, maintaining audience engagement throughout.”
Speaker Notes Example (Deck)	Deck: Slide Title: “Key Strategies for Content Marketing” Slide Copy: Include brief notes under each bullet point to remind yourself of anecdotes, statistics, or questions to engage the audience.

Tip #13: Customize for Your Audience

Tailoring your presentation to the specific needs and context of your audience can significantly increase its impact. Understanding who you’re presenting to and customizing the content accordingly ensures your message resonates deeply and personally with potential clients.

Keys to Success

Narrative Tips:

• Research Your Audience: Understand the business, challenges, and industry trends relevant to your audience to tailor your message effectively.
• Adjust Examples to Fit: Use examples and case studies that are relatable to the audience’s sector, size, or specific needs.

Deck Design Tips:

• Personalize Visuals: Adapt the design elements like colors, images, and data charts to reflect the industry or brand identity of the audience.
• Interactive Elements: Include elements such as questions that directly engage the specific audience, making the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Examples

Example Type	Example
Personalized Example	Narrative: “For your tech startup, we understand the challenge of constantly needing fresh, innovative content to keep pace with rapid market changes. We can scale our content production to match your growth phases, ensuring you always have engaging, relevant content that resonates with your tech-savvy audience.”
Interactive Slide Example	Deck: Slide Title: “Custom Content Solutions for Your Business” Slide Copy: Include a visual flowchart that outlines a content production plan tailored to the business cycle of the prospect. Detail the steps such as initial content audit, strategy development, content creation, and performance review. Propose a spot in the slide where you ask, “Does this align with your current content goals?” Encourage the prospect to interact by providing feedback directly during the presentation.

A value proposition is a brief statement introducing potential customers to the unique benefits of a particular product, service, or brand. Value propositions are powerful ways for content creation brands to demonstrate how their offerings are better than the alternatives.

What Makes a Strong Value Proposition in Content Marketing?

A strong value proposition answers the questions your target audience is already asking:

Differentiation is critical in content marketing, where brands are constantly looking for smarter, more effective ways to produce content and drive results.

The right value proposition shows — not tells — why your agency stands apart. 

Why Do Digital Marketing Agencies Need Value Propositions?

A clear, compelling value proposition gives your agency a competitive edge by:

• Shaping how prospects perceive your brand and services
• Highlighting what makes your content approach unique
• Sparking curiosity and prompting action
• Positioning your brand as the solution to common marketing challenges
• Attracting qualified leads and improving conversions

When done well, a value proposition builds trust fast, helping potential clients feel confident in your services from the very first touchpoint.

3 Templates to Shape a Stronger Value Proposition

Not sure where to start? These proven frameworks can help you create a value proposition that’s clear, compelling, and client-focused.

Use the Value Proposition Canvas to Align with Customer Needs

Created by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur, the Value Proposition Canvas is a strategic tool that helps businesses align their offerings with what their customers actually care about. It’s especially useful when launching a new service or reframing the benefits of an existing one.

The canvas consists of two core components: your value proposition and a detailed customer profile. The goal is to map how your service solves real problems, delivers meaningful outcomes, and honors customer priorities.

To apply the Value Proposition Canvas:

Clarify Your Offering Fast with the XYZ Template

Developed by entrepreneur Steve Blank, the XYZ Template is a fast, no-fluff way to craft a value proposition that’s clear and client-focused. It’s especially useful for simplifying your message and cutting through noise.

The formula is simple:

For [X] who need [Y], we offer [Z].

Component	Description
X	Your target customer
Y	Their specific need, pain point, or goal
Z	The solution you provide and how it delivers results

Example:

For small business owners looking to boost web visibility (X) who need standout long-form content (Y), we offer certified content creators and full-service packages (Z).

How to use it:

• Plug in your audience, their need, and your unique solution
• Make the statement specific and benefit-driven
• Refine the wording to match your brand’s tone and voice
• Make sure your statement feels distinct and specific to your agency

Differentiate in Crowded Markets with Geoffrey Moore’s Positioning Statement

Originally designed for tech companies, Geoffrey Moore’s framework is a smart tool for any brand looking to stand out in a saturated market. It helps you clarify your positioning and speak directly to your ideal customer — especially those who need extra convincing.

The structure:

What it helps you define:

• Your ideal customer
• The specific need or opportunity they’re facing
• Your product/service and its core benefit
• The main competitor you’re up against
• What makes your offering the better choice

How to use it:

• Get specific — avoid vague descriptors like “businesses” or “great service”
• Highlight real pain points and practical outcomes
• Call out your competitor class clearly (without naming names unless strategic)
• Make your differentiation obvious and believable

A Strong Value Proposition Can Set Your Agency Apart

Brands looking for content support aren’t just comparing services — they’re choosing the team that best understands their goals. A strong value proposition helps you make that connection fast.

Need help shaping yours? Reach out to your Stellar account or content manager to craft a value proposition that positions your agency as the go-to for strategy and production.

Selling content services isn’t always easy, especially when your clients come armed with doubts, misconceptions, or budget anxiety. This guide breaks down the most common objections and how to handle them with confidence. Use it to strengthen your pitch, overcome friction, and become the trusted content partner your clients need.

Note for Readers:

The objection responses in this guide are based on Stellar’s specific processes, service model, and performance metrics. If you plan to use this content in your own sales materials, we recommend reviewing and adjusting the responses to match your internal operations and client experience.

Audience-Related Concerns

Our target audience doesn’t read blogs or use social media much.

Don’t let that assumption derail your marketing strategy. We tailor audience engagement strategies for diverse formats, including website content, email campaigns, and newsletters. Our aim is to help you reach your audience where they’re most engaged, generating leads and boosting brand recognition.

No one reads blogs anymore.

Contrary to the common misconception that blogs are outdated, recent data tells a different story. A Hubspot Survey highlights the significant reach and impact of blogs today:

Blogs remain a vital tool in digital marketing, proving their enduring relevance through continued readership and significant contributions to SEO strategies.

Blogs’ Role in SEO:

• Keyword Optimization: Blogs help sites rank for valuable keywords, driving traffic.
• Authority Building: They establish authority in your industry.
• Content Utilization: Blogs provide versatile content that can be repurposed across multiple channels such as social media, email campaigns, and even sales materials, maximizing impact and reach.

These insights underscore the importance of blogs in content strategy, not only for their direct consumption but also for their broader contributions to SEO and content marketing efforts.

The market is oversaturated with content.

With AI content flooding the market, true differentiation comes from quality, voice, and relevance — not quantity. Turn that concept of oversaturation into an opportunity to differentiate and capture your audience’s attention.

Our team works closely with you to create targeted content that speaks directly to your audience’s needs, ensuring your message cuts through the noise and drives engagement. This builds a loyal customer base with shared values, boosting your brand’s reputation and bottom line.

Cost or Financial Concerns

Content marketing is too expensive.

Effective content marketing doesn’t come cheap, but it pays off. Think of it as buying a state-of-the-art piece of equipment: There’s an up-front cost, but it delivers dividends over time.

We don’t see the immediate ROI of content marketing.

Think of content marketing as investing in your brand’s physical fitness. It takes consistent good work to see those gains, but once momentum builds, the results are significant and long-lasting.

Unlike paid ads that fade when the budget does, content marketing builds an asset that keeps generating value. Cost justification for content marketing is as simple as that.

We’re concerned about the ongoing costs of content marketing.

I would be, too — if you aren’t getting results. If you’re getting positive ROI on your content, there’s every reason to keep investing in it.

How do you know if your investment is working? Your account manager helps you establish clear KPIs and regularly analyzes results to ensure your content consistently delivers.

We fear investing in content that might become outdated quickly.

Skilled writers know how to create evergreen content designed to provide lasting value. That said, even in rapidly changing industries, you should never let content languish.

Refreshing older pieces is a cost-effective way to achieve results comparable to creating entirely new content. A strategic refresh plan updates existing content, boosting its relevance and performance.

Outsourcing content production seems more expensive than doing it in-house.

Once you factor in the full cost of managing in-house content production, you see a different picture. Overheads such as content management, people management, revisions, and post-production drive that internal cost up 20% to 30% higher than outsourcing.

Consider this: Specialized agencies like ours streamline the entire process, achieving economies of scale you simply can’t replicate in-house.

It’s hard to prove the ROI of content.

Actually, with proper tracking, digital content offers some of the clearest ROI data available. Our team can help you set up analytics to track traffic, clicks, and deeper metrics, such as engagement time and conversions tied directly to content.

Integration and Strategy Concerns

We’re unsure how to integrate content marketing with our current strategy.

Content marketing is highly adaptable and can be tailored to complement any business strategy, whether it’s demand generation, lead nurturing, or brand awareness. In fact, more than 70% of B2B and B2C marketers use content marketing to achieve their goals. 

Content marketing not only aligns with various marketing strategies but also ensures long-term ROI, making it a strategic investment for sustainable growth.

We’re not sure content marketing aligns with our strategy.

Let’s talk a bit more about your current strategy. It sounds like you have a clear direction, and that’s fantastic. Could you give me an overview of the key goals you’re aiming to achieve? How do you currently communicate the value of your solutions to ideal customers? (You can also refer to the response in the above objection.)

How do we integrate an external content team with our internal processes?

Seamless integration with your internal processes is vital, which is why we insist on maintaining flexible solutions that adapt to your processes. We become an extension of your team by learning how you do things and customizing our service to fit in efficiently and effectively.

SEO and content marketing are too complicated.

That’s precisely why specialized companies like ours exist — we understand your industry has its own complexities to deal with. Let’s put it this way: If your car breaks down, you could spend weeks figuring out how to fix it yourself. Or you could take it to a trusted mechanic.

We’re your content marketing mechanics, and we ensure we stay well informed of developments in SEO, optimization for LLMs and AI Overviews, and search behaviors so you don’t have to. 

Negative Experiences

We’ve tried content marketing before and it didn’t work.

Content marketing is inherently iterative, meaning every attempt, successful or not, builds knowledge for future strategies. Let’s review your past experiences to identify what didn’t work and how it can be improved:

Key Elements of Our Approach:

• Customized Strategies: We develop content plans that are tailored to your business goals and audience.
• Continuous Monitoring: Our team regularly reviews the performance of your content to ensure it aligns with your objectives and makes adjustments as needed.

We’ve had a bad experience with outsourcing content before.

I’m sorry to hear you’ve had a negative experience with outsourcing content in the past. Unfortunately, that’s a common story, and it highlights why choosing the right partner is so crucial.

We’ve built lasting relationships with our clients in the nearly 15 years since our founding, and our satisfaction guarantee means that if you’re not happy with the content, we revise it until you are. And while it rarely happens, if somehow we can’t get it done, you don’t pay. It’s that simple.

We’ve used freelancers, but the quality was bad.

We completely understand the challenges of finding skilled freelance writers. In fact, over 95% of the freelancers who apply to be Stellar writers aren’t accepted. We take the time to build a team of vetted writers who are reliable and ideally suited to the content types, subject matter, and voice requirements for your project.

Managing freelancers was really hard.

You’re absolutely right; managing freelancers is challenging — even more challenging than managing in-house resources. Finding the right talent, ensuring consistent quality, and coordinating everything takes a ton of time and effort. That’s precisely why we exist.

We’ve built a whole system to handle the recruitment, training, and ongoing management of skilled writers. This lets you focus on growing your business while we handle the content creation workload.

We’ve worked with content agencies before, but we couldn’t make it work.

I understand your skepticism. The problem often lies in a one-size-fits-all approach that prioritizes output over understanding. That’s where we’re different. We take a strategic and collaborative approach. You’re never forced into a rigid workflow because we adapt our process to fit your needs and preferences.

Our Commitment to Quality

• Vetting Process: Over 95% rejection rate for freelancers ensures only top-quality writers.
• Training and Review: Continuous training and rigorous review processes.
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: Ensures every piece of content meets your expectations.

Operational Concerns

We’re using AI to create our content.

AI tools are powerful, and it sounds like you’re already seeing the benefits. But AI-generated content still requires polishing, voice calibration, and, most importantly, the real-life insights that drive results. Our expert writers can refine your AI drafts to improve clarity, ensure accuracy, and align them with your brand voice and strategy.

We’re worried about losing control over our content quality.

The best part of outsourcing production is that you actually have more time to focus on the quality of your content. All the time you spend recruiting and communicating with writers, assigning and tracking down orders, editing first drafts, and paying freelancers can be put to better use where it counts:

Focus Areas:

• Pre-production tasks like ideation and content briefs.
• Post-production review of refined content and design work.
• Post-production promotion of content.
• Data analytics and strategy for future content campaigns.

It’s too hard to manage revisions and feedback with an outsourced team.

Production logistics are a chore. That’s why our managed clients never have to worry about working with a team. Instead, they work with an account manager for contract and relationship management and a content manager for production issues.

All feedback, revision requests, order placements, and deliveries are handled by the content manager, who takes care of the production workflow, assignments, deadline adherence, team communication, and feedback implementation for you.

We’re concerned about the turnaround times for content production.

Rest assured, we run a well-oiled machine. Our standard turnaround time is 10 business days, which is much faster than the industry standard, especially when it includes project management, writing, editing, and QA.

In many cases, we deliver even sooner, depending on cadence and complexity. Despite delivering millions of words per month, we maintain a ~99% on-time rate.

Outsourced content creators can’t keep up with our industry’s trends.

It’s true; not all writers keep up with all the current trends in all the industries they write about, but we do staff teams with writers who are ideally suited to write about your subject matter. But it isn’t the writer we look to for industry trends and insights.

Outstanding content starts with an outstanding content brief. It’s the blueprint for creating valuable content that performs. Whether you produce it or we do, we firmly believe in equipping our writers with the resources and information they need to do what they do best, which is write.

We already have an in-house team for content production.

That’s fantastic! Having an in-house team gives you a strong foundation. We frequently partner with brands to create a powerful hybrid model that offers the best of both worlds. Looping in an external team allows you to scale production effectively without having to hire new FTEs and produce content types or topics that are outside the comfort zone or ability of your internal writers.

It’s hard for an outsourced writer to get up to speed with our product.

You’re right. There’s always a learning curve with new writers, whether internal or external. However, your team would need to train new internal writers, whereas we handle all onboarding and knowledge transfer for your outsourced team of writers and editors.

Benefits of Our Onboarding Process:

• Efficient Knowledge Transfer: We take care of training and onboarding, so you don’t have to.
• Deep Industry Understanding: Over time, our deep understanding of your product and industry frees up your internal resources.
• Focus on Key Business Areas: Allows you more time to concentrate on strategic initiatives that move the needle.

It takes too much time and effort to train an outsourced team.

Training an internal hire can be a heavy lift for your team. It’s a significant investment with no guarantee of success. The internal hire may struggle to scale with your needs or to produce consistent quality. Plus, employees can leave unexpectedly, forcing you to start the hiring and training process all over again.

With our service, you only need to get alignment with your content manager, who handles the recruitment and training of all writers and editors for you, now and in the future.

Quality Concerns

Our products/services are too complex to explain through content.

That’s precisely why skilled content specialists are so valuable. Our writers are experts at taking complex concepts and explaining them in clear, concise language that’s easy for your audience to understand.

What level of technical knowledge does your ideal customer have? We adjust the content to match, ensuring it’s both informative and accessible. Rest assured, if you’re not producing content for your complex product or service, then your audience is getting it somewhere else.

Outsourced writers can’t capture our brand voice if they’re not part of our team.

All writers, internal or external, need to learn a business’s brand voice to capture it in their writing. Our content managers work with your team to learn that voice, then provide training, resources, and feedback to the writing team so you receive content that’s consistent and on-target from as many writers as it takes to hit your output goal. Rather than training a team of internal writers, you only need to train one person and leave the rest to them.

You can’t ensure consistency with lots of different writers.

Consistency with at-scale projects is critical. That’s why we invest time in a robust process to ensure a unified voice and excellence across all our content. A single QA specialist meticulously reviews each piece of your content, catching any inconsistencies and ensuring adherence to your standards before it’s delivered to you. Meanwhile, your content manager provides ongoing feedback and training to writers, fostering continuous improvement and alignment with your goals.

Our subject matter is too specialized for general content writers.

With the right resources, most professional content writers can tackle nearly any topic, delivering content that’s insightful and valuable. But sometimes, the topic is exceptionally niche or complex.

Rather than searching for a unicorn (it’s hard to find neurosurgeons or theoretical physicists who’ve given up their careers to become skilled content writers), we take an approach that ensures accurate, compelling content that’s professionally written, aligned with brand voice, and optimized for search. By combining subject matter experts, interviews, transcripts, detailed content briefs, excellent writers, and a thorough review process, we can handle any topic you need.

Freelance writing is usually of poor quality.

It only takes creating an Upwork account or signing up with a low-quality content mill to say you’re a content writer, which leaves businesses having to shoulder the time-consuming burden of vetting recruits.

Evaluating content isn’t easy, but we’re pretty good at it, and we’re picky too. Less than 5% of Stellar applicants are accepted to our platform, and we regularly audit our freelancers to ensure they continue to meet expectations. Those who fall behind or aren’t able to implement feedback are removed from the platform.

We’re worried your writers do not have relevant industry experience.

A writer without resources leads to well-written but low-value content, regardless of subject matter or industry. We know, through experience, that a strong writer prepped with proper resources, such as detailed content briefs and SME interview transcripts, and backed up by SME review results in well-written, insightful articles that meet E-E-A-T principles and satisfy searcher intent.

Often, the detailed content brief, which we can create if you can’t, is enough to get content that stands out from its ranking competitors.

How can we know your writers aren’t using AI?

With current technology, it’s impossible to definitively prove whether a piece was written entirely by a human or with AI assistance. However, there are important considerations and policies in place to address this concern:

Our stance on AI use:

• Content value over origin: We encourage clients to judge content based on value, accuracy, and uniqueness rather than assumptions about how it was made.
• AI as a tool, not a shortcut: Some writers use AI to support brainstorming or outlining, but we hold them to human-level editorial standards.
• Zero-tolerance policy: If a writer submits AI-generated content for a human-only project, they’re immediately removed from our platform.
• Audit-ready process: Our QA team uses a structured review process to flag suspicious content and ensure compliance.

Technology and Security Concerns

We’re concerned about the security of our data and proprietary information.

We’re absolutely prepared to sign a comprehensive NDA outlining strict confidentiality and data protection guidelines. Rest assured our team is thoroughly trained in data security best practices and adheres to strict protocols for handling sensitive proprietary materials.

We’re worried about the legal implications of copyright and ownership.

The content you pay for isn’t licensed to you; it’s fully owned by your business with no caveats or time constraints. Neither Stellar nor our writers have any ownership or rights when it comes to what you do with that content, where you publish it, what changes you make to it, or who you list as its author.

How can we ensure the confidentiality of our information with an external team?

Confidentiality is baked into every layer of our workflow, from signed NDAs and platform restrictions to freelancer agreements that prohibit the disclosure of client work. We never share or discuss your tactics, strategy, or campaigns, and we only reference your brand publicly with explicit permission.

Agency-Specific Objections

We’re worried our margins may not work to outsource content.

Outsourcing offers significant cost advantages over hiring in-house. Say your in-house writer earns an annual salary of $63k. That doesn’t factor in benefits, overhead, or time spent recruiting, onboarding, and training, and you’ll pay that amount whether you’re running a high-volume project or pausing to address other initiatives. 

With an outsourced provider, you pay for the content and services you need, when you need it. We’ve also designed our rates so that most agencies are still able to realize healthy margins when charging their clients competitive content rates.

We don’t want to offer content and risk our other services with the client if the content is bad.

That’s why we take quality control so seriously. Our rigorous processes ensure that we consistently deliver high-quality content aligned with your client’s brand voice and goals.

Quality Control Measures:

• Onboarding and Calibration: Ensures consistency and alignment with your client’s brand voice and goals.
• Satisfaction Guarantee: Provides peace of mind that if we miss the mark, it’ll be corrected or it’ll be free.
• Reliability: More important than getting a credit for a dud, our focus is on delivering what we promise.

We wouldn’t focus our efforts on being the preferred agency provider if we haven’t seen that our process and results tend to keep our agency clients around long-term. If our agency clients are happy, it’s because their clients are happy, and an agency that provides strategy and execution is harder to replace than one that only focuses on strategy.