Overcoming Objections: “We’ve already got a video provider”

Introduction

You've identified your perfect client. You know that the video content you create would be ideal for them. You've helped people just like them before. So you craft a thoughtful outreach message, hit send, and wait. Then a reply comes through—but instead of the meeting you hoped for, you get: "Thanks for the note, but we've already got a video provider."

It's one of the most frustrating objections in the video production world. After spending days or even weeks trying to get a response from cold outreach, finally getting a reply only to have the door slammed shut feels particularly deflating. But what if there was a simple technique to keep that door open and even turn this objection into an opportunity?

What You'll Learn

• A foolproof technique to overcome the "we already have a video provider" objection
• The exact two questions that can unlock new opportunities with prospects who seem out of reach
• A real-world case study of how this technique landed a major Premier League football club as a client
• Why asking for a rating reveals gaps that your competition isn't filling
• How to position your unique strengths as the solution to their unmet needs

Why This Matters

As a video creator, you know how hard it can be to strike up conversations with potential clients. You can spend days, if not weeks, without getting a single response from your outreach efforts. So when you finally do get a reply—even a polite rejection—that's actually an opportunity in disguise. The prospect has engaged with you. They've taken time to respond. The conversation isn't over unless you let it end.

Most video professionals, when faced with this objection, do one of two things: they either give up entirely, or they politely say "let me know if that ever changes" and move on. But marketing professionals are busy people with a million things on their plate. The chances of them remembering your message months or years down the line are remote. You need a different approach.

The Two-Question Technique

The technique is remarkably simple but incredibly powerful. When a prospect tells you they already have a video provider, you respond with two questions:

Question 1: "If you had to rate your current video provider out of 10, what would it be?"

This question does something clever—it acknowledges their existing relationship while opening the door to honest evaluation. People rarely give a perfect 10. There's almost always something that could be better.

Question 2: "What would they have to do to be viewed as a 10?"

This is where the magic happens. The answer to this question is your way in. Whatever gap they identify—whether it's creativity, strategic planning, demonstrating ROI, or anything else—becomes your opportunity to demonstrate that's exactly what you specialise in.

The Chelsea FC Story

This technique was put to the test with one of the biggest clubs in football. After completing a strong project with Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, the outreach went to Chelsea FC's marketing director. The response came back quickly: "Whilst I have no doubt that your skills and ideas would have a positive impact on the club, we already have a video provider that we are very happy with."

Instead of accepting defeat, the rating question was deployed. The answer: "A solid nine." The follow-up question revealed what would make them a 10—more creativity, a strategic plan, and visibility into how content was generating returns. That answer was the opening needed. Three projects were immediately cited that delivered exactly those outcomes. The conversation continued, an in-person meeting was arranged at Stamford Bridge, and a project was won that turned into an ongoing relationship.

When to Admit Defeat

There's one scenario where this technique won't work: when the prospect says their current provider is a perfect 10. In that case, there genuinely is nowhere to go, and you have to accept it gracefully. But in practice, this only happens a handful of times. Most relationships have room for improvement, and most clients have unmet needs they may not have even articulated until you asked.

Take Action

The next time you hear "we already have a video provider," don't let the conversation end there. Ask for the rating. Find out what's missing. Then demonstrate that you're the solution to the gap they've just identified. This technique works across any industry—not just football or soccer. It's been used time and time again, and the production companies and freelancers who apply it consistently find new opportunities where others see closed doors.

If you'd like to learn more about creating a marketing system that generates a constant stream of perfect opportunities for your video business, grab The Lead Generation Machine book along with the video course, audio book, and resources via the link below. You'll also get free access to frameworks focused on sales and retention—everything you need to build a thriving video business.

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:28:00
So, you reach out to what would be your perfect client. You know that the video content that you create would be perfect for them. You've helped people like them before, but then you get a reply. Thanks for the note, and I'm sure you'd do a great job, but we've already got a video provider. H frustrating. If only they knew what they were missing out on. Well, in today's render break, we're going to look at a foolproof way to overcome this objection.

00:00:28:00 - 00:01:14:00
So, you've got a foot in the door and your perfect prospect has responded to a piece of outreach, but their response is telling you that they've already got someone or some team that creates their video content. What do you do in this situation? How do you make sure that that door doesn't slam shut? Well, it's an incredibly simple but powerful process. First, some context. As a video creator, you know how hard it can be to strike up conversations with potential clients. You can spend days, if not weeks, without getting a response from any cold reach that you perform. So, it's particularly deflating when you do get a response and in the nicest possible way, the potential client slams the door shut by telling you that they're already sorted. It's a tough one to overcome, but here's a trick that I learned a good few years ago.

00:01:14:00 - 00:01:51:00
I remember it clearly. I was sitting at my office desk and I reached out to a brand that was perfect for me. It was a Premier League football club or soccer club if you're outside of Europe. We had just completed a strong project with Brighton Hove Albian Football Club and we approached Chelsea Football Club. They were local and I had a good contact within the club. I reached out to the marketing director and told them that we had just completed a project with Brighton and that I had seen some of their work. I said that it would be great to have a conversation with them as I had identified a few areas that they could strengthen when it comes to their video marketing. I highlighted the impact that it could have on their business and fired off the LinkedIn DM.

00:01:51:00 - 00:02:17:00
A few hours later, I received a reply. Thanks for the message, Tim. I appreciate you reaching out. Great, I thought. And then I read on. Whilst I have no doubt that your skills and ideas would have a positive impact on the club, we already have a video provider that we are very happy with. I wish you all the best for your future endeavors. Ouch. It hurts, doesn't it? I sat there thinking, well, it's your loss. Childish reaction, I know, but I needed to reply.

00:02:17:00 - 00:02:55:00
As I thought about it, I felt the urge to politely thank him for his time and say that if that ever changes, then please get in contact. But I knew deep down that that would never happen. Marketing professionals are busy. They have a million and one things on their plate. So the chances of him remembering my DM a few months or even years down the line were remote. So here's what I replied. I simply thanked him for his reply and then asked one direct question. If you had to rate your current video provider out of 10, what would it be? I hit send and waited for his reply. It came back quickly. To be honest, we're happy with them. I'll give them a solid nine.

00:02:55:00 - 00:03:35:00
Now, this is where the magic happens. I followed up and said, "What would they have to do to be viewed as a 10?" Send. Wait. Reply came back in a couple of minutes. Well, to be a 10, I'd want to see more creativity from them, a plan. I'd want to see how their content was having an impact and what return it was generating. Great, I thought, because that was my in. I replied quickly. That's interesting to hear as that's one of our specialtities. I then reeled off three projects where we did exactly that. The conversation continued. He invited me in to talk with him. So I jumped on the train up to Stanford Bridge. That's their home ground and where their marketing offices are. And I was able to land a project to show them exactly what we could do. I continued to work with them to this day.

00:03:35:00 - 00:04:15:00
And that's the power of this simple technique. It works in any industry, not just football or soccer. I've used it time and time again. And I've encouraged the production companies and freelancers that I consult with to use it whenever they hear that objection. It's powerful. Now, if the would-be end client comes back and says that their current provider is a 10, well then there really is nowhere to go and you have to admit defeat. But that's only ever happened a handful of times. So whenever you hear this objection, this excuse, simply ask them how they would rate their current provider out of 10. Anything other than a 10, you follow up with, "What would they have to do to be viewed as a 10?" And the answer to that is you're in.

00:04:15:00 - 00:05:03:00
So, there's your little nugget of wisdom for this week's render break. Now, if you'd like to learn how to create a marketing system that creates a constant stream of opportunities that are perfect for you into your video business, you can grab my book, The Lead Generation Machine, along with the video course and audio book, and a ton of resources and templates for free via the link below this video. You'll also get free access to my other two frameworks, one focused on sales, one focused on retention, again for free. You can use the link below this video to grab that all, which contains every single step that you need to take in detail. So, that's all for today, but if you have any questions or would like to share how this tactic has worked for you, I'd love for you to drop them in the comment section below. Have a fantastic day, and I hope that you've enjoyed this short rendering.