Two Prospecting Objections That Stifle Agencies—And How to Overcome Them

There are two prospecting objections that stifle agencies , and they get hung up, or worse, give up when faced with them:?

1. We already work with an agency?
2. We handle that in-house?

Let’s tackle each:?

How To Handle The “We already work with an agency” Objection?

As an initial aside, you should actually want to encounter this objection.?

If your prospects don’t typically work with agencies, you could be in for trouble.?

Unless you’re intentionally?targeting small/mom & pop prospects, odds are:?

• They won’t understand the monetary value of your services?
• How to work with you?
• Or appreciate “why they can’t just do it themselves.”?

With that out of the way, this one is straightforward.?

Your reply to this objection is:?

“That makes sense—we often collaborate with other agencies to bring additional expertise or bandwidth where needed. Many of our clients have strong agency partners, and we step in to support specific areas like [X services].

While it will depend on the size of the company/prospect, as you know, this industry is cyclical, and companies will either look for multiple agencies with key specialties or look to that firm who has all the capabilities they need in one shop.?

Ideally, you’ll hit the “multiple” phase of that cycle.?

A brief interlude here on in-house agencies from our 2025 New Year Outlook Report:?

54% of Marketers Handle Over Half of Their Work Internally

Marketers’ reliance on in-house teams has leveled off at high levels—no longer a trend, but the new norm.?

For agencies, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. Routine work is staying in-house, but high-value, specialized projects remain wide open. The key? Differentiate where in-house teams can’t compete.?

For agencies, the path forward is expertise, leadership, and strategic innovation—areas where in-house teams fall short. To stand out, agencies must cut through the noise with a sharp, value-driven proposition that directly aligns with client needs and business challenges.?

How To Handle The “We do?that in-house” Objection?

This objection is similar to “We already work with an agency,” but with a key difference: the prospect sees their internal team as possibly the best (or only) solution. ?

Your goal is to position your agency as a strategic complement rather than a replacement.?

Your response:?

“That makes complete sense—we often collaborate with internal teams to bring specialized expertise or?additional bandwidth when needed. We specialize in X – could your team?use?support there??

Remember, many in-house teams are stretched thin, lack deep expertise, or need outside perspective to push creative and strategic thinking forward. ?

Your job is to help them see where an external partner could make them even stronger.?