Ellen Dupont, founder of Online ED, is at a crossroads. Her agency is doing well, clients keep coming, and the reputation is solid. But under the hood, she’s making some serious adjustments.
“What we do works, but it no longer feels right. We deliver quality, but the model we’re working in is wearing out. Margin pressure is increasing, clients expect speed and strategy, yet still think in hourly rates. I don’t want to become a factory. Or a stress machine. But meaning? Yes, please.”
Positioning: from production to purpose
“We’re at the table for the content plan, but also for strategic decisions. The problem is: that role often isn’t priced. Or even seen.”
Ellen notices she’s increasingly contributing to direction, not just visibility. But this kind of strategic thinking rarely shows up in the pricing.
According to Moenaert & Robben (2022), lasting client value only emerges when the service provider takes on the role of co-creator. That role isn’t granted – you have to claim it and prove it.
Best practices
- Start every project with a role conversation: Is this about content or about course-setting?
- Make strategic contributions visible: with templates, roadmaps, or reflection notes.
- Offer phased services – from strategy to execution – to make your value more explicit.
Pricing: when speed makes you seem worth less
“A good video edit used to take three hours. Now? Thirty minutes with AI. And clients expect it to be cheaper.”
So, efficiency gains are immediately translated into lower pricing expectations. But according to Liozu et al. (2020), value-based pricing is all about the ability to define and anchor impact – not the number of hours.
Best practices
Link output to results: brand clarity, click-through rates, or conversion. • Productize your work: “Brand campaign with intake and output test” sounds different than “18 hours of work.” • Use examples: show how your work accelerated results or provided clarity.
Trust: the invisible contract
“Sometimes I just feel it: this is going to work. And then everything flows. But sometimes… I have to prove myself every step of the way. That’s when things get hard.”
For Ellen, trust is everything. It determines whether clients give her space – or second-guess every move. According to Zeithaml (1988), it’s the process – not just the outcome – that defines how valuable the collaboration feels.
Best practices
- Use visual journey models with clear phases and decision points.
- Schedule regular check-ins – even when things seem ‘fine.’
- Set clear expectations from the start: feedback, approvals, and iteration loops.
AI: accelerator and pitfall
“We use AI a lot. For copy, subtitles, structure. And it helps. But it also makes our work invisible. And therefore… vulnerable.”
AI saves time, but it makes the creative process less tangible. Clients only see fast output and forget the thinking behind it. According to Huang & Rust (2021), value is shifting from execution to interpretation and choice – that’s the real differentiator.
Best practices
- Position AI as a quality booster, not a replacement: “We make better choices faster.”
- Show your interpretation: why this tone? Why this order?
- Offer packages that combine AI efficiency with a human touch.
Choosing the right clients
“Sometimes I know in advance it’s going to be tough. But I still say yes. Because the calendar needs filling. And then it costs me twice: time and energy.”
Ellen speaks from experience: not every client fits your way of working. Yet saying “no” remains difficult. According to Porter (1985), defining who you don’t serve is key to sustainable positioning.
Best practices
- Define your ideal client – and name who isn’t a fit.
- Use an intake form to assess rhythm, feedback style, and collaboration habits.
- Plan a reflection moment after each project: are we continuing or was this one-off?
Conclusion
“I want to do meaningful work. Not grow for growth’s sake. But tighter, cleaner. With clients who fit us. Then it flows.”
Ellen’s story will likely resonate with many service providers. Not doing more, but doing it better. Not running harder, but choosing more consciously. In times of acceleration, hourly rates, and AI, purpose may be the strongest compass we have.
Sources
Moenaert, R. K., & Robben, H. S. J. (2022). Strategic Market Management. Leuven: Acco.
Liozu, S. M., Hinterhuber, A., & Somers, K. (2020). Value First, Then Price: Quantifying Value in Business Markets. Routledge.
Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298805200302
Huang, M.-H., & Rust, R. T. (2021). A strategic framework for artificial intelligence in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49(1), 30–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-020-00749-9
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.