Write down the work you need handled
Write down what is not getting done, who handles it today and what the new team should take over. Compare proposals against that list. Agree what the team can decide without waiting for approval.
A listing repair, advertising review and full account takeover are different purchases. Some agencies run the full account. Others handle only selected tasks. Read the scope rather than deciding from the label.
The word ‘agency’ alone does not tell you what is included. The same applies to ‘partner’. Neither label proves someone will follow a stock shortage or account issue through to a fix.
Ask for evidence of operating work
Ask the team to explain work similar to the problem you have. What was stopping sales? What did they change? What remained outside their control? A useful explanation connects the starting point, actions and result without giving the team credit for every change in demand.
An advertising screenshot alone does not establish that someone can run inventory or account health. Ask who handled the listing problem, stock shortage or budget decision behind the report. You can ask for an anonymised work record when client names are private.
Check who will do your work after the sales call. The experience of a founder or senior strategist is useful, but it does not replace a capable daily delivery team.
Check who connects stock and spending
Ask who checks stock available to sell, stock on the way and when the next batch can arrive. If demand increases, someone needs to decide whether the account can support it before increasing spend.
Buying advertising help will not fill gaps in stock planning. It can be the right purchase when the brand already runs those jobs well. Where those jobs lack an owner, ask the proposed team to show exactly how it will take them over.
The client pays for stock and advertising. A partner can run planning and execution, but the budget still needs approval. Check that the sales plan leaves enough margin after costs and enough cash for the next stock purchase.
Agree access and decision limits
The client owns the brand, seller account, inventory and capital. Give the team the account access it needs for the agreed work. Keep client access and decide who approves new spending, material price changes and stock commitments.
Approval limits should help the work move. If the team must ask about every small edit, the brand is still managing the account day to day. If there are no limits at all, the client may lose control of spending and commitments.
Ask for a clear route for urgent issues. A blocked product or account notice needs a named person, a next action and a way to reach the client when a document or decision is required.
Compare the full cost of delivery
Put proposals beside the same work list. Check whether listing work, advertising, reporting and account issues are included or billed separately. A lower fee may be sensible for a smaller scope, but it is not a saving if your team has to finish work you expected the partner to own.
Include the time your business will spend briefing people, approving work and resolving gaps. Also check the engagement period and any charges tied to sales or advertising spend. There is no useful price comparison until the scope is clear.
Reporting should show completed work, open risks and the decisions needed next. Agree how often you review margin, stock and cash as well as sales. Targets are useful; a sales promise alone is not evidence.
Plan the handover before you need it
Agree where product records, campaign changes and open account jobs are kept. If the engagement ends, the client should be able to see what is live, what needs attention and what the next team must do.
Check how permissions are removed and how stock or shipment records are handed back. Handover should not depend on one person remembering the account or sharing a personal spreadsheet.
Do not appoint either team if the account, budget or responsibilities are too unclear to hand over safely. Resolve those gaps first, then buy the work you actually need.
How Xeller runs the agreed work
Xeller runs the agreed marketplace work through one accountable operating team. We connect listings, account issues, stock and advertising decisions so the client does not have to chase separate people to complete the daily work.
We start with the products, current account issues, available stock, margin and budget. We then agree what we will run, what the client retains and which decisions need approval. This makes the proposal a plan for the actual account rather than a list of services.
The brand keeps ownership and funds inventory, advertising and the agreed running costs. Xeller owns delivery of the work it has agreed to run.