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A partner in Chicago told me our referral deal was a one-way street
We were talking about a project we sent them six months ago. They said they got a lot of work from it, but we never saw anything back. It hit different because they just laid it out as a fact, not a complaint. Made me realize our handshake deals are just us giving work away for free. How do you set up a real two-way referral system that actually works?
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the_ruby1d ago
Putting everything in writing just kills the trust and makes it feel like a transaction. A good handshake deal works because both sides want to help each other out, not because they have a contract. If you start tracking every little lead, you'll spend more time on paperwork than actually doing business. Sometimes you give more than you get, but that builds a stronger relationship for the long run.
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samwalker2d ago
Used to think handshake deals were fine but that's a brutal wake-up call. You gotta put a simple system in writing, like agreeing to send the next qualified lead their way. Stops it from being charity.
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