Stopped chasing every lead that came through our referral network after one bad deal cost us $4,000

I used to say yes to every partner referral that landed in my inbox, thinking more work meant more money. Then a client from a marketing agency in Austin ghosted us after three months, leaving me holding unpaid invoices and a wasted team. How do you guys vet referrals before jumping in?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_henry1mo ago

Damn, that's a brutal hit. Feel for you, man. Getting ghosted like that after three months of work is rough, especially when you trusted the referral. I've started asking for at least two past client references before I even pick up the phone now.

terryh201mo ago

Yikes, yeah that's a tough one. I gotta be honest, I used to think reference checks were kind of overkill, you know, like you were being paranoid or something. But reading stories like this totally flipped my switch on that. It's wild how one bad apple can burn you through a solid referral. Now I'm seeing it more as basic protection than being extra. Three months of work just vanishing into thin air sounds like a nightmare I'd do anything to avoid.