Pro tip: Always double check your partnership agreement before a joint pitch

Last month I was doing a joint pitch with another agency in Chicago and we hit a HUGE snag. We both assumed we'd split the commission 50/50 but their contract said 60/40 in their favor. We found this out 15 minutes before the meeting started and had to scramble to agree on terms. It was awkward and the client definitely noticed our hesitation. Has anyone else had a partnership almost fall apart over money details nobody talked about upfront?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sam18d ago

Yeah, the "we'll figure it out later" approach never ends well. I now send a one page summary of every handshake deal before any joint work starts, just to get the numbers in writing. Saves a lot of awkward 15 minute scrambles.

loganthompson18d ago

Yeah the "15 minute scramble" thing hits way too close to home... I've learned the hard way that even good faith people forget details once a few weeks pass. Now I just shoot a quick text with the bullet points right after we shake, just so everyone's on the same page before momentum takes over.