Old school handshake deals vs modern contracts in Phoenix networking groups

I've been going to business mixer events in Phoenix for about 7 years now. Back in 2016, a guy from a plumbing supply company and I agreed to refer each other clients with just a handshake, no paperwork. That referral stream paid off for both of us for 2 years until he retired. But last year, a landscaping contractor and I tried the same handshake approach, and he stopped sending anyone my way after just 3 months. I think trust just ain't what it used to be, or maybe people are too busy now. Has anyone else noticed more folks insisting on written agreements at these meetups?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_riley14d ago

Wait you had a handshake deal last 2 years? That's pretty wild honestly. I'm shocked that the plumbing guy stuck with it that long without any written terms. Most of the time these things fall apart way faster like your landscaping situation. I've seen people at the Scottsdale Chamber mixers pull out actual printed referral agreements on the first meeting. One guy even had a notary with him at a morning coffee networking event, I couldn't believe it. It's like everyone got burned one too many times and now they want everything in writing before they'll even talk to you.

paulschmidt14d ago

Used to be one of those guys rolling my eyes at people bringing papers to a breakfast meetup. Thought it killed the whole vibe of networking, you know? But after getting burned a couple times myself, I gotta admit the written route makes more sense now. That landscaping guy probably had good intentions at first, but without anything on paper he just drifted away. Ngl, a simple one page agreement keeps both sides honest and reminds people what they promised. It's not about being suspicious, it's about making sure nobody forgets the details down the road.