Why do business partners fail to follow through on sales, and how do I pick better ones?
Short answer
Busy, successful people say yes to the idea, then give it two hours a week, and the idea needs someone to actually sell. I've been bitten twice. Now I make sales an explicit priority before we start, pitch things that already work, check what each side gets out of it, and approach many partners expecting only one or two to deliver.
Almost every person I've partnered with, except one, had the same problem. They were too busy for me and too busy for the idea.
What actually goes wrong?
They love it at first. "TJ, it's such a cool idea. I want to run with this." Then you find out what that means in practice.
"It means I want to spend two hours a week or less talking to you about it and hoping it just works. And it's like, no, I need like, it has to be sold."
The last two people I worked with were both on launching local newsletters. One was for ad sales, the other was newsletters as a service. Neither followed through on sales at all. I like both of them. I'm still friends with them. They're good guys. I just didn't know I'd have to do more of the sales myself.
If the partner won't sell, nobody sells. A lead-form business is a good example. The money is there, but somebody has to go out and do the sales to find the businesses that will pay per lead. I'm not doing that, so the partner has to.
What do I say before we start?
I have the priority conversation up front now. Their main job is their main job, obviously. But if we're doing this, they need to really know it's a priority. This isn't something to glance at an hour a week.
How should I pitch a partner?
Show them something that already exists and works. Don't pitch an idea.
People will get your idea, but they can't judge how hard it is. When you can say the hard part is done, it exists, it's working, and all we need is more content and more money, you get a different conversation. Now they're deciding whether to get involved in a real thing.
How do I know if they'll really push it?
Study everyone's incentives. Most people understand their own very well and can't see that anyone else's are different.
One example: a consultant to newspapers gets paid because his clients want more revenue. If greetform makes his clients more money, he wins more of his own customers. He has every reason to bring it to them. That's a partner whose incentives line up with mine without either of us forcing it.
What about brokers and middlemen?
Don't go to one. Call a hundred. A lot of them will tell you what you want to hear, say they'll push it, and you'll never hear from them again. Out of a hundred, one or two will probably do it for real.
Expect them to ask for proof. If you show up with six months of history and about $11,000 in revenue, a broker will say that's not enough.
And be honest about the weak point. You're relying on someone with other things going on to remember and prioritize your offer, especially when it's confusing. Make it simple, and be selective about who you sell to. It's like Chick-fil-A, where about 1% of the people who apply get a location.
What's the alternative to a partner?
A hired seller with clear terms, which I cover in how to pay a commission salesperson. The mindset behind all of this is Who Not How.
Answered by TJ Larkin. From partner, consultant and team calls, 2025-2026. Last updated .