Had a friend send me a referral for an SEO client. The call went well and I messaged him and said,
“Thanks for the intro. I know you sent it not for money but because I’ll take care of them and deliver. But I also wanted to offer a referral commission.”
They wrote back and said, though they would appreciate the money, they asked if we could call it even as a return for a favor that I offered them earlier.
He has his own cool project, and I offered my team to help him out on his website months ago. Fast-forward, now he sends the referral. The website favor never crossed my mind, but now he gestures if we can call it even.
- He never owed me.
- I don’t keep score of favors.
- I didn’t have to offer a commission.
- And he didn’t have to decline the commission.
But we both did what we felt was right.
Have integrity, do it consistently, and with pride. It pays beyond financially, both personally and in relationships.
