TL; DR: A referral partnership works when you agree the details upfront and put them on one page. Pick a partner whose work happens right before or after yours (for copywriters, that’s often web developers and designers). Then agree how intros happen, whether there’s a referral fee (most are 10%-25% of the first project), how it gets paid, and give them copy to introduce you plus a ballpark of your prices.
A web developer slid into my inbox recently, pitching for a guest spot in my Confident Copywriting membership.
His idea wasn’t half bad, but… Confident Copywriting has closed. (He wasn’t to know.)
So I started typing out a polite no. Then I realised there was another option.
He builds websites. I write the words that go ON websites.
Can I make it any more obvious?
My clients regularly ask me who they should talk to about the design and tech side of their website plans. And I was betting a decent chunk of his clients get stuck when it’s time to write the words.
The door to opportunity was ajar. So I gave it a good shove.
Instead of “thanks, but no“, I went with “no thanks, but how about this?” and suggested we chat about referrals. He was keen (properly keen!), so we had the chat.
Afterwards I sent him a one-pager that spells out how it all works.
I only had that conversation this week, so I can’t show you a stack of referral wins yet. What I can show you is how I set it up, so you can do the same with the obvious partners already floating around your world.
Grab a cuppa. This one’s meaty.
Why does “let’s refer each other!” usually go nowhere?
You’ve probably had this conversation. You meet someone lovely whose work you’d happily recommend. You both say “we should totally send each other clients!” Everyone nods enthusiastically.
And then… crickets.
Nobody’s being flaky. They just don’t know:
- who’s a good fit to send your way
- what to say when they make the intro
- how the money works (or if there’s money involved at all)
- what to tell a client who asks “how much?”
Every one of those questions is a tiny bit of friction. And friction is where referrals go to die.
The fix isn’t sexy. It doesn’t have to be!
You decide the details together, then you write them down.
That’s the secret.
Step 1: How do you find referral partners?
It can look like other copywriters have opportunities falling into their laps. But opportunities rarely turn up wearing a name badge. Sometimes they look exactly like a pitch you’re about to politely decline.
More often, they don’t knock at all, and you have to make the first move.
So before you hit send on a no (or let a good contact go quiet), ask yourself: “Is there a yes hiding in here?”
Three quick questions help:
- Do we serve the same kind of client?
- Does their work happen right before or right after mine?
- Would I happily hire them myself?
Three yeses? You might have found yourself a referral partner.
For website copywriters, the obvious ones are web developers and designers. Then think brand designers, photographers, SEO specialists, business coaches, a lawyer who sorts their clients’ contracts and IP, and the VA who wrangles a client’s tech.
The last question in that list matters the most.
A referral is a small loan of your reputation, so only lend it to people you’d trust with your own business. Before you go all in, do a little homework. Look at their portfolio, read their reviews and, if you can, ask someone who’s worked with them.
(Referrals are one way in. If clients feel thin on the ground generally, these are the mistakes I see copywriters make when finding clients.)
Step 2: How do you start a referral conversation?
Noticing is the easy part (although it does take some practice). Starting the conversation is where most of us chicken out.
If you’re replying to a pitch that isn’t a fit, you could try:
Thanks so much for thinking of me. [The thing] isn’t a fit right now because [honest reason].
But I’ve got another idea. My clients often ask me who to talk to about [their specialty], and I’m guessing yours sometimes get stuck on [your specialty].
Would you be up for a chat about referring clients to each other?
Reaching out cold? Same shape, minus the first 2-3 sentences. (And yes, it will feel a bit awkward to send. Send it anyway.)
When you have the chat, cover:
- what you each do and don’t do, so nobody overpromises on the other’s behalf
- who your ideal client is, and who you’d rather not get sent
- whether there’s a referral fee, and how it works
- how you’d like intros made
- how you’ll keep each other posted
You don’t have to nail every detail on the call. That’s what the one-pager is for.
Mine does three jobs: it sorts the logistics, it keeps me in control of my narrative (intro), and it makes the whole thing easy for both of us.
Let’s go through each one.
Step 3: What should a referral agreement cover?
Yes, referrals should feel easy and natural. And nothing feels less natural than chasing a referral fee nobody agreed on. A one-pager keeps things friendly, because the awkward bits get sorted before they get awkward.
Here’s what’s on my one-pager, plus a couple of things worth adding. Steal the structure and make it yours.
The intro
One of us sends a short email introducing the client to the other. That’s the whole process.
From there, whoever got the referral runs the conversation their way: their sales process, their pricing, their client relationship. I won’t hover over your clients, and you won’t have to babysit mine.
When does a referral fee apply?
A fee is owed when a client you introduced goes ahead and pays for work. The intro has to come directly from one of us, and the client has to sign on within six months of it.
I went with six months because some yeses take a while. I don’t want a partner missing out because a client needed a quarter to think it over.
If someone finds either of us on their own, no fee applies, even if they happen to know the other one. Nobody has to work out who mentioned whose name at a barbecue.
How much should a referral fee be?
Now, referrals can ride the wave of goodwill and juju, but it’s also okay to make them a revenue stream too. Especially when they’re happening on the regular.
Referral fees can be anywhere from 10% to 20%. I went with 15% of what’s paid on the first project, before any GST or tax.
Whoever makes the introduction gets the fee. And it covers the first project only. If the client keeps working with you after that, brilliant. That part’s all yours.
One for my fellow international copywriters: spell out the currency. I invoice in USD, so the fee on my projects is paid in USD. If my partner invoices in a different currency, they pay me in that currency. (PayPal or a wire transfer make that easy.)
How is the referral fee paid?
The fee follows real money. It’s paid within 14 days of each payment clearing. When the deposit clears, the fee on the deposit gets paid. When the final payment clears, the fee on that part gets paid.
So nobody gets paid on a project that falls over, and nobody waits months for a final invoice to land. And if a client later gets a refund, a fee that’s already been paid stays paid. You did your part when you made the intro.
Who’s responsible for what
Worth adding: each of you is responsible for your own work. If a client isn’t happy with the copy, that’s mine to sort out, not the developer who introduced us. Writing it down means nobody feels stuck playing middleman.
Keeping each other posted
Also worth adding: a quick heads-up rule. When a referred client signs (or decides not to), let your partner know. It keeps the fee side clean, and it’s nice to hear how your intro landed.
How we’ll work together
This section is specific to the partnership. Mine says I’m happy to write copy to fit an existing design and its placeholders. And if the design’s already agreed, I’ll ask to see it before I start writing, so I know about any length or layout limits.
Web developers care about that stuff. Your partner might care about something else, so ask them.
Putting it in writing
I invite suggestions and changes, and a short reply with “agreed” is enough. If it stops working for either of us at any point, we chat about it and change what we need to.
No fourteen-clause contract. Just enough detail that nobody has to guess. (I’m a copywriter, not a lawyer. If you want something more formal, talk to one. And for your client contracts, here are the copywriting terms and clauses I’d include.)
Step 4: How do you make sure your partner introduces you properly?
Your partner is going to describe you to their clients. If you don’t give them the words, they’ll make some up. And “she does words” is not the intro I want.
So my one-pager has a tab with copy they can lift straight into an email or onto their website. Two versions.
I have a short version for introducing me to a client by email.
And a longer version, for a website or partner page. It covers who I am, who I help, what I write and what makes my copy different, plus links to my website, LinkedIn and Instagram.
A few tips for writing yours:
- Write it in third person, so they can paste it without editing.
- Say who you’re for, not just what you do.
- Give a reason to call you over anyone else. (Mine is copy with personality.)
- Keep the short one to two sentences. Nobody’s forwarding an essay.
It keeps your messaging consistent too. The client hears the same thing from your partner that they’ll read on your website, so the hand-off feels smooth instead of random.
Step 5: Should you share your prices with referral partners?
When your referral partner mentions you, you can bet the “how much will it cost?” is coming. If they can’t answer, the conversation stalls. Or they guess, and now your future client has a number in their head that you didn’t choose.
So I included where my projects usually start, from an investment point of view, with a quick description of what’s included and who it’s best for.
Then I added a few guardrails:
- A clear caveat. Every project gets a custom quote after a short call. Nothing’s locked in until then.
- What moves a quote up the range. Long-form services pages, several offers or audiences to untangle, no existing messaging, SEO work and tight deadlines. Your partner doesn’t need to quote. They just need to set expectations.
Your numbers are your business and you don’t have to share them. The point is giving your referral partner enough for a sensible first conversation, without promising anything you haven’t agreed to.
(Still deciding whether your rates belong on your website at all? Here’s my take on copywriters listing their rates.)
Step 6: How do you keep a referral partnership alive?
Referral partnerships rarely die from a disagreement. They die from silence. They die from silence.
So once your one-pager’s agreed:
- pop a reminder in your calendar to check in every few months
- send the occasional “saw this and thought of your clients”
- say thank you when an intro lands, whether or not it turns into work
None of it takes long. All of it keeps you top of mind the next time a client says, “Do you know anyone who…?”
Your referral one-pager checklist
- how intros work
- when a fee applies (and when it doesn’t)
- the fee, plus how and when it’s paid
- who’s responsible for what
- how you’ll keep each other posted
- anything specific to working together
- how to agree, and how to change it later
- intro copy, short and long
- price starting points, with a caveat
Writing it might feel like overkill for a friendly arrangement. But it’s what turns “we should totally refer to each other” into an intro email that lands in your inbox.
So next time a pitch lands that isn’t a fit, read it twice before you hit no. The door might be ajar. Give it a shove.
Copwriting referral partnerships: quick answers
Partner with people whose work happens right before or right after yours, like web developers, designers and brand designers. Then agree the details on a one-page referral agreement, so both of you know how intros, fees and pricing work.
Web developers and designers are the most obvious, because their clients need words for the sites they build. Brand designers, photographers, SEO specialists, business coaches, lawyers and VAs can all work too.
Referral fees usually sit somewhere between 10% and 20%. I charge 15% of what’s paid on the first project, before GST or tax, and the same deal applies both ways.
It’s optional, but it helps if you want referrals flowing both ways. Paying a fee is a nice way to reward the clients they send you, and charging one turns your own referrals into a revenue stream. Not everyone wants the admin, so keep it simple: base the fee on money received, not money quoted, so nobody gets paid on a project that falls over.
Yes, as starting points with a clear caveat. If your partner can’t answer “how much?”, the conversation stalls or they guess. Give them a range, what moves a quote up, and a note that every project gets a custom quote.
Not always. A one-page agreement you both reply “agreed” to covers most friendly arrangements. If you want something more formal, talk to a lawyer.
