What a sourcing partner should agree before naming a company

Before naming a company to a sourcing partner, agree what the company authorized, which recipient may receive its identity, what opportunity is in scope, and how the introduction will be recorded. A person's willingness to talk is not permission to disclose every detail or to represent the company.

The purpose of an introduction is to make a specific, approved connection. It should not quietly expand into a right to contact affiliates, share data, negotiate terms or claim fees on unrelated work.

Who authorized the company to be named?

Ask the company who approved the introduction, to whom, for what purpose, and at what level of detail. A company may approve a general description first, then an identified introduction later. Record the recipient and intended use before sending names or contact details. If the instruction is unclear, do not infer it from an email signature, job title, NDA or informal conversation.

The company should know who is acting and what will be said. If a partner is allowed to describe a dataset, define which facts are confirmed and which remain reported. The partner should not claim ownership, rights, coverage or quality without evidence.

Define the opportunity and exclusions

Describe the data type, company entity, timeframe and use that the introduction concerns. Record what is excluded: other datasets, subsidiaries, future opportunities, buyer categories, or any information the company has not approved. If exclusivity or a right to first contact is proposed, define its scope and expiry. Avoid broad language that captures all future contact with the company.

Check for existing relationships and discussions before sharing the name. Use the least revealing process that can identify overlap. The owner, not the sourcing partner, should determine whether an existing relationship prevents or changes the proposed introduction.

Agree what happens after the introduction

State who contacts the company, who joins calls, who can request information and who keeps the owner updated. Define whether the sourcing partner exits after the handoff or continues in a limited role. If the partner may help qualify scope, specify what non-sensitive information can be gathered and what questions must be referred back to the company.

Do not assume that an introduction grants permission to request a sample. Access to data, company identity disclosure and authority to lead discussions are separate permissions. Put each step in writing.

Make attribution and fee rules auditable

If payment is part of the relationship, describe the introduction event and evidence, any attribution period, what happens with overlaps, the fee base and payment trigger. Distinguish a fee due for an accepted referral from a fee contingent on an agreement or cash receipt. Define reporting and correction rights. Avoid calling a proposed amount earned until the contractual event occurs.

What must the introduction authorization record contain?

Before the name is shared, a short written record can capture:

• Company-approved contact and receiving party
• Purpose and defined opportunity
• Information allowed in the introduction
• Information explicitly withheld
• Date, authorizing person and expiration or review point
• Existing relationship check and next action
• Whether the partner may continue after handoff

Keep this record private and limit access to people who need it. Do not distribute a lead list to potential buyers or other partners without permission.

Example: an introduction with narrow scope

Imagine a fictional owner authorizes a partner to introduce a named operations executive to an adviser for a discussion about maintenance history. The instruction allows the company name and a broad description of the records, but no sample, customer detail or claim about rights. The partner records the scope and exits after the introduction unless the owner agrees otherwise. This does not authorize a subsequent buyer contact or data transfer.

When should a sourcing partner pause the introduction?

If the partner cannot explain who approved the disclosure, what information may be shared, who receives it, and what happens next, pause. Confirm the company's instruction and document the boundary. A careful introduction preserves the company's choice and gives both partners a clear account of their actual role.

Avelence's service model allows specified written mandates for leading discussions, working alongside an owner or identifying opportunities the owner closes. That mandate does not by itself authorize identity disclosure, data access or a particular recipient handoff.

The W3C PROV data model provides concepts for recording agents, activities, and entities. An introduction log can use the same basic discipline to show who made a connection, when, with whose instruction, and what information was shared.

Frequently asked questions

Can a partner name a company after an anonymous opportunity discussion?

Only if the company’s instruction covers that named recipient and disclosure. An anonymous description may have been authorized precisely to test interest without exposing identity. Record the next permission before sending the name, contact details or identifying combinations of facts; an NDA with the recipient does not supply the company’s instruction.

What happens if two partners introduce the same company?

Use the agreed overlap and attribution process rather than awarding credit from the first message alone. Check the defined opportunity, prior relationship, introduction event, evidence and attribution period. If the agreement does not resolve the overlap, keep the fee claim unresolved and seek a documented decision before describing it as earned.