Proof 5 of 8

The Relationships

Why a buyer cares

Referral relationships that live with one person leave with that person. A buyer pays for relationships the company holds.

How this proof is scored

Each piece of evidence below gets a score. The score for The Relationships is the lowest of its four evidence items. A buyer looks for the weak spot, so the weak spot sets the score.

0. Not proven: You believe it, but cannot show it.
1. Partly: Evidence exists but is incomplete, late, or needs you to explain it.
2. Proven: A third party could verify it from documents alone.
3. Proven and tested: Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

The four pieces of evidence

Each piece starts with the question a buyer will ask. Then it shows what a good answer looks like, and what makes it hold up under pressure.

Evidence 1

Relationship map

A buyer asks this to find out whether the numbers and claims hold up without you in the room.

The buyer's question

Who owns your top referral relationships?

What Proven looks like

A third party could verify it from documents alone.

Your top 20 referral sources listed, each with a primary and a secondary contact inside the company.

What Proven and tested adds

Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

Each source has been served by the secondary contact with no drop in work.

Evidence 2

Relationships live in the CRM

A buyer asks this to find out whether the numbers and claims hold up without you in the room.

The buyer's question

If I look in your CRM, will I find your relationships there?

What Proven looks like

A third party could verify it from documents alone.

All referral contacts and activity are in the CRM, not in personal phones or memory.

What Proven and tested adds

Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

CRM data has driven the weekly sales review for at least six months.

Evidence 3

Program and carrier standing

A buyer asks this to find out whether the numbers and claims hold up without you in the room.

The buyer's question

Which programs are you on, and whose name is on them?

What Proven looks like

A third party could verify it from documents alone.

Program, carrier and TPA agreements are in the company's name and compliance is current.

What Proven and tested adds

Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

Twelve months of program scorecards in good standing.

Evidence 4

Key-person risk

A buyer asks this to find out whether the numbers and claims hold up without you in the room.

The buyer's question

If your best estimator left tomorrow, what would leave with them?

What Proven looks like

A third party could verify it from documents alone.

Key relationships are shared across roles, and confidentiality and non-solicitation terms are in place where your attorney says they are enforceable.

What Proven and tested adds

Verified and stress-tested: an outsider reviewed it, or it held up when it mattered.

A key person left or was out for an extended period and the relationships held.

Readiness documents

These are the documents that back up this proof. Keep each one current. A document that is a year out of date tells a buyer the business only gets organised when someone asks.

Document	What it is and why	Refresh
Relationship map: top 20 referral sources	Each source, revenue from it, and two company contacts.	Quarterly
CRM activity report	Evidence that relationships and follow-up are recorded in the system.	Monthly
Program, carrier and TPA agreements and scorecards	The agreements, in the company's name, and current standing.	Annually
Employee confidentiality and non-solicitation agreements	Reviewed by your attorney for enforceability in your state.	Annually

Score The Relationships

Be honest. Score what you could show a buyer this week, not what you plan to fix.

Score this proof in the Scorecard

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