I finally managed to connect with a solid US agency partner through the hub about a month ago. We had this amazing initial call—chemistry was great, they got our positioning, we understood their market constraints. We even talked about potentially doing quarterly projects together.
First two weeks? Magical. We were on daily calls, brainstorming, sharing ideas, both genuinely excited.
Now? Radio silence between projects. I send a message about a potential opportunity and get a response in 48 hours. They’re not unresponsive, but the energy is completely different. It feels like they’ve moved on to other priorities.
I’m wondering if this is just normal—like, partnerships don’t need to be “on” all the time—or if I’m doing something wrong. Are you all experiencing this rhythm with US partners? Is it just the natural cadence of working with people who have an eight-hour timezone difference?
Also, I’m worried this will affect deal flow. If they’re not thinking about us proactively, how do we stay top-of-mind without being annoying? Should I be scheduling regular check-ins, or is that overkill for an early-stage partnership?
This is actually completely normal, and here’s why: you’re not a project—yet. You’re a potential future vendor in their pipeline. They’re not going to prioritize you until there’s actual revenue on the line.
The mistake most people make is expecting the initial energy to stay constant. It won’t. What you need to do instead is create a structure that keeps you relevant without requiring constant communication.
Here’s what I do with partners: we have a monthly 30-minute sync—no pressure, just touching base. I send them a one-liner about market opportunities I’m seeing that might be relevant. Zero pressure check-ins. Then, when I actually have a project that fits, I lead with: “I have something concrete this time.”
The partnership accelerates when there’s money flowing. Until then, you’re managing expectations. Don’t pull back, but get realistic about the rhythm. You need to be present but not needy.
One thing that actually works: share relevant industry insights or articles with them. Not selling, just, “Hey, saw this and thought of you.” That keeps you top-of-mind without transactional vibes.
This is such a common moment! The passion fades a little when you shift from “let’s explore this” to “okay, now we actually work together.” But that doesn’t mean the partnership is dying—it just means it’s maturing.
Here’s what I tell people: the first few months are about establishing trust through execution, not through constant communication. So if you have a project coming up, the best way to stay top-of-mind is to execute it flawlessly and show results.
For the quiet periods between projects, I actually think regular check-ins are healthy—but not generic ones. Try this: once a month, send them something specific. Could be a market insight, a potential client fit, or even just a case study from a campaign you did. Something that shows you’re thinking about how to add value to their business, not just asking what they can do for you.
Also, don’t underestimate the power of a personal touch. A quick voice message (not text) saying “hey, loved what you did on that campaign, let’s grab coffee when next in [city]” tends to keep things warm without feeling forced.
The 48-hour response time is actually fine for an early partnership. You’re both still getting to know each other’s workflows. Give this a quarter. If you’re still getting 48-hour responses and no proactive engagement after 3 months, then you worry.
Let me give you the data perspective here. The initial spike of energy is dopamine-driven—both sides are excited about potential. That’s not sustainable. What you’re seeing now is the natural baseline.
The question isn’t whether this is normal (it is), the question is whether you have metrics to track partnership health. Here’s what I measure:
- Response time: Normal should be 24-48 hours. If it’s slipping to 72+, that’s a signal.
- Proactive outreach from them: How often do they send you opportunities vs. you sending them?
- Deal velocity: How fast do conversations move from intro to LOI?
- Win rate: What % of opportunities actually convert?
Right now, you’re at probably 0 deals closed. It’s too early to measure ROI. But you should be measuring engagement signals.
My recommendation: implement a shared spreadsheet or CRM where you both log opportunities as they come up. This creates accountability and visibility. You’ll see pretty quickly whether they’re actually thinking about partnership opportunities or just being polite.
Monthly check-ins are good. But they need to be structured around data, not just vibes. “How’s business?” doesn’t move things forward. “Here are 3 clients I think fit your service model” absolutely does.
I went through this exact thing with my first international partner. That honeymoon phase is real, and then you hit a wall. I spent like a month stressed out thinking I’d blown it.
Here’s what I eventually figured out: US-based teams (especially agencies) are juggling so many competing priorities that unless you’re an active revenue stream, you’re not front-of-mind. It’s not personal. It’s just how their business works.
What changed things for me was giving them a reason to check in WITH me, not just me checking in with them. I started a shared document where I logged potential opportunities I saw for them, with context. Super simple. That way, they could dip in when they had bandwidth, see what’s relevant, and engage if something interests them.
The monthly call is still good—don’t skip it. But structure it like: “Here’s what I’ve curated for you this month, here’s what we’ve learned that might help you, here’s where we need your expertise.”
Make it useful, not just relationship-maintenance. That’s the shift.