The purpose of this agreement is to provide a broad foundation supporting a mutually beneficial partnership between Conversant and its Affiliates. Our goal is to consider possibilities that are as open and creative as possible, but we also understand there needs to be some legal structure to provide a foundation of trust as we explore working together.
Conversant’s Affiliate Program is first-and-foremost a path of co-creation. We strive for reciprocity and a willingness to step together into an experimental mindset toward future business opportunities. We believe that what we can do together is more than either of us can do alone. In that vein, we are wanting to be as open minded as possible toward the many ways each relationship could unlock and generate new opportunities and avenues of exploration, and this also occurs in the spirit of creating community.
In addition to providing our Affiliates a sense of connection to a larger consulting community, Conversant can provide Affiliates a very practical business advantage by helping you to qualify for business you might not be able to pursue on your own. We can offer the infrastructure support needed on larger projects, such as finance, invoicing, reimbursements, project management, RFP support, insurance, etc., as well as coaching, consulting, or facilitation where needed. In other words, we can be a support for you to remain independent but scale your own business without the burden of increasing your overhead and payroll.
The attached agreement lays out three potential scenarios for working together:
1. Where Affiliate provides services for Conversant’s clients
2. Where Conversant provides services for Affiliate’s clients
3. Where Conversant and Affiliate together provide services for a new client jointly sourced.
Where Affiliate provides services for Conversant’s clients:
Affiliates may be invited to join a Conversant project when extra staffing is needed. Alternatively, Affiliates may sometimes originate work with Conversant clients, especially after they’ve worked with that client and established their own relationship through previous staffing work.
Staffing: Conversant may invite Affiliates to join certain projects where their particular area of experience or expertise is needed. This may include—but not be limited to—support with program design, facilitation, or client coaching. In these cases, we pay Affiliates 50% of what we bill for their time. We typically start billing at $600/hr ($300/hr paid to the Affiliate), although this is a general guideline subject to adjustment according to the nature of the work, needs of the client, and the Affiliate’s level of expertise. Regardless of the billing rate, the 50% share will always apply.
Origination: When Affiliates originate work within a Conversant client, they will be paid as above for their work on the project, plus an additional 5-10% commission of total revenues on that project. Exhibit A of the agreement provides an additional breakdown of commission payments as well as referral fees offered when affiliates refer new clients to Conversant for work they may or may not become involved with.
Where Conversant provides services for Affiliate’s clients:
This scenario generally reflects Scenario 1 in reverse. When an Affiliate invites Conversant to help staff a project within an Affiliate’s client system, Conversant will offer a rate for the work based on the level of experience and expertise of the individuals involved in the work. The Affiliate will maintain ownership of the client relationship, and manage contracting, invoicing, etc. with that client. Conversant will invoice the Affiliate for its involvement in the work. If Conversant originates additional work within an Affiliate client system, we ask for the same 5- 10% origination commission as offered in Scenario 1.
Where Conversant and Affiliate together provide services for a new client jointly sourced:
There may be occasions when Conversant and Affiliate mutually source new work from a client previously managed by neither party. In such instances, we will work in good faith to determine who should manage the client relationship, and as such, whether this new work will subsequently fit under Scenario 1 or Scenario 2 above, and how origination may be shared.
As stated above, these guidelines are meant to provide a foundation of mutual trust in support of exploring interesting and generative new business opportunities together. As we say at Conversant, “The conversations are the work,” and we look forward to continuing this conversation with you.
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