Why 96% of Aspiring Partnership Deal Makers Will Give Up (And How To Be In The Top 4% Instead)
The harsh reality about why most people fail at deal making and The Game Plan that separates the buffalo hunters from the rabbit chasers
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I'm gonna say something that might sting a little...
Most peeps reading "Deals Over Clients" ain't gonna make it as deal makers.
There.
I said it.
Now before anyone fire off an angry email, hear me out.
I've been watching this pattern for years.
People get all fired up about partnership deals.
Get pumped about $100K partnerships.
Then reality hits.
And 96% of 'em?
They're chasing the next shiny business model within months.
Heck I’ve seen it happen within weeks.
But here's the thing...
I'm not here to crush anyone’s dreams.
I'm here to drop some wisdom so they don’t become another casualty.
I’m gonna show you what the other 4% do differently.
The Brutal Truth (That Nobody Wants to Admit)
Lots of new deal makers are playing chess…
…but without knowing the rules.
Last month I tracked what happened to 197 people who got all excited about deal making.
Wanna know what I found?
78% never even sent their first outreach email.
89% gave up after hearing "no" once.
94% moved on to something else within 60 days.
Only 6% were still actually pursuing deals.
You know what kills me?
Yes, I did a $529K deal in 18 days.
But it wasn’t an overnight success…
It's like showing you Michael Jordan's best dunks without mentioning he got cut from his high school basketball team.
Or the number of games he LOST even in his professional career where he was the deciding factor.
The "Easy Money" Delusion (And Why It's Killing Peeps Dreams)
Here's what I see happening...
Some folks think deal making is some kind of get-rich-quick scheme.
They think it's about having the perfect script.
Or finding desperate partners.
Wrong.
Wrong.
And hell no.
You don't succeed at this because you want easy money.
You succeed because you become obsessed with creating real value for partners who are already winning.
Most wannabe deal makers are like kids at Christmas.
They want the presents but don't wanna do the work to earn 'em.
The real deal makers?
They understand this is about relationships.
Trust.
Value creation.
Not some magic formula you can copy-paste your way to riches.
What the Top 4% Actually Do (Spoiler: It's Not Sexy)
I've worked with a lot of deal makers over the past decade.
The ones still standing?
They ain't the flashiest.
They ain't the ones with the biggest promises.
They're the ones who figured out three things:
Patience beats desperation every damn time.
Skills matter more than scripts.
Partner selection trumps perfect pitches.
Let me break this down for you...
The Timeline Reality Check
Smart deal makers know this ain't a sprint.
Here's how they actually think about it:
Months 1-3: Learning the basics. Getting your ass kicked. Building character.
Months 4-6: First real deals. Small wins. Proof of concept.
Months 7-10: Bigger deals. Better partners. Getting momentum.
Month 11+: Choosing partners instead of chasing them.
The wannabes?
They expect month 7-10 results in month 3.
Then they quit when it doesn't happen.
Now, there is a cheat code…
…but I’ll share that one here in a minute.
The Smart Partner Strategy
Successful deal makers don't spray and pray.
They use what I call the Partner Pyramid:
Your warm market - People who already know and trust you.
Your sweet spot - 2-3 partner types where you add the most value.
Test zones - New niches you're experimenting with.
Dream deals - The big fish you're building toward.
When one area doesn't work?
They don't lose everything.
They adjust and keep going.
The Value-First Approach
Here's what trips people up...
They lead with what they want…
…instead of what partners need.
The real deal makers?
They earn their way through four stages:
Understanding their pain - Listening more than talking.
Demonstrating insight - Proving they get it.
Proposing solutions - Specific, targeted, valuable.
Delivering results - Actually doing what they said they'd do.
Most people try to skip straight to the money conversation.
The smart ones earn the right to have that conversation.
Real Success Stories (That Actually Make Sense)
Let me tell you about David...
Zero deal-making experience.
Matter of fact?
He was a professional classically trained clarinet player.
Got rejected a ton of times in his first 90 days.
Could've quit.
Most people would've.
But he didn't.
He treated every "no" like market research.
Not personal rejection.
Eight months later? First $150K deal.
His take was a FAT percentage.
Now he averages $150k per campaign with his partnerships.
What's his secret?
He played the long game while everyone else wanted instant gratification.
The Smart Deal Makers Game Plan (Breakdown Step By Step)
You want to build something real?
Here's the roadmap:
(Pssst, if you’re not a paid member of The Meaningful Man Newsletter now is the time to do it so you can unlock the Smart Deal Makers Game Plan)
