Agency Owners: Your First Month Referral Plan for Data Licensing Referrals

Many agency owners possess invaluable relationships with companies that could benefit from licensing their data. The SourceX partner program offers a straightforward way to earn by connecting these companies to our platform.

This guide lays out a practical plan for your first month, focusing on identifying suitable referrals and making effective introductions. Remember, the goal is to qualify thoroughly and then introduce, ensuring your efforts are well-placed.

Week 1: Understand the Opportunity & Identify Prospects

Your first step is to internalize the ideal company profile and identify which of your existing or past clients might fit. SourceX is the enterprise data transaction layer for AI, managing data licensing from sourcing and rights review to delivery and payment. We focus on licensing transactions and do not train AI models.

SourceX is looking for:

• US companies.
• With 50+ full-time employees at their peak (contractors excluded).
• Years of operating records.
• Rights to license their data.
• An authorized sponsor within the company ready to engage.

Actionable Checklist:

• Review the full program terms and FAQs at refer.sourcex.si.
• Make a list of 5-10 existing or past client companies that might fit the criteria above.
• Focus on companies that generate significant, structured data through their operations, such as market data, operational logs, or proprietary content.
• Self-correction: If a company doesn't meet all criteria, especially the 50+ FTEs or US-based requirement, set them aside. Quality over quantity is key.

Week 2: Initial Qualification & Sponsor Identification

With a shortlist of potential companies, your focus this week is to discreetly confirm key qualifying factors and identify the right person to champion the initiative internally.

• Company Size & Location: While you may already know this, double-check that the company is indeed US-based and has had 50+ full-time employees at some point.
• Data Rights: This is crucial. The company must have the rights to license its data. This often means speaking with a senior executive who understands their data assets.
• Authorized Sponsor: Identify someone within the company who has the authority and interest to explore new revenue streams from their data. This person will be your primary contact for the referral.

Actionable Checklist:

• For each company on your shortlist, confirm their US location and 50+ FTE history.
• Identify a likely authorized sponsor – often a C-level executive (CEO, CRO, CFO) or Head of Data/Strategy.
• Prepare a brief, neutral inquiry about their interest in exploring alternative revenue streams from proprietary data, without mentioning SourceX explicitly yet.

Week 3: Engage the Sponsor & Prepare for Introduction

Now it's time to engage your identified sponsor. This isn't about selling SourceX, but about understanding their potential interest in data licensing as a revenue opportunity.

Conversation Points with Sponsor:

• Open with Value: "Many companies are now exploring new revenue streams from their proprietary data assets. Is this something your company has considered or would be open to exploring?"
• Listen Actively: Understand their current data monetization efforts, if any, and their openness to new models.
• Introduce SourceX (If Interest Exists): If they show interest, you can briefly mention SourceX as a platform that helps companies manage data licensing to AI labs and data buyers, from sourcing and rights review to delivery and payment. Emphasize that SourceX manages the transaction, never deducting from what the company receives. The partner reward is a share of SourceX's fee, not the company's.

Actionable Checklist:

• Reach out to your identified sponsors for an initial conversation about data monetization.
• If interest is confirmed, clearly explain what SourceX does and doesn't do (manages transactions, doesn't train AI models).
• Secure their explicit agreement for you to make an introduction to SourceX.
• Important: Ensure they understand that rewards become payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee. A lead, meeting or signed agreement alone does not trigger payment.

Week 4: Make the Introduction & Track

This is the critical step. Your introduction needs to be clear and direct, connecting your client with SourceX.

• Direct Introduction: Use email to introduce your client contact (the authorized sponsor) directly to SourceX. This ensures proper attribution. Credit goes to the first valid referrer whose introduction leads to a verified company application within the attribution window.
• Follow-up (Lightly): After the introduction, SourceX will take over. You can check in with your client contact periodically to see if they've connected with SourceX, but avoid pushing or interfering with the process.
• Understand Reward Structure: Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals. Rewards are capped at $100,000 cumulative per referred company. This is a share of SourceX's fee, never deducted from what the company receives.

Actionable Checklist:

• Make the formal email introduction between your authorized sponsor and SourceX.
• Keep a record of the date of introduction for your own tracking, understanding the attribution window for your referral.
• Understand that your role is primarily to make the initial qualified introduction. SourceX will handle the rest of the engagement process.

By following this structured approach, agency owners can efficiently identify and introduce suitable companies to SourceX, laying a solid foundation for a successful referral partnership.

Refer a company · How rewards work