Introduction email template for transaction advisory and QoE partners
A transaction advisory or QoE partner should introduce a sell-side client to SourceX only after the report is delivered, the firm's independence and referral-fee policy is cleared, and the owner agrees. The email states the connection, shares no engagement information and offers an optional conversation.
How should a transaction advisory partner introduce a sell-side client to SourceX?
Wait until the quality of earnings (QoE) report is delivered, clear the firm's independence and fee policy first, ask the owner for permission, then send a short email that names the program, states your connection and offers an optional conversation. The email below is built for that sequence.
It is written for the transaction advisory or QoE partner who has just finished a sell-side engagement and knows the owner well. At that point you have seen how the business keeps its books, which systems feed the numbers and how long the history runs, which is exactly the context that makes an introduction relevant. You still do not describe, copy or forward any of the underlying records.
Clear your firm's policy first
A sell-side QoE is usually not an attest engagement, but the same firm may audit or review the client, or a buyer's affiliate, elsewhere. Under the AICPA Code, taking a commission for recommending a product or service to a client is restricted when the firm also performs certain attest services for that client, and referral fees that are permitted must be disclosed. Read the current Code text.
State boards can be stricter than the AICPA Code, as shown in this New Jersey CPA society summary of commissions and contingent fees. Check your state, your firm's independence group and any engagement letter terms.
This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm with your firm's ethics or independence team and your state board before acting.
When in the engagement does the email fit?
| Moment | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| After the final QoE report is delivered | Best | Work is complete and no negotiation is pending |
| During the data room build | Poor | The owner is overloaded and it can look like a distraction |
| After signing, before close | Check first | An LOI or purchase agreement may restrict other deals; see the no-shop clause explainer |
| Post-close or on a deferred sale | Good | The owner is thinking about what else the business holds |
| After a failed or paused process | Good | The company still has the records and may want other value |
Email template: after the report is delivered
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For subject-line variants, use the subject-line guide. The introduction email builder drafts a version you can adapt.
Short version for a call-back
Personalizing the email
| Placeholder | What to put | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| {first_name} | The sponsor or owner who signed the engagement letter | The deal team's junior contacts |
| {company_name} | The client's name | Any numbers from the QoE |
| Reason line | The number of systems and years of history you saw at a high level | Quoting findings or working papers |
| Disclosure | The firm's approved wording | Reward rate or any figure |
What screens a good fit?
Run these quick checks before sending:
- The company has 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded).
- Records go back several years across more than one system.
- The owner or an authorized executive can decide on a license.
- The data is the company's own, not mainly its clients' or consumers'.
- No exclusivity or confidentiality term in the sale process blocks the discussion.
Use the company fit checker for a non-binding screen, and the who qualifies page for the baseline. The wording of other partner emails, such as the wealth advisor email or the forwardable blurb, shows how other roles handle the same step.
Follow-up timing
- Send once, within a week of delivering the final report.
- If there is no reply, one short follow-up after ten days is enough.
- If the owner says yes, send the introduction to SourceX the same day, with the owner copied.
- If the owner says no or stays silent, close the loop and move on.
What never goes in the email
- Findings, adjustments or any information from the QoE work or the data room.
- Promises of price, approval or payment.
- Reward rates or amounts. Rewards are described in the program terms only.
- Attachments containing client records.
How rewards work
Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 per referred company. The reward is paid only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee; an introduction, meeting or signed agreement alone does not trigger payment, and no reward is guaranteed. Your firm's policy decides whether it may take part at all.
Next step
Once your independence group has cleared it, register as a partner so the firm has a referral link for the first introduction. See also the accountant referral page.
- Step 1Share your linkSend your personal link to a company you know.
- Step 2Company appliesThe company applies itself at /apply.
- Step 3Buyer selects and paysThe buyer selects and pays for the data and SourceX receives its fee.
- Step 4You get your rewardYour share of SourceX fees becomes payable.
Common questions
Can we send this email to a client we also audit?
Not without first checking the AICPA commissions and referral fees rule and your state board's version. Attest work for the same client is the trigger for the strictest limits. Ask your independence group in writing before any introduction to an attest client.
Should the email mention the QoE findings?
No. Keep findings, adjustments and data room details out of it completely. The only reference is a general observation that the company has kept records across systems for years, and even that is optional. The introduction should work without any confidential information from the engagement.
What if the buyer or sponsor asks about the email?
Be open about it. Tell them you made an optional introduction with the owner's permission and disclosed the connection. If a purchase agreement or LOI limits other transactions, raise it with deal counsel before sending anything so you do not create a conflict during the process.
Do we need the owner's written yes before introducing them?
Yes, an email reply is enough for most firms. Do not pass contact details to SourceX until you have it. Then send a short introduction with the owner copied, so the company knows exactly who has contacted them and why.
Does SourceX see the client's financial data?
No. Partners give basic fit information only and never export, upload or describe confidential records. SourceX qualifies the company, which then completes its own data inventory. Redaction requirements are agreed with the company before any work, and data moves only after an executed agreement.
Related pages
- Referral opportunities for accountants and bookkeeping firms
- What does an LOI no-shop clause restrict, and can a seller still license its data?
- Forwardable introduction blurb template: the paragraph an owner can pass on
- Introduction email subject lines for data licensing introductions
- Introduction email templates for wealth advisors with business-owner clients
- Check Company Fit for Data Licensing
Free resources
- Cash flow calculator — A 12-month cash forecast with shortfalls highlighted.
- Referral earnings calculator — Hypothetical partner earnings with the per-company cap.
- Cash conversion cycle calculator — DIO, DSO, DPO and the cash conversion cycle.
- All free tools · MCP resource center
By SourceX Partnerships Team · Published 2026-10-09 · Updated 2026-10-09
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