Pro tip: DON'T mention your other clients by name in a proposal - learned this the hard way

I was sitting in a coffee shop on 3rd Street in San Diego, drafting a proposal for a local bakery owner. I casually mentioned how great it was working with "Sarah's Vegan Kitchen" as a similar business. Turned out the bakery owner and Sarah had a falling out years ago - she shut down the call right there. I lost a $600 contract because I name-dropped the wrong person. Has anyone else burned a deal by sharing too much context or past client info in a proposal?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbyhall6d ago

And yeah, @scott.alex you're spot on with the reverse-search tip. I actually start every new client call now by saying "hey, I've worked with a few other places in this space, any shops or people I should steer clear of mentioning?" Straight up, most folks appreciate the heads up and will give you a list. One time a client even told me to avoid talking about a specific vendor they used to partner with, saved my whole pitch. The silence test is real too - if I bring up a name and the room gets quiet, I pivot hard and fast.

scott.alex6d ago

I lost a $600 contract because I name-dropped the wrong person" - that sucks, but the real issue isn't just name-dropping. Nobody's talking about how you should reverse-search your past clients' relationships before you mention them. I check LinkedIn for mutual connections or any obvious beef signs like unfollows or past partnerships that went silent. There's also this trick where you ask the new client if they know anyone in that industry first, before you bring up names. That way they either give you a green light or you learn about the drama without wrecking your proposal. Most people skip that step and end up like you did.

shane_wilson6d ago

The last time I almost had this happen I found out the new client used to work at the same small agency as my old contact and they left on bad terms. I saved myself by leading with "I know some people in the X industry, you probably do too, any big names I should avoid bringing up?" They laughed and told me the whole story. Just a quick five minute chat saved me months of relationship building and made them trust me more for being upfront.