Which means your transactions are typically:​

• Low volume (few deals).
• High complexity (each deal is unique and often large-scale, requiring significant investment or tailored service).
• Long-term commitment (relations are hard to start and hard to break)

Due to this unique nature, partnership sales are extremely difficult to standardize, systematize, or automate using a classic CRM. The process lacks the “repeatable logic” that CRM software is built to manage.

Instead of a complex CRM, focus on tools that enhance productivity and relationship memory:

• Personal Address Books/Contact Managers (like Clay or Dex): Essential for tracking relationships, notes, and individual interactions.
• Notion: Use this for shared documentation and organizing complex project details related to the partnership, such as super-complex design or BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) contracts.
• Notebooks: Don’t underestimate the power of analog tools for high-level, consultative note-taking during collaborative projects (“collabs”).
• Your strategy should be about deep relationship building and excellent note-keeping, not about funnel automation.