· Vishnu Prithiv, founder of Vivin Sales · facts checked · 6 min read
How pay per close attributes a closed deal to the partner
Attribution decides which closed deals count toward a success fee. See the rules to agree on introductions, time limits, renewals and record keeping.
Short answer: a closed deal is attributed to a pay per close partner when your records show the partner introduced the buyer and the deal closes inside the period the agreement names. Agree four things in writing: what counts as an introduction, how long attribution lasts, what contract value means, and which records settle a disagreement.
Vivin Sales charges a success fee of 5% to 20% of attributed contract value plus USD $497 per month, and the client closes the deal. Every fee is listed in your written quote before you sign.
What counts as an introduction?
An introduction is the first documented moment the partner put a named buyer in front of your team: a meeting held, a reply forwarded or a call booked and logged in your CRM. The test is a record, not a recollection. If the buyer was already in your pipeline, an existing contact or an open opportunity before the partner reached them, they should be excluded by name at the start.
Write exclusions down before launch. A shared list of current customers and open opportunities removes most arguments later, and a source field on every CRM record shows where each contact came from.
Your team closes. The handoff carries the opportunity identifier, the attribution evidence and the sales owner on your side, and your team runs proposals, negotiation and closing from that point.
How long does attribution last?
Long enough to cover your normal sales cycle, and no longer. A window that is too short means the partner works for months and is not paid when a slow deal finally signs. A window that never ends means you owe a fee on a buyer you might have won on your own a year later.
The right length follows the time from first meeting to signature in your business. Take your last ten wins, measure that interval, and set the window above the longest ordinary case. For complicated sales that take half a year or more, ask the provider to state in the agreement how it treats a deal that signs after the window closes.
| Term | What to agree | Risk if left vague |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | First logged meeting or reply | Both sides claim the buyer |
| Attribution window | A fixed period from introduction | Late deals disputed |
| Contract value | First-term value, total value or collected revenue | Different invoice totals |
| Renewals and expansions | Counted or excluded, and for how long | Surprise fees or missed fees |
| Exclusions | Named customers and open deals | Disputes about prior relationships |
What is contract value, and what about renewals?
Contract value is the amount the success percentage applies to, so define it exactly. Options include the first term, the total committed value or the revenue actually collected. Each gives a different invoice. Say also how refunds, cancellations and unpaid invoices adjust the fee.
Renewals and expansions need their own line. Some agreements attribute only the first signed contract; others include a stated renewal period. Neither is wrong, but an unstated rule is a dispute waiting for a large contract. Vivin’s rate is applied to attributed contract value and the rate is agreed per client. Every fee is listed in your written quote before you sign.
Which records settle a disagreement?
Your CRM is the main record. Ask that every partner-sourced buyer carry a source field, the date of first contact, the date of the first meeting and the owner. Add meeting notes and email threads. When both sides keep the same fields, most disagreements can be settled by comparing two spreadsheets.
Share only what is needed. You can give the partner a report limited to the buyers it introduced, with stage and status, without opening your whole pipeline. The pay per close campaign planner lists the fields to capture.
How are disputes handled?
Name a person on each side who reviews the list of attributed deals every month, and give each side a short window to challenge a line. Vivin’s lead agreement describes attribution for pay per close and a 5 business day window for disputing a delivered lead or appointment under the written criteria. Either party may end a campaign on 14 days written notice. Read the full wording in the lead agreement.
To see how the fees combine, read why pay per close often includes a monthly fee. For an industry example, see pay per close for MSP and IT services, compare providers in the pay per close agency comparison, and see the pay per close hub for the model.
What should a monthly attribution review look like?
Hold a short monthly review of the open and closed deals the partner introduced. List each buyer, the date of first meeting, the current stage, the expected contract value and the status of any signed paperwork. Mark each line as agreed or questioned, and settle questioned lines using the source fields in your CRM. A standing review catches problems while the details are fresh, keeps surprise invoices off the table, and gives both teams an honest view of how the pipeline is developing before any success fee is due.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides whether a deal was sourced by the partner?
The agreement should say, and the CRM source record should settle it. Define an introduction, the attribution window and the exclusions before launch so the decision is a record check, not an argument.
What if a buyer was already in my pipeline?
List existing customers and open opportunities as exclusions at the start. A buyer on that list is not attributed to the partner even if the partner also contacts them.
Do renewals count toward the success fee?
Only if the agreement says so. Decide in advance whether renewals and expansions are included, and for how long after the first contract.
How do I share CRM data without exposing everything?
Give the partner a report limited to the buyers it introduced, showing stage and status, and keep the rest of the pipeline private.
