The verdict in three sentences
A partner does not lose money at closing, they lose it from poor tracking: forgotten recurring fees, deals signed but never reconciled, late payouts never claimed. A simple four-stage pipeline (lead -> demo -> signed -> paid) plus a recurring ledger is enough to plug a leak that easily reaches 5 % of annual income. A free CRM and weekly discipline are worth hundreds of thousands of FCFA a year.
The four-stage pipeline and what to log
Every deal moves through stages. Without tracking, you lose sight of where each prospect stands and how much you are owed. Here is the minimal pipeline and the fields to fill per deal.
| Stage | What it means | To log | Follow-up action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | Contact identified | Name, line, estimated ticket | First meeting within 7 days |
| Demo | Demo presented | Demo date, objections | Quote within 48 h |
| Signed | Contract signed | Amount, line, date, rate | Confirm with agency |
| Paid | Client paid the agency | Payment date, commission due | Claim payout within 30 days |
The classic trap: a deal stays stuck at "signed" because nobody checks that the client paid and the commission was released. That is where money leaks.
The recurring ledger: the invisible leak
The 5 % recurring on showcase maintenance is easy to forget because it arrives in small monthly amounts. A dedicated ledger stops the agency from "forgetting" and you from never claiming.
| Item to track | Frequency | 2026 example | Risk if untracked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clients in maintenance | Monthly | 20 active clients | Recurring not paid |
| Maintenance amount/client | Monthly | 60,000 FCFA/month | Wrong calculation base |
| Recurring due (5 %) | Monthly | 60,000 FCFA/year total | 5 % leak |
| Payout date | Monthly | 5th of month | Late payout unclaimed |
| Agency reconciliation | Monthly | statement compared | Gap undetected |
A partner with 20 maintenance clients at 60,000 FCFA/month earns 60,000 FCFA/year in recurring (20 x 60,000 x 12 x 5 %). Not tracking it means giving that money away.
The Kolonell referral program and its transparency
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Kolonell gives its partners clear commission tracking by line — showcase 15 % + 5 % recurring, e-commerce 12 %, marketplace 10 %, institutional 8 % — with signing, client-payment and payout dates. Commission payout follows a monthly rhythm after the client pays. This transparency eases your reconciliation: you compare your ledger to the agency statement and catch any gap. An organized partner never lets a recurring fee slip.
Mini case study
Fatou, a partner in Accra, kept everything in her head. Rebuilding her year in a free spreadsheet, she finds 3 signed deals including an E-commerce Growth (240,000 FCFA commission) never reconciled, and 14 maintenance clients whose recurring (14 x 60,000 x 12 x 5 % = 50,400 FCFA) had never been claimed. Total recovered: 290,400 FCFA lost to poor tracking. She now runs a review every Friday.
FAQ
Which pipeline stages should you track at minimum? Four: lead, demo, signed, paid. Most leaks happen between "signed" and "paid", when nobody checks the commission was actually released.
Why is recurring so often lost? Because it arrives in small monthly amounts that are easy to forget. 20 clients at 5 % of 60,000 FCFA/month is 60,000 FCFA/year vanishing without a dedicated ledger.
Do you need a paid CRM? No. A free spreadsheet or free CRM (like HubSpot free) handles a few dozen deals. What matters is weekly discipline, not the tool.
How fast should you claim a payout? Within 30 days of the client's payment. Log the client payment date in your ledger to chase if the payout is late.
How do you reconcile with the agency? Compare your ledger monthly to Kolonell's commission statement. Any gap (missing deal, unpaid recurring) shows up immediately and can be claimed.
Let's talk about your project. Join the Kolonell referral program and track every commission without leaks. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
