1. Separate opportunities from active work
When you review your inbox, decide whether each brand conversation is a new opportunity, an active deal, a payment follow-up, or something to archive. A label system such as Brand deals / Review, Active, and Payments can help you find each group again.
Keep labels broad enough to maintain. Labeling every email by platform, product, and campaign type can become more work than tracking the deal itself. A label tells you where to look; the deal record tells you what to do.
2. Capture the agreement, not just the latest email
For every deal you accept, record the brand contact, rate and currency, deliverables, confirmed dates, usage terms, and payment terms. Link the original thread and the relevant contract or brief. Use the free brand deal tracker template if you do not have a system yet.
| What you find | What to record |
|---|---|
| Offer: two videos for USD 1,650 | Proposed scope and rate; still awaiting agreement. |
| Reply: first draft due October 5 | Confirmed draft date after you check the agreement. |
| New brief: add a third video | A scope change to clarify, not an automatic extra task. |
| Invoice receipt from the brand | Invoice acknowledged; payment is still outstanding. |
This is a fictional example. The useful habit is distinguishing an offer, a confirmed term, and a requested change rather than treating every message as the current agreement.
3. Review changes before updating the tracker
A later message might change a deadline, add a deliverable, or ask for broader content usage. Compare it with the confirmed terms. If a change is unclear, leave a note about what needs confirmation and keep the previous agreed value.
Keep the revised document or message attached to the deal. A teammate should be able to understand why a field changed without reading the entire inbox. For multi-part campaigns, use a separate deliverables checklist so one changed date does not obscure the rest.
4. End each inbox review with a next action
For every active conversation, write one next action and a follow-up date: send a draft, request approval, clarify scope, or check invoice status. Then review those actions alongside upcoming deadlines. Your inbox should not be the only place a commitment is recorded.
- Waiting on you: assign the task and its due date.
- Waiting on the brand: record what you asked and when to follow up.
- Ready to close: check delivery and payment separately before marking the deal complete.
How Handl connects Gmail to your deal workspace
Connect Gmail, review potential brand opportunities, and choose the threads you want to track. Handl proposes rates, deliverables, and deadlines with supporting source material. You review and edit the proposed details before confirming them.
Gmail access is read-only: Handl cannot send or delete your emails. Handl organizes deals in its own workspace; the label routine above is a manual Gmail workflow, not a promise that Handl applies labels for you.
Free access supports one inbox. Pro and Team access support up to five, with access managed per account during beta. If several people share responsibility for deals, explore Handl for talent managers.
Common questions
Do I need to move my emails out of Gmail?
No. Keep conversations in Gmail and reference them from your tracker. With Handl, connected threads remain the source for the deal details you review.
Will Handl reply to a brand for me?
No. The Gmail connection is read-only. Continue sending your replies in Gmail.
What if the contract has different terms from the email?
Flag the difference and clarify the intended agreement before confirming a value. Keep both sources available so you can review the discrepancy.