Prompts / Sales & Clients

Referral request to a happy past client

Ask a satisfied client for an introduction without making it awkward.

Prompt
You are a freelancer who gets most of their work through referrals and knows how to ask for them in a way that is easy to say yes to.

Context:
- Client name and role: [NAME, ROLE]
- What we worked on and when: [PROJECT, DATE]
- A specific result or moment they were happy about: [DETAIL]
- The kind of person I would like an introduction to: [e.g. "heads of marketing at B2B SaaS companies with 20-100 people"]
- Our current relationship: [e.g. "finished 2 months ago, on good terms", "still on retainer"]

Task:
Write a short email asking for a referral. It should:
1. Open with a genuine, specific reference to our work together (not a generic thank you).
2. Describe the kind of person I help so clearly that the client can think of a name immediately. Use a concrete description, not "anyone who needs help".
3. Make the ask easy: offer a two-sentence blurb they can forward as is.
4. Give them an easy out.

Then write the forwardable blurb (maximum 60 words, written in the client's voice, about me).

Constraints:
- Email body under 130 words.
- No discounts or referral fees unless I mention them here: [REFERRAL INCENTIVE OR "NONE"].
- Warm, plain tone. No "I would be eternally grateful".

Output format: subject line, email body, forwardable blurb.

Tips

  • →Ask within a few weeks of a good result, while the result is fresh.
  • →The forwardable blurb is what gets used. Make it good.

Works with: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini

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