Referral request email that makes referring you easy
Most happy clients would refer you, but "let me know if you know anyone" gives them nothing to work with. A good referral request names the kind of person you help, the problem you solve and gives a ready-to-forward blurb. Your todo.is agent writes it, personal to each client, from your notes.
The prompt
- Write a referral request email to [CLIENT NAME], a client I [WHAT YOU DID FOR THEM]. Their result was [THEIR RESULT]. Ask if they know [YOUR IDEAL REFERRAL] who has [PROBLEM YOU SOLVE]. Make it easy: include a 3-sentence blurb they can forward as is, and mention [REFERRAL REWARD, IF ANY]. Keep it under 140 words, warm and low pressure, with an easy "no worries if not". Write a subject line, and a short thank-you email for when they send someone. Save it as a Gmail draft and do not send it.
What to change
- [CLIENT NAME]: E.g. "Helen Park".
- [WHAT YOU DID FOR THEM]: E.g. "redesigned the website for, 6 months ago".
- [THEIR RESULT]: E.g. "online bookings doubled in 3 months".
- [YOUR IDEAL REFERRAL]: Be specific, e.g. "another physiotherapy clinic owner" or "a local business with an old website".
- [PROBLEM YOU SOLVE]: E.g. "a website that does not bring in bookings".
- [REFERRAL REWARD, IF ANY]: E.g. "a 10% discount on their next project" or "no reward". Check if your industry allows rewards.
Example result
- The email
- Subject: A small favour, Helen?
- Hi Helen,
- I hope things are busy at Park Physio. I was really happy to see that online bookings have doubled since the new site went live.
- Most of my best clients come from people like you, so I wanted to ask: do you know another clinic owner whose website is not bringing in bookings? If so, I would be glad to help them the same way.
- To make it easy, here is a short note you can forward:
- > "I worked with Sam Reid on our clinic website. Our online bookings doubled in three months. He specialises in sites for small clinics and is easy to work with: sam@reidweb.co"
- As a thank-you, any client you refer gets 10% off, and so do you on your next project.
- No worries at all if no one comes to mind.
- Thanks,
- Sam
- Thank-you email (after a referral)
- Subject: Thank you for the intro to Marco
- Hi Helen, thank you for introducing me to Marco. We have a call on Thursday. I really appreciate you thinking of me, and your 10% is waiting whenever you need it.
- Why this referral request works
- • It names a specific kind of person, so a name comes to mind
- • The forwardable blurb removes all the effort
- • It reminds them of their own result first, so the ask feels natural
- • It gives an easy way to say no
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the client, their result and who you want to meet in the [brackets].
- Paste it into todo.is or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Your agent writes the email with a forwardable blurb and a thank-you, and saves a Gmail draft.
- Send it to one happy client at a time. Ask your agent to make a list of clients with great results to ask next.
Tips for a better result
- Ask right after a win, when the client is happiest, not months later.
- Describe the referral so clearly that one name pops into their head: "another clinic owner", not "anyone".
- A forwardable blurb doubles the chance they act. Most people want to help but do not want to write.
- Always thank them, even if the referral does not become a client.
referral request email: FAQ
- How do you ask for a referral by email? Remind them of the result you got together, describe the exact kind of person you help, give a short blurb they can forward, and make it easy to say no.
- When should I ask a client for a referral? Right after a clear success, like a finished project, a milestone or a thank-you from them.
- Should I offer a reward for referrals? It can help, but it is optional. Some professions have rules about referral fees, so check yours first.
- Can my agent find which clients to ask? If you share a client list or connect Gmail, your agent can suggest clients who recently thanked you or finished a project.
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