Referral Request Script Library

How to use this tool. This library is for owners and sales leads who get good work but rarely ask for introductions. Set aside about 60 to 90 minutes to choose your target customers, adapt the scripts and book your first asks. By the end you will have a named list of people to ask, scripts in your own words and a simple tracker.

Why it matters

Referred prospects usually arrive with trust already in place. They have heard from someone they respect that you do the job properly, so they ask fewer sceptical questions and are less likely to shop purely on price. That is a general pattern in B2B work, not a guarantee, and you should check it against your own numbers.

Most happy customers will not refer you unprompted. They are busy, they do not know who you want to meet and they do not want to put their reputation on the line without a clear, easy request. A good referral script removes that friction. It is specific, low pressure and takes the customer under two minutes.

The method: ask at the right moment, for the right person, in the right way

Work through these five steps before you use any script.

1. Choose who to ask. Start with customers who have paid on time, said something positive and run a business similar to those you want more of. Aim for ten names.
2. Define the introduction you want. "Anyone who needs electrical work" is vague. "A facilities manager at a Perth warehouse or manufacturing site with ageing switchboards" is something a customer can picture and act on.
3. Pick the moment. The best moments are just after a successful handover, after unsolicited praise, after a problem you resolved well, and at a scheduled review.
4. Choose the channel. Face to face or by phone is best for your closest customers. Email or SMS suits others, but both are covered by the Spam Act 2003 (see the compliance notes below).
5. Make it easy. Offer a short forwardable blurb. Let the customer decide whether to introduce you by email, a call or a coffee.

Compliance notes

• Email and SMS. A referral request is likely to count as a commercial message. Send only to people who have consented (expressly, or by an existing relationship in a way that is reasonable to infer), identify your business clearly and include a working unsubscribe option. Honour opt-outs promptly.
• Phone calls to individuals. Check the Do Not Call Register before calling anyone who is a sole trader or consumer. Calls to your own existing customers are different from cold calls, but get advice if you are unsure.
• Customer information. Do not pass on a referrer's or a prospect's details without their agreement. Let the referrer make the introduction, or ask permission before you make contact. Follow your privacy policy and the Privacy Act.
• Rewards. If you thank referrers with a gift or fee, keep it modest and transparent. Some industries have specific rules, so check with your professional body or adviser.

The tool

Step 1: Your ten referral candidates

Step 2: Your ideal introduction

Complete these sentences in plain words.

• The type of business I most want to meet is:
• The job title of the person I would speak to is:
• The problem they are likely to have right now is:
• The size or type of job that suits us best is:
• Something that is not a good fit, and that I want to avoid, is:

Step 3: Choose your scripts

Fill in the bracketed placeholders in each script below, then adjust the wording until it sounds like you.

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Script 1: At handover, face to face or phone

When to use it. Straight after you complete a job or hit a milestone and the customer is pleased.

"I am glad you are happy with how [project or service] turned out, [Name]. Can I ask you for a favour? We are looking to take on more work like this for [type of customer, e.g. owners of industrial sites in the northern suburbs]. Is there anyone in your network who has a similar [problem or project] coming up? If someone comes to mind, I would be grateful for an introduction, but no pressure at all."

What to say next. If they name someone, ask: "What is the best way to introduce us, an email from you or a quick call?" If they hesitate, say: "That is fine. I will send you a two-line summary you can forward if anyone comes to mind."

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Script 2: After unsolicited praise

When to use it. The customer says something kind in a call, email or review.

"Thank you, [Name], that means a lot to the team. Would you mind if I asked one more thing? You mentioned [specific thing they praised]. Do you know another business owner who is dealing with [same issue]? An introduction from you would carry far more weight than anything I could say."

What to say next. Repeat their praise back accurately and use it, with their permission, in your introduction blurb or testimonial.

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Script 3: At a scheduled account review

When to use it. Quarterly or annual reviews, once you have covered results and any issues.

"Before we finish, [Name], one question. Over the next [three or six] months we have capacity for [number] new [clients or projects]. Who is one business you know that would benefit from [specific outcome you delivered for them]? If you prefer, I can write a short note for you to forward."

What to say next. Write down the name, the next step and a date to follow up. Tell them when you will update them on the outcome.

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Script 4: Asking a referral partner

When to use it. Accountants, bookkeepers, solicitors, suppliers, insurance brokers, other trades or consultants who see your ideal customers but do not compete with you.

"Hi [Name], I would like to make this a two-way arrangement. Your clients sometimes need [what you do], and mine sometimes need [what they do]. The clients I help most are [ideal customer description] who are facing [typical trigger, e.g. a compliance deadline or a growth bottleneck]. If you hear that, would you be comfortable passing on my name? I will do the same for you, and I will always keep you informed about how it goes."

What to say next. Agree what a good introduction looks like, how you will report back and how often you will check in. Put a time in the diary to meet in three months.

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Script 5: Email request to an existing customer

When to use it. When a conversation is not practical and the customer has dealt with you recently. Keep it short and personal.

Subject: A quick favour, [Name]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for choosing [Business Name] for [project or service]. We enjoyed working with you, and I hope [specific result] is still working well.

We are looking to work with a few more [type of business]. If you know someone who may benefit from [outcome], would you be happy to introduce us? I have included a short note below that you can forward as it is.

Forwardable note: "[Name] at [Business Name] helped us with [specific result]. They are worth a conversation if you are dealing with [problem]. Their website is lotusstrategic.com.au."

Many thanks, [Your name], [Business Name], [Your town or suburb]

If you would prefer not to receive messages like this, reply with "unsubscribe" and we will stop.

What to say next. If there is no reply in 7 to 10 days, follow up once by phone or in person. Do not send a third reminder.

Replace the website line in the forwardable note with your own business website.

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Script 6: SMS request

When to use it. Only to customers who have agreed to receive messages from you.

"Hi [Name], [Your name] from [Business Name]. Thanks again for [project]. If you know anyone who needs [service], we would appreciate an introduction. Reply STOP to opt out."

What to say next. If they reply with a name, phone them the same day to ask how they would like the introduction made.

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Script 7: When they say "I do not know anyone"

When to use it. Whenever the customer pauses or says nobody comes to mind.

"That is completely fine. Sometimes it helps to think about [specific groups, e.g. other tenants in your building, suppliers, owners you meet at industry events or your accountant]. If someone does come up later, I will leave a short note you can forward."

What to say next. Send the forwardable note the same day and diarise a gentle check-in for 60 days.

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Script 8: Asking a dormant past customer

When to use it. For customers you have not worked with for 12 months or more, where the relationship ended well.

"Hi [Name], it has been a while since we worked on [project]. I hope the business is going well. I am reaching out because we are looking to help more businesses like yours with [problem or service]. If you know of anyone, I would value an introduction. And if anything has changed on your side, I would be glad to catch up."

What to say next. Treat this as a reconnection first. A referral often comes after a real conversation.

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Script 9: Following up on an introduction

When to use it. Within one business day of the customer agreeing to introduce you.

To the referrer: "Thank you, [Name]. I will contact [Prospect] today and let you know how we go. Please tell them to expect to hear from me."

To the prospect: "Hi [Prospect], [Referrer] suggested I get in touch because [reason]. We helped them with [result]. Would a 20-minute call on [day or time] suit, to see if we could help you too?"

What to say next. After the first meeting, update the referrer in a sentence or two, without sharing confidential details about the prospect.

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Script 10: Thanking a referrer

When to use it. Whether or not the prospect becomes a customer.

"Thank you for introducing me to [Prospect], [Name]. [We are now working together / We spoke and it was not the right time]. Either way, I appreciate you backing us. [Optional: I have left a small gift of appreciation.] If anyone else comes to mind, I would be glad to help."

What to say next. Record the referral, the outcome and the thank-you in your tracker.

Step 4: Referral tracker

Pre-flight checklist

• I have chosen ten customers and a specific type of introduction.
• I have adapted at least three scripts into my own words.
• I have checked consent before any email or SMS, and each includes my business name and an unsubscribe option.
• I have checked the Do Not Call Register where relevant.
• I have a forwardable note ready.
• I have decided how I will thank referrers.

Worked example

Example only: Banksia Ridge Plumbing and Gas is a fictional Perth commercial plumbing business with six staff.

The owner, Dana, listed ten customers and noticed that four were property managers who knew other property managers. She decided her ideal introduction was a property manager responsible for multiple commercial sites in Perth, with ageing hot water systems. Dana used Script 1 with a customer after a hot water upgrade, and Script 4 with her accountant. She sent the forwardable note to two others by email after confirming they were happy to hear from her.

She tracked eight asks over three weeks. Four led to a named introduction, two to a meeting and one to a quote. She thanked all four referrers, including one whose contact did not proceed. Dana's main insight was that specific requests worked better than general ones, and that partners were more productive than occasional customers.

What good looks like

Treat the following as a guide, not a benchmark.

• You ask regularly, not just when work is quiet. A target of two to four asks a week is realistic for many small firms.
• Most asks produce either a name or a clear "not right now". Both are useful information.
• Introductions are followed up within one business day.
• Each referrer hears the outcome.
• After 60 to 90 days, review which scripts, moments and partners led to meetings, and do more of those.

Common mistakes

• Asking too broadly. "Do you know anyone?" is hard to answer. Describe a specific type of business and problem.
• Asking before delivering value. Wait until the customer is clearly happy.
• Making it work for the referrer. Offer a forwardable note and let them choose how to make the introduction.
• Passing on details without permission. Always check first.
• Forgetting to follow up. A referrer who never hears back is unlikely to refer again.
• Over-rewarding. A sincere thank-you matters more than a big incentive, and large rewards can make an introduction feel like a transaction.
• Sending bulk messages. Personalise each request and respect the Spam Act.

Put it to work this week

1. Fill in the ten-customer table and write your ideal introduction in the Step 2 sentences.
2. Adapt Scripts 1, 3 and 10 into your own words and read them aloud until they sound natural.
3. Make three asks: one at a handover or review, one to a referral partner and one by email to a customer who has agreed to hear from you.
4. Create your forwardable note and add it to your email signature file or a shared folder so the team can use it.
5. Diarise a 30-minute review in four weeks to count asks, introductions, meetings and outcomes, and decide which scripts to keep.

Where Lotus helps

Lotus Strategic Services helps Australian small and medium businesses turn good work into a steady pipeline, including referral programs, partner strategies and sales processes that suit how you actually sell. We can review your customer list, sharpen your ideal introduction and set up a tracker that your team will use. Book a free 30-minute discovery call at lotusstrategic.com.au.