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ToolDeck

Sales & Lead Capture

Referral Request Automator

After a happy client milestone, you — automatically — ask for a referral at the right time.

Saves about ~1 hr per week

What it does

  • Triggers a referral request after specific client milestones
  • Sends a warm, personal message — not a bulk blast
  • Reminds you to follow up with anyone who says 'sure' but never sends names
  • Tracks who referred whom so you can say thanks

How it works

  1. Milestone marks the happy-client moment
  2. Referral request email goes out
  3. Positive replies are followed up automatically
  4. Referrals logged to a tracking sheet

What's included

  • Milestone triggers
  • Request template
  • Follow-up + tracking

Set it up yourself

Follow these 4 steps in order. You will need accounts for: Gmail.

Step 1: Define your milestones

  1. Pick the triggers: invoice paid in full, project completion, positive feedback received, or 3-month anniversary.
  2. Choose ONE milestone to start — likely 'project completion'.
  3. Create a sheet 'Clients' with columns: Email, Milestone Date, Referral Requested (yes/no), Names Given.
  4. Note what data you have (project tool? CRM?) so the trigger can know when the milestone happens.

Watch out: Timing is everything: request at peak-positive moments, never after a bumpy week.

Step 2: Write the request

  1. Draft: 'Hey {name}, thanks again for {project}. If you know two people who'd love this same result, I'd be grateful for an intro.'
  2. Keep it under 80 words and specific about the kind of person who'd suit.
  3. Make replying easy: just the intro sentence, no forms.
  4. Save as a template (personalize the {project} field).

Watch out: Specific trumps generic: 'founders with the same inbox problem' gets forwardable action; 'anyone you know' gets ignored.

Step 3: Build the follow-up

  1. Add a reply detector: any reply from the client sets 'Referred?' pending → status 'promised-intros'.
  2. Schedule one nudge 5 days later if the client said yes but gave no names (soft, one-time).
  3. Add a monthly digest: list of clients who said yes and gave nothing — your manual follow-up list.
  4. Test the reply-to-nudge path.

Watch out: The one-time nudge is a fine line — promise-nudges yes, harassing no. Keep it to a single gentle touch.

Step 4: Log the results

  1. When names come back, log: Referred Client, Introducer, Date.
  2. Add thank-you follow-through: after an intro converts, send the introducer a 'your intro made this happen' note.
  3. Review the monthly digest to prune the system as you grow.
  4. Track referrals-source so you know this automation's ROI.

Watch out: Never ask for referrals from unhappy clients — the milestone filter should exclude anyone with an open complaint.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Referral Request Automator automation do?

After a happy client milestone, you — automatically — ask for a referral at the right time. Triggers a referral request after specific client milestones

How much time does Referral Request Automator save?

It is estimated to save ~1 hr per week. Actual savings depend on your volume.

Which tools does Referral Request Automator use?

It works with Gmail.

What does Referral Request Automator include?

Milestone triggers, Request template, Follow-up + tracking.

Can I set up Referral Request Automator myself?

Yes. The do-it-yourself guide on this page walks through 4 steps, from getting access to testing the finished automation.