Write a referral request email
A practical way to use AI for this job in a small business, with a prompt you can copy.
Your happiest customers would gladly recommend you. Most of them just never think to, and you feel awkward asking.
The prompt
Write a short email to a happy customer, [name], who I helped with [job]. Thank them and ask if they know anyone else who might need [service]. Make it easy to say no. Under 90 words.
Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details. Don't paste in anything you wouldn't want stored by the AI provider.
Steps
- Pick customers who've said something nice recently.
- Run the prompt.
- Personalise it.
- Send it.
A worked example
A Mackay dog trainer has finished a six-week course with a family whose rescue now walks nicely on a lead. She asks ChatGPT for a short, warm email thanking them, mentioning the specific progress, and asking if they know anyone else who might need help. It includes a simple way to refer: forward this email or share her booking link.
She sends it the day after the last session, while the family's still delighted. Two weeks later, their neighbour books in.
Where it goes wrong
AI can make referral requests sound like marketing copy. Keep it personal: mention the actual job or result. Don't let it promise incentives you haven't decided on. And don't ask customers for their friends' email addresses so you can contact them directly. That's where you get into spam trouble.
Time saved
Writing a referral email from scratch takes 10 to 15 minutes. A saved template plus a personalised line takes two or three. These are my estimates for a typical small business, not measured results.
What it costs (AUD)
Free plans are fine.
The free plans of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini handle this fine. If you end up using AI every day, the paid plans are roughly: ChatGPT Plus approx. A$30 a month, Claude Pro approx. A$29 a month billed monthly (US$20, or about A$24 a month if you pay yearly), and Google AI Pro approx. A$33 a month through the App Store. Prices approx., October 2026. Some are billed in US dollars, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Australian notes
If you offer a reward for referrals, be clear about the terms. If you plan to email the referred person, they haven't consented to marketing from you, so under the Spam Act 2003 let your customer pass on your details rather than you emailing their friends cold. In regulated industries (financial advice, health), check whether referral rewards are allowed.
Privacy: the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) cover most businesses turning over more than $3 million, plus some smaller ones such as health providers. Even if you're under the threshold, treat customer details with care: strip names, phone numbers and addresses before you paste anything into an AI tool.
My verdict
Simple and effective. Never offer a reward for reviews; referrals are different, but check the rules in your industry.
Common questions
When should I ask for a referral?
Right after a win, when the customer is happiest.
Should I offer an incentive?
It can help, but it's optional. A sincere thank-you works surprisingly well.
What if they don't reply?
That's fine. Don't chase referrals; it gets awkward fast.
Do this today
Think of the happiest customer you've had this month. Use the prompt to write them a short thank-you and referral request today.
More sales use cases
Next: Clean up and segment a customer list · All sales · Want a bot to do this automatically? See bot setup guides.