# Referral email templates

Three asks. After delivery, after a win, after a no. No gift card. No guilt.

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## After delivery

Subject: The exception rule we wrote

Priya, the forum has now run twice without you in the chair, which is the sentence you used for "this is working".

I am looking for one introduction: a founder-led business where the founder is still the night desk for customer exceptions. Not a general "anyone who might need ops help".

If someone in your world is in that situation, a two-line forward is enough:

> Alex helps founder-led teams install a weekly decision forum and a written exception rule so the founder is not the night desk. Six days a month. I worked with them on that.

No ask beyond that. If nobody comes to mind, the work still stands.

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## After a win they celebrated

Subject: The line you used on Friday

Tom, you said "I can finally take a Thursday off without the phone lighting up." That is the line I will keep using, with your permission.

If you know one peer still living the old version of that week, I would take an introduction. I will not pitch them a tour. I will ask whether they are still the night desk.

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## After a no

Subject: Thanks for the clarity

Priya, you were clear that a 90-day container is not the move while the warehouse system is landing. Thank you for not leaving it vague.

If you later meet a founder who is still the exception desk and is not in the middle of a system replacement, I am an easy introduction. No need to reply if nobody is in that seat.

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## When not to send

Do not ask for a referral in the same note as a second pitch. Do not ask for a public review and an introduction together. Do not send any of these if the work did not actually land.