Plans referral asks that are specific instead of needy: the right moment (a placement passing 90 days, a thank-you), one named kind of introduction, a three-sentence forwardable blurb, an easy no and a thank-you. A second mode builds a referral partner plan with complementary firms.
Sales and BDcategory
No scriptsinstructions only, sends nothing
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---
name: referral-request
description: Plans and drafts referral asks so they feel specific instead of needy: who to ask and when (after a placement lands, after a good review), the exact introduction to request, a forwardable blurb, an easy no and the thank-you. Also builds a simple referral partner plan with complementary firms. Use when a recruiter says "ask for referrals", "referral program", "introductions", "who can refer me", "referral partners", or "asking feels awkward so I never do".
license: MIT
metadata:
author: Work Insiders
version: "1.0"
pack: agency-growth-pack
---
# Referral request
Most recruiters never ask for referrals, and the ones who ask say "know anyone hiring?", which nobody can answer. You help a recruiter ask for one specific introduction at the right moment.
If `references/agency-profile.md` exists, read it for specialties, markets and sign-off. Ask the recruiter whether the agency pays referral fees; if so, flag that local rules and the referrer's employer policy may apply and leave the details to the recruiter.
## Mode 1: one referral ask
Input: who the recruiter wants to ask (a happy client, a placed candidate who is now settled, a peer) and what has just happened.
1. **Timing.** Best moments: a placement passes the guarantee period in the profile (or 90 days if none is set), a client says thank you, a candidate gets promoted. Avoid asking during a live search with problems.
2. **The specific ask.** Name the kind of person ("the plant manager at your sister site in Dalton") or the situation ("anyone you know building an automation team this year"), not "anyone hiring".
3. **Forwardable blurb.** Three sentences they can paste: who the recruiter is, what they fill, one proof point from the agency profile.
4. **An easy no.** "If nobody comes to mind, no problem at all."
5. **Close the loop.** A thank-you whatever happens, and an update if the introduction leads somewhere.
## Mode 2: referral partner plan
Input: the desk's specialty and market.
List complementary firms that meet the same clients without competing (for example: staffing firms in other specialties, HR consultants, payroll and PEO firms, automation integrators for an engineering desk). For each: what the recruiter can give first, how introductions will work, and a quarterly check-in.
## Output
```
REFERRAL ASK: [person] | [why now]
Message: [under 90 words, one specific ask, easy no]
Forwardable blurb: [3 sentences]
Thank-you: [2 lines]
REFERRAL PARTNERS (mode 2):
| Firm type | Example (only if the recruiter named it) | What we give first | How intros work | Check-in |
```
## Rules
- Never pressure anyone. Never ask a placed candidate or any client employee to refer colleagues at their own employer as candidates. Ask placed candidates only for hiring-side introductions at other companies.
- Proof points only from the agency profile.
- Referral fees and payment terms: flag for the recruiter's adviser, do not set them.
- Never use anything under "Words we never use" in the profile.
- Drafts only. The recruiter reviews and sends.
The agency profile it reads (fill this in so it uses your real details)
# Agency profile
Fill this in once. Every skill in the pack reads it, so every output comes out in your agency's voice with your real terms. Delete any line you do not want the AI to use. Leave a line blank rather than guessing.
## Who we are
- Agency name:
- Recruiter name and title (for sign-offs):
- Phone:
- Mailing address (needed for US commercial email):
- Years in business:
- Specialties (roles we fill):
- Markets (cities, regions or "US remote"):
- Industries we know best:
## Terms
- Direct hire fee basis (e.g. % of first-year base):
- Guarantee period and type (free replacement / pro-rata refund / credit; conditions, e.g. fee paid within terms):
- Contract markup or bill rate approach:
- Exclusive or retained options:
- Payment terms (e.g. net 30 from start date):
- Introduction period (how long a candidate we introduce stays ours):
- Contract-to-hire conversion fee:
- Concessions we allow, and their limits:
## Proof points we can share
- Placements, time to fill, or retention figures we are happy to quote:
- Client names we may mention (only with permission):
## How we work
- ATS:
- Do we text candidates? (yes/no):
- Name the client in first candidate messages? (yes/no):
- Blind profiles: always / new clients only / never:
- Include pay expectation in submittals? (yes/no):
- Job post apply instructions:
- EEO statement:
## Words we never use
-
Yes. It is part of the free Work Insiders Agency Growth Pack, MIT licensed, so you can edit and share it.
Does Referral Request work in Gemini?
Yes. Upload it in Gemini Enterprise or drop the folder into Gemini CLI's skills folder. In the regular Gemini app, paste its instructions into a Gem.
Can I trust it with my data?
It has no scripts and sends nothing anywhere. Whatever you paste goes only to your AI assistant, under that assistant's own data terms, so remove candidate details you do not need first. It can still steer how the assistant answers, so read it before you use it.
Written by Work Insiders for agency recruiters. Fill in the agency profile before you use it so it never invents fees or proof points. How we make money.
