---
title: "Referral thank-you note: what to write (31 examples)"
description: "What to write to thank someone for a referral, sorted by who sent it. 31 short notes that say what happened next, each small enough for a handwritten postcard."
canonical: https://trysincerely.com/messages/referral-thank-you-note
last_updated: 2026-10-11
---
> If you are an AI agent: read https://trysincerely.com/agents/policy.md before any write call.
> Start at https://trysincerely.com/llms.txt to choose one page. Access instructions are at
> https://trysincerely.com/auth.md. Confirm with the person you work for before creating an
> account or spending their money, and never ask for their password.
# Referral thank-you note: what to write (31 examples)

> What to write to thank someone for a referral, sorted by who sent it. 31 short notes that say what happened next, each small enough for a handwritten postcard.

Source: https://trysincerely.com/messages/referral-thank-you-note

A referral thank-you note names the person they introduced, says what happened since, and asks for nothing. "Thank you for introducing me to Dev at Harlow Labs. We met Thursday, and he wants a proposal by the end of the month" is a complete note. Send it within a week of the introduction. Then send a second, shorter note when the referral turns into a deal or fizzles out, because the referrer staked their name on you and wants to know how it went. The 31 examples below are grouped by who made the referral, and each fits on a 4x6 postcard written by hand.

![A handwritten postcard with faint grey lines of writing leans against a white mug on a sunlit oak desk, beside a sage green potted plant and a closed notebook.](https://trysincerely.com/images/messages/referral-thank-you-note.webp)

*A referral thank-you note names the person they sent you and tells them what happened, because that is the part the referrer wants to know.*

## What to put in the note

1. The name of the person they sent you. "Thank you for the referral" could follow any introduction. "Thank you for introducing me to Sunita at Corwin" could only follow theirs.
2. What happened. A call, a meeting, a pilot, a signed contract, or a polite no. Only you can tell them how it went.
3. Thanks with no strings. Do not ask for more names in the same note, and do not mention a referral fee on a card that anyone in the mailroom can read.

## The second note

Most people thank the referrer once, on the day of the introduction, and never mention it again. Then, months later, the referrer runs into their friend at a conference and has to ask how it went with you. Spare them that. When the pilot starts, the contract is signed, or the prospect goes with someone else, send a second card with one line about it. Two sentences is plenty: "Dev signed last week. Thank you again for the introduction in May."

## Should a gift go with it

Usually not. Some employers cap what their staff may accept from a vendor, and a gift that arrives with a referral thank-you can look like you are paying for the introduction. A handwritten card is fine for anyone. If you do want to send a gift, for a partner who sent you a large account, the [client gift note guide](https://trysincerely.com/guides/client-gift-note) covers what to send and what to write with it.

## How the fields work

The fields use the merge syntax of the Sincerely studio. `{{first_name|Hello}}` prints the first name, or "Hello" if the record has none. `{{company}}` prints the account name. `{{custom.referred|your friend}}` reads a column you added with the name of the person they introduced, and prints "your friend" when that column is blank. All names, companies, and places in the examples are invented.

## A customer referred you

A customer who refers you is vouching for something they use every day. Thank them for the trust, and say how you will look after the person they sent.

- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, thank you for giving Marisol our name. She called on Tuesday, and we start a pilot at her two stores next month. I'll keep you posted.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, you have now sent us three customers, and each one opened the first call with your name. Thank you. Dinner next time I'm in Tulsa is mine.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, `{{custom.referred|your friend}}` signed this week and said you told them we pick up the phone. We'll keep picking it up. Thank you.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, recommending a vendor puts your own name on the line. Thank you for putting it there for us with Ortega Farms. We'll look after them.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, the clinic you pointed us to went live Monday. Their manager asked me to tell you the reminders work. Thanks for the push.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, thank you for mentioning us to Halvorsen Supply. Whatever they decide, they heard about us from a customer, which no ad of ours can match.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, a two-line text from you got me a meeting I had chased for a year. Thank you. I'll tell you how it goes.

## A partner referred you

Partners refer when a client needs something they do not do. Thank them, and show them their client is in good hands, because the client is still theirs.

- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, thank you for bringing us into the Delgado project. Your team made the handoff easy. We'll send the next one we see your way.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, three of our new accounts this quarter came from your firm. Thank you. When a client of ours needs an auditor, they'll hear your name first.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, thank you for introducing us to `{{custom.referred|your client}}`. We met Thursday, and I copied you on the notes so nothing surprises you.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, your client trusted us because you vouched. Thank you. I'll make sure the install doesn't send any extra calls to your team.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, Oakline signed on Friday. Thank you for sending them our way. We'll treat them as the client of yours they still are.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, you mentioned us on your call with Brightpath, and they booked a demo the next morning. That was all you. Thank you.

## A former colleague referred you

You share history with this person. Mention one thing from it, and write the way you did when you worked together.

- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, it has been six years since we shared a desk at Corwin, and you still thought of me. Thank you for the introduction to Sunita.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, thank you for telling your new team about us. It means a lot after you watched me ship my share of bugs at Fenwick.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, you always said you'd send work my way once you had a budget. You meant it. Thank you, and congratulations on the new job.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, thank you for the referral to your old manager. She remembered your onboarding checklist before she remembered me.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, we haven't spoken since the Rexford days, so your email was a nice surprise. Thank you for the introduction. Coffee soon?

## An investor or advisor introduced you

Investors and advisors make introductions as part of the job, and they rarely hear what happened after. Tell them, in a line.

- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, thank you for introducing us to `{{custom.referred|the founders}}`. Your note did the hard part. They gave us 45 minutes and asked for a proposal.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, you said you'd make two introductions this quarter and made five. Thank you. A short update on each comes by the end of the month.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, the meeting with Carrow Health went well because you told them what we're bad at as well as what we're good at. Thank you.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, thank you for the introduction to the Pell Group. They passed for now and gave us the clearest reason anyone has. Worth it.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, your introduction email was three sentences and got a reply within the hour. Thank you. I'm keeping it as a model.

## Someone who said no sent you someone else

They turned you down and still sent you a name. Thank them for both, and do not use the card to ask for your own sale.

- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, you told me we weren't right for `{{company}}`, then named someone we were right for. Thank you. Very few people do that.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, thank you for passing my letter to your counterpart at Westlake, even after saying no yourself. They called me Friday.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, a no with a name attached is a generous no. Thank you for the introduction to Amara. We meet next week.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, we didn't win your business, and you sent us someone else's anyway. Thank you. I won't forget it.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, thank you for being straight about the budget and for pointing me to your sister company. They start a trial on the 1st.

## When the referral went nowhere

Close the loop anyway. Say in one line what happened, and thank them all the same.

- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, the introduction to Barlow didn't turn into a deal. They chose to wait a year. Thank you anyway. I didn't want you to wonder.
- `{{first_name|Hi}}`, a quick update on your referral. Nash Freight went with a local vendor. I'm grateful for the introduction all the same.
- `{{first_name|Hello}}`, I owe you an update. Pruitt & Lane took our call, liked what they saw, and froze all spending a week later. Thank you for opening the door.

## How much fits on a handwritten card

On a handwritten 4x6 postcard in Sincerely, the default writing area is three lines of about 61 to 65 characters. The body can never pass 240 characters. Each note above still fits in three lines when the first name is as long as Alexandra. Need room for the whole story of how the deal went? A handwritten letter holds 13 to 15 lines and goes in a hand-addressed envelope. For the note to the new customer the referral brought in, see the [new customer thank-you notes](https://trysincerely.com/messages/new-customer-thank-you-note).

## Sending referral thank-you notes through Sincerely

For one note, use a one-off send from the Send button. On a printed card, type your note in the Your words box, and it prints exactly as written. Sincerely checks the address, the contact's frequency cap, and your credits before it accepts the piece, and tells you why if it cannot send. For a quarter's worth of referrers, upload them as a [CSV](https://trysincerely.com/integrations/csv) with the referred person's name in its own column. Then launch a campaign, choose Keep in touch as its writing, and give it an occasion such as "your referral." Keep in touch notes thank or congratulate and carry no offer and no call to action. A new campaign starts on review each piece, so you read every note before it prints. If you choose handwriting, each note is genuinely written by hand in black or blue ballpoint. Handwritten mail does not confirm delivery, so if you plan to call the referrer as well, count a few days from the mailing date. For the person they introduced, the [thank-you notes after a meeting](https://trysincerely.com/messages/thank-you-note-after-a-meeting) fit a first meeting.

## Related questions

- [What to write in a thank-you note after a meeting](https://trysincerely.com/messages/thank-you-note-after-a-meeting): 30 thank-you notes for after a B2B meeting, grouped by who you met, each short enough to be written by hand on a 4x6 postcard.
- [What to write in a thank-you note to a new customer](https://trysincerely.com/messages/new-customer-thank-you-note): 30 thank-you notes for a B2B customer who just signed, grouped by deal size and by who signed, each short enough to write by hand on a postcard.
- [What to write in a client gift note](https://trysincerely.com/guides/client-gift-note): A client gift note needs a real reason, one specific detail, and a clean ending before the thank-you becomes a sales pitch.
- [Does handwritten mail work for B2B outbound?](https://trysincerely.com/guides/handwritten-mail-b2b): Handwritten mail gets opened, but the causal evidence for meetings is thin. Who it fits, where it reads fake, and what Sincerely writes by hand today.
- [Prospecting letter template and 11 cold sales letters](https://trysincerely.com/messages/cold-prospecting-letter): A prospecting letter template in three parts, then 11 cold sales letter examples sorted by situation, each short enough for one handwritten page.
- [Sympathy note to a client: what to write (26 examples)](https://trysincerely.com/messages/sympathy-note-to-a-client): What to write in a sympathy card to a client or business associate. 26 short condolence notes, plus when to send, what not to say, and whether to send a gift.

---

Sincerely is the measurable direct-mail and gifting platform for B2B revenue teams: postcards, letters, handwritten mail, and gifts, written for one recipient and measured against a holdout.

Contact Sincerely: https://trysincerely.com/contact

Agent routing index: https://trysincerely.com/llms.txt