B2B Referral Email Templates

B2B Referral Email Templates

LiveAgent Email Templates B2B Marketing Referral Marketing

What is the value of referrals in B2B?

It is becoming common business knowledge that retaining existing customers is the foundation of every company’s existence and continued success. However, new customer acquisition still remains the most important driver of business growth, especially in the B2B industry. This is where referral marketing comes into play. Numerous studies have proven that referrals generate some of the highest conversion rates amongst all marketing channels.

Key Statistics on B2B Referral Value:

  • According to the Harvard Business Review, 84% of B2B buyers are starting the purchasing process with a referral, and peer recommendations are influencing more than 90% of all B2B buying decisions.

  • Statistics gathered by Influitive revealed that 69% of B2B companies with referral programs report faster time to close sales, 59% report higher customer lifetime value, and 71% report higher conversion rates.

  • Based on the research by the Wharton School of Business, a referred customer costs a lot less to acquire and has a higher potential for retention and loyalty. In fact, a referred customer has a 16% higher lifetime value than a non-referred customer.

  • In their own survey, CustomerGauge found that referral business accounted for at least 20% of new sales, while referred opportunities closed at around 20 days compared to 100 days on a non-referred deal.

  • IDC and LinkedIn reported that 76.2% of business buyers prefer to work with referred vendors, and 73% prefer to work with referred salespeople.

Email template customization

10 B2B Customer Referral Email Templates

1. Asking for a Referral from a Loyal Customer

Hi [Name],

Hope things are going well with you.

I’m so glad to hear that [Product/ Service name] has been working so well for you and your team. I knew that we’d be able to drive significant impact for [their Company]. Given the success you’ve seen, I wondered if you might know of any [friends/ colleagues/ other companies in the area] who are also looking to [achieve specific goals] and would benefit from our [product/ service].

I would love to help them achieve similar growth.

If so, could you facilitate an intro? I’d be happy to sit down with them afterward for a completely free 1-hour consultation to figure out their needs and what we could offer them. If they want to know more about what we do, feel free to direct them to our website: www.yourwebsite.com .

Let me know if anyone comes to mind, or if there’s anything else I can do for you.

Regards, [YOUR SIGNATURE]

2. Asking a New Customer for a Referral

Hi [Name],

I’m happy to hear you’ve had such a great experience with our team so far. I knew we could help, and I’m pleased you’re seeing results so quickly.

I trust our team will take care of you through the rest of the onboarding process, but you can always reach back out to me with any questions. In the meantime, since things are going well, do you know anyone else who might want similar results?

I’ll gladly meet up with them and discuss how we can work together.

Best Regards, [YOUR SIGNATURE]

3. Asking a One-Time Customer for a Referral

Hi [Name],

I hope you’re doing well.

As I mentioned during our last [meeting/ call], I have time on my hands now that our project is over. Once again, I’m happy that we managed to pull off such awesome results together! Do you by any chance know somebody who’d be interested in our services? In case anyone comes to mind, just point them to our website www.yourwebsite.com , and I’ll take it from there.

Regards, [YOUR SIGNATURE]

4. Referral Request Following a Customer Satisfaction Survey

Hi [Name],

I just saw that you gave us a great score on the customer satisfaction survey you completed a few days ago. I’m so happy to hear we’ve met — and maybe even exceeded — your expectations with [Product/ Service name].

Can you please do me a favor? I’m trying to find others who would benefit from the same features you’ve enjoyed. Is there anyone you can think of who might also have a need for our [product/ service]?

Thanks in advance, [YOUR SIGNATURE]

5. Follow-Up Referral Request Email

Hi [Name],

It’s been a few weeks since we wrapped up our work together — I hope everything is still going well with you and the team.

I know I’ve asked before, but is there anyone you can introduce me to that might also be interested in our [product/ service]? I’d hate for them to miss out if they’re [experiencing the same pain point you were].

Best, [YOUR SIGNATURE]

6. Customer Referral Program Invitation Email

Hi [Name],

Are you satisfied with [Product/ Service name]? Then share your positive experience with your peers so that they can [major benefit your product or service provides].

As a thank you, you will receive [perks for the customer]. Learn how our referral program works below:

[Brand’s Referral Program details]

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance – we’re always here to help!

Cheers, [YOUR SIGNATURE]

7. Referral Email Template to Send to a Customer, for Their Use

Dear [Referral name],

I hope you’re doing well! I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it to you before, but I’ve been working with [Your name/ Company name] for [number] years now and I’ve had a really great experience. So I wanted to connect you two because I thought [his/ her/ their] [product/ service] might be of use to you, too, based on our previous conversations.

I’ve cc’ed [Your name] to put you directly in touch. I’ll let you folks take it from here and decide if [Your name/ Company name]’s [product/ service] is a good fit for you, too!

Best, [YOUR SIGNATURE]

8. Thanking a Long-Term Customer for a Referral

Hi [Name],

I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for referring your [colleague/ friend] [Referral name] to [Your company]! I’m excited to share that we’re going to work together on [Project/ Service/ Initiative] over the next several months, and hopefully [Your product/service offering] will be as helpful for them as it has been for you.

As a thank you for making the connection, I’ve asked our accounting team to issue a $*** credit to you. You should see it appear on your next invoice, but please contact me if you have any issues.

Thanks again, and please let me know if you can think of anyone else I should reach out to.

I look forward to talking again soon. [YOUR SIGNATURE]

9. Thanking a One-Time Customer for a Referral

Hi [Name],

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for referring [Referral name] to me.

It means so much to me that you were happy enough with the work that we did together to share my name with someone who you want to see succeed. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to help [him/her/them] [details on what you help with], too.

If I can be of service at any point in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out – I’d be thrilled to work together again.

Best, [YOUR SIGNATURE]

10. Follow Up Email When the Referral Was Not Successful

Hi [Name],

Thanks again for referring [Referral name] to me. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’re a fit for each other right now. But if that changes and they sign up for a service plan in the future that qualifies you for our referral bonus, I’ll let you know right away.

As always, feel free to reach out, if there’s anything I can do for you.

Regards, [YOUR SIGNATURE]

When Should You Ask Customers for Referrals?

The best time to ask for referrals is when:

  • The customer has been with your company long enough to know the value of your product/service.
  • The customer is actively using your product/service and tells you how happy they are.
  • You know you’ve exceeded the customer’s expectations based on their feedback.
  • The customer responded positively to your NPS survey or left a positive review.
  • You’ve hit a key project milestone or completed a project successfully.
  • The customer already referred others to you without asking (they are likely to do it again if you ask).
  • You’ve launched a new or made changes to the existing customer referral program.

Best Practices for B2B Referral Marketing

Referral marketing is one of the most effective strategies for B2B growth. By leveraging your existing customer relationships and asking for introductions to potential clients, you can significantly increase your conversion rates and reduce customer acquisition costs.

Key takeaways:

  • Referrals generate higher conversion rates than other marketing channels
  • Referred customers have higher lifetime value and better retention rates
  • Timing is crucial – ask for referrals when customers are most satisfied
  • Make it easy for customers to refer by providing templates and clear instructions
  • Always thank customers for their referrals, whether successful or not
  • Consider implementing a referral program with incentives to encourage participation

Frequently asked questions

What is referral marketing?

Referral marketing is a method of marketing that generates leads through word of mouth. Referral marketing is designed to help companies obtain new customers by encouraging existing customers to refer new customers to them.

How can I motivate customers to make referrals?

Customers are more likely to refer others to your business if you have a good reputation. LiveAgent, a help desk software, allows you to keep track of customer service requests and improve your reputation over time.

What are the benefits of referral emails?

The benefits of the referral emails are increased customer retention, improved engagement, and new clients.

Ready to put our B2B referral templates to use?

LiveAgent is the most reviewed and #1 helpdesk software for small to medium-sized businesses. Try it today with our free 30-day trial. No credit card required.

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