Sofia Marchetti, independent brand designer, is asking Mara Ellison of Lumen Botanics — whose $9,300 shop rebuild is launched, paid in full, and praised in Mara's own words — for a single introduction. Not a list, not a blast, not a discount: one kind of client, one forwardable note, one easy way to say yes.
ONE ASK · ONE NAME · ONE FORWARDABLE NOTEThe win, in Mara's words: the new shop is live, and the collection is finally easy to find. That sentence — specific, hers, recent — is what makes this the week to ask.
All five tests must pass. One failure would mean "not yet" — not "ask anyway."
| Test | Evidence | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Paid in full | $9,300 settled: $6,900 rebuild + $2,400 change order | Pass |
| Praised in their own words | "The collection is finally easy to find" | Pass |
| Win visible | New shop live since launch week | Pass |
| No open problem | Closeout delivered, support window clear to 30 Nov 2026 | Pass |
| Reachable and warm | Last exchange: the closeout thank-you, warmly received | Pass |
Who: a botanical skincare brand of about 10–30 people.
Moment: about to relaunch its online shop.
Problem: the shop looks fine but does not sell.
One kind, not three — so Mara searches one corner of memory, not all of it, and a name comes to mind in under a minute.
The ask email, the note Mara can forward, and the thank-you written before the ask goes out.
Subject: A quick favour, after the launch · To: Mara Ellison, Lumen Botanics
Hi Mara,
Thank you for the Lumen Botanics rebuild — seeing the new shop live, with the collection finally easy to find, has stayed with me since launch week.
I'm looking to work with one more brand like yours: a small skincare company, about 10–30 people, about to relaunch its online shop because the shop looks fine but does not sell.
If someone comes to mind, you could forward the short note below, or just reply with a name and I'll take it from there.
No need to reply if no one comes to mind — I'm grateful for the project either way.
Warmly,
Sofia
Below my signature, the note you may forward — feel free to add a line of your own above it, or send it as is.
Forward this note — in Sofia's words
Sofia Marchetti, independent brand designer — I rebuild online shops for small skincare and botanical brands, most recently Lumen Botanics'.
Happy to have a 20-minute chat about a shop relaunch, no pitch attached: [email protected].
[Mara, add your own line here if you like — or send it as is.]
Thank-you draft — sent the same day an introduction arrives
Hi Mara,
Thank you for introducing us — I'm grateful for the introduction itself, whatever comes of it.
I'll reply promptly and keep it a conversation, not a pitch. And I'll let you know how it goes.
Warmly,
Sofia
Pick an outcome to see the planned reply. Gratitude is never conditional on the outcome.
Thank Mara the same day, for the introduction itself. Reply to the new person promptly, keep it a conversation, and report back to Mara when the conversation ends — booked, not a fit, or quietly closed. The second referral comes from the first one being closed properly.
Thank Mara, and ask once whether forwarding the note would help. Accept a no. Never contact the named person cold and claim a referral that was not made — the introduction is the referral.
Thank Mara warmly, and mean it. Close the row. The relationship is worth more than the referral, and a gracious response is what makes Mara think of Sofia next time without being asked.
One short reminder after 10 days, then stop. Mark the row "no referral this time." Mara is not asked again for six months, and is never added to a list because she went quiet.
| Client | Asked | Reminder | Outcome | Reported back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mara Ellison, Lumen Botanics | 5 Nov 2026 | 15 Nov 2026, if silent | Pending | — |
One row per ask, updated the same day each step happens. Review monthly, not daily.
This page is a sample output of the Referral Request Writer skill: the names, company, project, and figures are fictional. The full methodology is inside the paid skill. All examples are fictional. Any resemblance to a real client, project, or business is coincidental.