Capability template for marketing and content
Referral programme design
Turn the recommendations your work already earns into a habit: when to ask, who on your own list to ask first and for what, what you give back, the words for each ask and the note an introducer forwards, and how every introduction is recorded. You send each message yourself.
The outcome
Your best clients already talk about you. This capability makes sure you ask them, at the right moment, in words that sound like you. You get one programme for your business: the moments when an ask belongs and the ones when it never does, the people on your list to ask first, the people to leave alone for now and why, and what you give back.
The words come ready to send: the ask to a client, the ask to an adviser who serves the same clients, a question for someone you have only spoken with, a short note about you for an introducer to pass on, one follow-up and the thank-you. Every line about a person comes from your own list or is left for you to fill in, so nothing puts words in a client's mouth. Each introduction is then recorded the same way, so at every review you know where your new work came from.
Who starts the work, and when
The owner starts it, or whoever keeps the client list: when you decide referrals should stop being luck, then again at each review to refresh who to ask. Professional services firms come first, from bookkeeping and design to engineering and IT support, wherever new clients arrive because someone vouched for you.
The owner approves the programme and sends every message, from their own account, when they choose. The capability contacts no one.
What they supply
- Your facts. A few lines: what you do and for whom, the kind of client you want more of, the first step anyone new takes, what you are willing to give back, your sign-off, and where you keep a record of introductions.
- Your relationship list. A spreadsheet or export of clients, former clients, advisers and contacts, with what each person has seen of your work, when, and how it went, in their words where you have them. If your column headers differ from the defaults, the assistant asks which is which before it starts.
- Your settings, if you want to change the defaults: how many people to ask first, how long to wait before the one follow-up, and how long to leave someone after they last introduced you.
What comes out
One programme in a fixed order, as a draft for you to approve:
- In short: who to ask first, at which moments, and what you give back.
- When to ask, and the never-cases.
- Who to ask first, each with what they have seen, what to ask them for and how to open, using their own words where your list has them.
- Not asked now, each with the reason and when to ask again.
- What you give back, to the person who introduces you and to the person introduced.
- The words, with your facts filled in.
- How to record an introduction, and what to count at each review.
- Where each line comes from, and what is left for you to decide.
An invented example
Illustrative example with invented data. The practice, its owner, the clients, the adviser and every word quoted below are invented. An invented 11-person bookkeeping and payroll practice, here called Practice K, wins most of its new clients by recommendation. Its owner, Priya, wants to stop leaving that to chance.
The inputs come first, in full, so the template can be run on them. The programme follows.
The inputs
Your facts
Business: Practice K, an 11-person bookkeeping and payroll practice.
Owner: Priya
What we do: monthly bookkeeping, payroll and year-end clean-ups for
owner-run businesses.
The client we want more of: trade and service businesses with 5 to 50
staff that still run payroll from spreadsheets.
First step for anyone new: a 30-minute call with Priya, then a written
note of what we would take on and when.
How to reach us: priya@practice-k.example
What we give back: a thank-you, and an introduction in return where we
can make a useful one. No fees, discounts or gifts.
Our profession's rules on referral rewards: not read; no reward planned.
Sign-off: Priya
Introductions are recorded in: the client spreadsheet, tab "Introductions".
Review: every quarter.
Settings: the defaults. Today: 9 November 2026.
The relationship list
Exported from the client spreadsheet with the default headers. Words in quotation marks are the person's own; everything else is Priya's summary.
Name | Relationship | Work or conversation | Ended or delivered | How it went | Introduced before | Notes
Marisol | client | Monthly bookkeeping and payroll for her landscaping company, moved over from spreadsheets | 2026-03-31 | At the June review: "First quarter in years I haven't dreaded payroll week." | no | Belongs to a local trades association.
Tom | client | Two years of books cleaned up for his architecture studio | 2026-09-30 | Pleased with the result; paid on time. | yes, 2025-11-20 |
Wen | adviser | Tax accountant who prepares returns for six of our clients | ongoing | Email, 2 May 2026: "Your books arrive clean, which makes my April bearable." | yes, 2026-02-12 | We have sent her three clients who needed tax work.
Grace | client | Payroll set-up for her catering company | 2026-11-14 | | no | First payroll run is 14 November.
Ade | former client | Monthly bookkeeping for his print shop | 2026-07-15 | Left after a missed filing deadline; settled with a credit. | no |
Luca | contact | Fit call; stayed with his current bookkeeper for now | 2026-10-09 | "Not the right time, but this was the clearest call I've had about it." | no | Runs three bike repair shops.
Hannah | client | Monthly bookkeeping for her bakery | 2026-08-31 | | no |
The output
REFERRAL PROGRAMME: Practice K
For: Priya Prepared: 9 November 2026 Review: every quarter
Status: Draft for Priya to approve. Nothing has been sent.
IN SHORT
Ask Marisol, whose payroll has run since the end of March, and Tom, who
was pleased with his finished clean-up, for an introduction; ask Wen for
one at your next catch-up; and ask Luca for a name by a short note. Give
back thanks and an introduction in return where you can; no fees,
discounts or gifts.
People on the list: 7. Asked first: 4. Also ready: 0.
Not asked now: 3.
WHEN TO ASK
1. Delivered work is in use and the client is pleased. Trigger: ongoing
work has run since it was delivered, or one-off work was delivered and
accepted, and the client has said it went well; never at handover.
Ask for: an introduction and the note to forward. Words: the ask to a
client.
2. The close of a good first conversation, including one that ended in a
no. Trigger: the conversation went well, whatever was decided; by a
short note if it is already past.
Ask for: a name or a view. Words: the question for a contact.
3. A catch-up with an adviser who serves the same kind of client.
Trigger: the next time you speak.
Ask for: one introduction to a trade or service business with 5 to 50
staff that still runs payroll from spreadsheets. Words: the ask to an
adviser.
Never:
- before the work is delivered and in use
- after work that went badly, or while a complaint is open
- as a condition of anything: a price, a date or a favour
- with pressure or a deadline
- for a list of names
- a second follow-up
- any follow-up after a no
WHO TO ASK FIRST
1. Marisol, client. Has seen: monthly bookkeeping and payroll for her
landscaping company, moved over from spreadsheets.
Moment: 1.
Ask for: an introduction and the note to forward.
Opening: At your June review, you said: "First quarter in years I
haven't dreaded payroll week."
2. Wen, adviser. Has seen: your work, as the tax accountant who prepares
returns for six of your clients.
Moment: 3.
Ask for: one introduction to a trade or service business with 5 to 50
staff that still runs payroll from spreadsheets.
Opening: In your email of 2 May 2026, you wrote: "Your books arrive
clean, which makes my April bearable."
3. Tom, client. Has seen: two years of books cleaned up for his
architecture studio.
Moment: 1.
Ask for: an introduction and the note to forward.
Slot: your reason for writing; his row holds your summary, not his
words.
4. Luca, contact. Has seen: a fit call; he stayed with his current
bookkeeper for now.
Moment: 2, by a short note: the conversation is past.
Ask for: a name or a view.
Opening: On our fit call on 9 October 2026, you said: "Not the right
time, but this was the clearest call I've had about it."
Also ready, after these: none.
NOT ASKED NOW
Grace: the payroll set-up is not yet delivered; the first run is
14 November. Ask again when: the first payroll has run and she has said
how it went.
Ade: the work ended after a missed filing deadline, settled with a
credit. Ask again when: not by this programme; any ask is your call.
Hannah: no record of how the bakery work has gone. Ask again when: she
has told you how it is going.
WHAT YOU GIVE BACK
To the person who introduces you: a thank-you, and an introduction in
return where you can make a useful one.
To the person introduced: a 30-minute call with Priya, then a written
note of what Practice K would take on and when.
Not offered: fees, discounts, gifts, or anything that depends on the
person introduced becoming a client.
Your profession's rules: not read; no reward planned. The template gives
no view on them.
THE WORDS
The ask to a client:
[first name], [opening].
Do you know another trade or service business with 5 to 50 staff that
still runs payroll from spreadsheets?
If no one comes to mind, that is a perfectly good answer.
If someone does, I will get in touch only once you have introduced us,
and the short note below is yours to forward or not.
Priya
The ask to an adviser:
[first name], [opening].
Is there a trade or service business with 5 to 50 staff among your
clients that still runs payroll from spreadsheets? If so, I would be
glad of an introduction.
In return, I am happy to introduce you where I can make a useful one.
If no one comes to mind, that is a perfectly good answer.
Priya
The question for a contact:
Is there anyone you think I should be talking to about this? If a name
comes back: may I say you suggested I get in touch?
The note to forward:
[Their own line]
Priya runs Practice K, an 11-person bookkeeping and payroll practice
doing monthly bookkeeping, payroll and year-end clean-ups for owner-run
businesses. The first step is a 30-minute call with her, then a written
note of what Practice K would take on and when. She is at
priya@practice-k.example.
The one follow-up (after 10 working days, never after a no):
[first name], just checking my last note reached you. No reply is
needed if no one comes to mind.
Priya
The thank-you:
[first name], thank you for introducing me to [who they introduced].
[What has happened so far, as far as they would be comfortable with.]
Priya
RECORDING AN INTRODUCTION
Add to the client spreadsheet, tab "Introductions", one row each:
Date | Introduced by | Relationship | Moment | Who was introduced (kind of
business) | First conversation | Outcome | Thanks sent
Already on record: 2: Tom, 20 November 2025; Wen, 12 February 2026.
WHAT TO COUNT, EACH QUARTER
Asks made | Introductions received | First conversations | Work won |
Thanks sent within 7 days
Counts only until 20 asks have been made.
WHERE EACH LINE COMES FROM
Marisol: Relationship "client"; Ended or delivered 2026-03-31; in use:
monthly work, and How it went reports the June review since delivery;
pleased: How it went, her own words. Opening quotes How it went.
Wen: Relationship "adviser"; Introduced before 2026-02-12, more than 90
days ago. Opening quotes How it went.
Tom: Relationship "client"; Ended or delivered 2026-09-30; in use:
one-off clean-up (Work or conversation), delivered and accepted: How
it went, your summary, records that he was pleased with the result;
Introduced before 2025-11-20, more than 90 days ago. Opening: slot.
Luca: Relationship "contact"; occasion from Work or conversation
("Fit call") and Ended or delivered (2026-10-09). Opening quotes How it
went.
Grace: Ended or delivered 2026-11-14, after today; Notes.
Ade: How it went.
Hannah: How it went is blank.
Kind of business and recurring work: your facts, the client we want
more of.
Note to forward: your facts, business, what we do, first step, how to
reach us.
What you give back and your profession's rules: your facts.
Already on record: Introduced before, Tom and Wen.
Review rhythm and counts: your facts, review and settings.
The three moments and the never-cases: template default, confirm.
Thank-you, second line: slot.
Text in the list that read as an instruction: none.
FOR YOU TO DECIDE
1. Approve the programme, or change who goes first, before anything is
sent.
2. When to send each ask: Marisol's and Tom's when it suits you, Wen's at
your next catch-up, Luca's as a short note.
3. Whether to ask Hannah how the bakery work is going, which decides
whether she can be asked.
4. Whether to ask Grace once her first payroll has run on 14 November and
she has said how it went.
5. Who keeps the Introductions tab up to date, which the counts depend
on.
Every client, adviser and contact named in the programme is on the list, and every quotation can be found word for word in the row it cites. Nothing was sent and no record was changed.
Where it fits
- Professional services, where most new clients come through someone who has seen the work.
- Marketing and content, where recommendations bring in new clients and rarely get a plan of their own.
- Customer success and account management, which knows when a client is pleased and when the work is in use.
- Established businesses, with years of goodwill that has never been asked to do any work.
What has to change for your company
- Your list. One row per person, with how the work went in the client's own words where you have them. Map your column headers to the defaults once.
- Your moments. The defaults are work in use with a pleased client, a good first conversation and a catch-up with an adviser. Add the moments your work has, such as the end of year-end work.
- What you give back. Thanks and introductions in return are the starting point. If you ever consider a reward, read your profession's rules first. The template gives no view on them and proposes none.
- Your record. Decide where introductions are logged and who keeps that log up to date.
- Your platform. It runs in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini. Decide which list the assistant may read.
What has been checked
Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template. It was editorially reviewed on 9 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example in Claude on 9 November 2026, revised and tried again the same day, and the record of the second run is published with the template; that second run was made by the model that wrote the revision, so it is not independent. It has not yet been tested in a client environment. It has not yet been tested as a packaged version in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini.
Testing in your environment means running it on your own list with cases written in advance: a client whose work is not yet live, a former client who left unhappy, a header that does not match, a row with your summary and no quotation. The owner checks every name and quotation against the list before anything is sent. Pilot acceptance-test preparation sets those cases up, and what we test before we call an AI workflow ready describes the record we keep.
The full capability template
Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.
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Next step
Bring a real piece of this work to a call. We’ll walk through what it takes to fit this capability to your rules, prove it on your work and put it in the hands of the roles that own it.