Somebody spent their own credibility to open a door for you, and the note that follows determines whether they ever do it again. Most people thank the referrer once, get the job, and are never heard from — which is how a network stops working. Three samples: after a referral, after advice, and closing the loop with the outcome.
Sent immediately after the introduction, before any outcome exists. Its job is to confirm you will not embarrass them.
Thank you for putting me in touch with Saima Rehman at Northline. I have written to her this morning and mentioned that you suggested it.
I know an introduction costs you something, and I will not waste it. Whatever comes of the conversation, I will tell you how it went so you are not left wondering.
If there is ever anything useful I can do at your end — a name, a supplier contact, a view on the northern route network — please ask. I owe you one.
After an informational conversation with no job attached. The note proves the half hour was not wasted, which is the only thing that gets you a second one.
Thank you for the half hour last week. I know it was a favour to a stranger and I am grateful for it.
You told me to stop describing myself as a teacher moving into training, and to lead with the onboarding curriculum instead. I have rewritten the top of my CV to do exactly that, and the difference in how people respond has already been noticeable — two replies this week from applications that would previously have gone unanswered.
You also suggested I speak to Adil Sheikh at Systems. I have written to him and mentioned your name, which I hope was acceptable.
I will not take more of your time, but I wanted you to know the advice was used rather than just received.
The note almost nobody sends. Three months on, the outcome is known, and this is what turns a one-off favour into a durable relationship.
I promised I would tell you how it went. I started at Northline as Regional Operations Manager six weeks ago, running the northern distribution centres, and it happened because you made that introduction in August.
Saima mentioned in the second interview that you had spoken well of me before I wrote, which I did not know at the time. Thank you for that.
The two acquired depots you and I used to complain about are now my problem, so if you ever want to say I told you so, you have earned it.
I meant what I said about owing you one. If there is anything at all — a contact, a view, an introduction of my own — say the word.
Networks fail in a predictable way. Someone makes an introduction, the person disappears, the outcome is never reported, and the next time they are asked for a favour they are slightly slower to give it. Nobody decides to stop helping; it just gradually stops being worth the effort.
Closing the loop is what prevents that, and it takes ninety seconds. Tell them you acted on it. Tell them, later, what happened. That is the whole practice.
It also has a second effect people underestimate. Someone who hears that their introduction worked will make another one, unprompted, for the same reason a good outcome makes any decision feel worth repeating. The people who get referred repeatedly are almost always the people who report back.
A referral deserves three messages, and most people send only the first.
The third one is what separates a network from a contact list. A relationship where the only messages are requests is not a relationship, and both parties know it.
All three samples are free to read and copy. Want them as editable Word files, or a note written for a specific introduction or conversation? Both take a minute.
Build mine with Hexa → Download all three · FreeThe people above are illustrative examples written for teaching purposes. Names, employers, registration numbers and figures are invented and should not be copied into a real application — use them as a shape to pour your own verified numbers into.