Simple Referral Program Outline

REFERRAL PROGRAM — [Business Name]

1. WHO CAN REFER
[Existing customers / past customers / partners / anyone]

2. WHAT COUNTS AS A REFERRAL
A referral counts when: [the specific action, e.g. "a new customer books a paid [Offer] and mentions the referrer's name"]
It does not count when: [exclusions]

3. THE REWARD
Referrer gets: [reward — credit, discount, gift, donation, upgrade]
New customer gets: [reward, if any]
When it's paid: [after first payment / after project completion]
Limit: [cap per year, if any]

4. HOW WE ASK
Trigger moment: [after delivery / after a positive comment / at the [X]-month mark]
How: [email — see Referral Request Email]
How often: [no more than [frequency] per customer]

5. HOW WE TRACK IT
Where it's recorded: [spreadsheet, CRM field]
Fields: referrer name | referred name | date | status | reward paid (Y/N) | date paid
Who checks it: [Your Name], [frequency]

6. HOW WE THANK PEOPLE
Immediately: [personal message]
When it converts: [reward + a specific thank-you]
Ongoing: [annual recognition, if appropriate]

7. THE RULES IN PLAIN LANGUAGE (for your website or email)
"Refer someone to [Business Name]. If they become a customer, you get [reward]. Just ask them to mention your name when they get in touch, or send us their details with their permission. Rewards are issued within [timeframe] of [trigger]. [Any limits or exclusions.]"

Review date: [Date]