Referral Ask

Purpose

Create a comprehensive referral ask that delivers actionable, measurable results. This skill provides a structured process with quality validation, ensuring professional-grade output every time.

Category: Sales & Revenue

Inputs

Required

• Objective: What you want to achieve with this deliverable
• Target Customer: ICP or specific prospect details

Optional

• Product/Service: What you're selling and key differentiators
• Stage: Where the prospect is in the buying journey

System Context

Before starting:

• Read memory.md for current project context and priorities
• Check knowledge-base.md for relevant learned rules or constraints
• Review any existing related documents in the project
• Note any active tasks in Task Board.md that relate to this deliverable

Process

Step 1: Context & Research

• Review any existing referral ask documents in the project
• Check knowledge-base.md for relevant learned rules or constraints
• Check memory.md for current project context and priorities
• Identify key stakeholders and their requirements
• Select the most appropriate framework: BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline), MEDDIC, Challenger Sale

Step 2: Analysis & Framework Application

• Apply the selected framework to structure the referral ask
• Identify gaps, opportunities, and risks
• Define success metrics: Win Rate, Average Deal Size, Sales Cycle Length, Pipeline Velocity
• Document assumptions and dependencies
• Validate approach against industry best practices

Step 3: Build the Deliverable

• Structure the referral ask using the output format below
• Include specific, actionable recommendations — not generic advice
• Add concrete numbers, timelines, and benchmarks where applicable
• Cross-reference with existing project documents for consistency
• Ensure every section adds value — remove filler

Step 4: Quality Validation

• All required inputs have been addressed
• Recommendations are specific and actionable (not vague)
• Numbers and benchmarks are realistic and sourced
• Output format matches the specification below
• No contradictions with knowledge-base rules
• Follows best practice: Qualify early and disqualify fast

Output Format

# Referral Ask

## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentence overview of the deliverable and key recommendations]

## Context & Objectives
- **Objective**: [What this achieves]
- **Audience**: [Who this is for]
- **Timeline**: [When this applies]

## Analysis
[Structured analysis using the selected framework]

## Recommendations
1. [Specific, actionable recommendation with expected impact]
2. [Specific, actionable recommendation with expected impact]
3. [Specific, actionable recommendation with expected impact]

## Implementation
| Action | Owner | Timeline | Priority |
|--------|-------|----------|----------|
| [Action item] | [Who] | [When] | [High/Medium/Low] |

## Success Metrics
| Metric | Current | Target | Measurement Method |
|--------|---------|--------|-------------------|
| [KPI] | [Baseline] | [Goal] | [How to measure] |

## Risks & Mitigations
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-----------|--------|------------|
| [Risk] | [H/M/L] | [H/M/L] | [Action] |

## Next Steps
- [ ] [Immediate next action]
- [ ] [Follow-up action]
- [ ] [Review date]

Applicable Frameworks

• BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline)
• MEDDIC
• Challenger Sale
• SPIN Selling
• Sandler Selling System
• Solution Selling
• Value Selling

Key Metrics

• Win Rate
• Average Deal Size
• Sales Cycle Length
• Pipeline Velocity
• Quota Attainment
• Activity Metrics (calls/emails/meetings)
• Forecast Accuracy

Best Practices

• Qualify early and disqualify fast
• Follow up within 5 minutes of inbound leads
• Multi-thread every deal (3+ contacts)
• Always confirm next steps before ending a call
• Log every interaction in CRM within 24 hours

After Completion

• Update memory.md if this deliverable changes project context or priorities
• Add any reusable learnings to knowledge-nominations.md
• If follow-up actions were identified, add them to Task Board.md
• Recommend related skills if additional work is needed