Free template, copy and personalize
How to ask a guest to recommend your next guest
The best guest you book next month is probably one introduction away from the guest you just recorded. Good people know good people, and the moment right after recording, when they are warm and glad they came on, is when that door is widest open.
The ask only works if it is small. Do not request a list or put them on the spot for ten names. Ask who comes to mind first, cap it at one to three, and keep the pressure at zero. An easy ask made at the warmest moment is how a show grows through its own guests.
Part of the guide: How to book podcast guests
Make it yours
Fill these in and the invite below rewrites itself.
Subject
One name before you go, Sam?
Hi Sam,
That was such a good conversation. Before it fades, I want to ask you one thing while it is fresh.
Who else should I have on The Build? You know the early hiring world from the inside, and the people you rate are almost always the ones early founders would learn the most from.
I am not asking for a list. One to three names is plenty, whoever comes to mind first. If you are up for it, a one-line intro over email goes a long way, but even just a name and I will take it from there.
No pressure at all. If no one comes to mind, this was still a great one and I am grateful you came on.
Talk soon, Jordan
Why this one gets a yes
- It asks at the warmest moment, right after recording. The goodwill is at its peak before everyone scatters back to their week, and that is when a name comes easily.
- It caps the request at one to three names. "Who comes to mind first" is answerable in a breath, where "send me a list" becomes a task that never gets done.
- It keeps the pressure at zero. Giving them a clean out means the intros you do get are real ones, offered gladly, not scraped up out of obligation.
Common questions
How do I ask a podcast guest to recommend another guest?
Ask right after recording, while the conversation is still warm, and keep it small. Request one to three names, not a list, and make clear there is no pressure. A guest who just had a good time is your best source of the next one, and an easy ask at the right moment gets real introductions.
When is the best time to ask a guest for a referral?
The minutes right after you stop recording. The relationship is at its warmest and your guest is still in the world you just discussed, so names come to mind fast. Wait a week and the ask lands cold. If you miss the moment on the call, a short note the same day is the next best thing.
How many names should I ask a guest for?
One to three. A tight ask feels like a favor between people who get along; an open-ended "anyone you can think of" feels like work and usually gets a vague "let me think about it." Cap it low, offer to take a one-line intro, and you will get better names more often.
More like this
Want this written for a real person in your network?
Pod Green Room ranks the people you already know, finds the guest your audience needs to hear from, and writes the invite in your voice. No account or card to try it first. The 7-day trial comes after.