Referral letters should name the person in sentence one

When someone inside a company refers you, the hiring manager’s first thought is “who sent this person, and why?” A referral letter answers that before anything else. The name goes in the first sentence, with enough context that the reader knows how you know each other.

The first sentence

A good referral opening has three parts: the person, their role and the connection. “Chris Lam, a senior product manager on your payments team, suggested I write to you. We launched Orchard Pay’s invoicing product together.” That is 22 words, and the reader already trusts the next paragraph more.

Ask before you name

Always ask the person first, and ask how they want to be described. Some people are happy to be named; some prefer you mention the referral only in the application form. Send them your draft. It takes them a minute and saves an awkward hallway conversation later. If they would rather not be named, mention the referral in the form only and write the letter without the name.

Back it up with one result

A referral gets the letter read. The letter still has to prove the fit. Follow the name with the single result that best matches the role, ideally one the referrer saw firsthand:

• Name the result and the number: “2.3x trial-to-paid conversion after the pricing page rewrite.”

• Say how you got it in one line: “I rewrote the page and the onboarding emails around one job our customers named in 40 interviews.”

• Connect it to the company: “That is close to what Quillfeather is planning for its small business tier.”

Mention the referral once, at the top. The rest of the letter should stand on its own.

When the connection is thin

Sometimes the referral is a former classmate or someone you met once at a meetup. Be accurate about it. “I met Priya at the Columbus product meetup in March, and she suggested I apply” is fine. An overstated relationship is easy to check and costs you more than a modest line.

Close with the next step

End with a concrete offer that includes the referrer if it makes sense: “Chris has offered to speak to my work directly, and I would be glad to share the interview notes behind the launch.” Then thank the reader, once.

After you send it, tell the referrer. A two-line note keeps them in the loop if the hiring manager asks about you, and it is the polite thing to do.

Pithy’s Referral template puts a short “Referred by” block above the letter, so the name is the first thing a reader sees, even before the greeting. Fill it in and the letter follows the same order: connection, result, next step.