Reference Request and Brief
Generates the message asking someone to be your reference, plus a short brief giving them the specific examples to mention — which is what turns a warm generality into a useful reference.
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Running it, start to finish
- Ask, with a real option to decline.
- Send the two-minute brief once they agree.
- Warn them before the call and thank them afterwards.
What you get back
The output this produces, every time.
- Asks directly whether they can be positive, with a genuine exit for a hesitant referee.
- Reminds them of the specific instances they witnessed, which people forget under time pressure.
- Prepares them for the awkward question without scripting them, which is detectable.
Getting better results
Where this usually goes wrong, and how to avoid it.
- Keep the brief to two minutes. A long one is not read, and an unread brief is the same as no brief at all.
- Give them the story back. Referees forget detail. Reminding them of the situation is what turns a warm generality into a specific account.
- Tell them the outcome. It takes a minute, almost nobody does it, and it is what makes them say yes the next time.
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Written for The AI University. Every prompt in this library is original work — authored, tested and revised here, not collected from elsewhere. 365 of them, free with an account.