1. The thank-you email after a good week
Subject: Quick favor, [first name]? Body: Hi [first name], glad the [specific win, e.g. green coffee reorder alert] caught the [origin] before you ran out. I'm trying to find 3 more roasters your size who still track green and roasted stock in a spreadsheet. Is there one roaster you'd be comfortable introducing me to? I'll write the intro so you only have to forward it. Thanks, [your name]. Use this within a day of a customer telling you the tool saved them time or money.
2. The forwardable intro they can send
Subject: [Roaster A] meet [your name], inventory for small roasters. Body: Hi [friend's name], [your name] built the tool I use to track green coffee, roasted batches and bag counts. It replaced my [spreadsheet/whiteboard]. They asked if I knew roasters dealing with the same mess, and I thought of you. Happy to let you two take it from here. [Customer name]. Send this to the customer right after they say yes, so all they do is fill in a name and hit forward.
3. The short text for owner-roasters
Hi [first name], [your name] from [tool]. Who's another roaster near [city] doing under [X] lbs a week who'd want to stop counting bags by hand? A name is enough, I'll reach out myself and say you pointed me their way. Use this for owner-roasters who answer texts faster than email, which is most of them during roast days.
4. The ask tied to their importer or supplier
Subject: Who else buys from [importer name]? Body: Hi [first name], you mentioned you get most of your green from [importer, e.g. Royal Coffee, Cafe Imports, Sweet Maria's]. Roasters buying from them tend to have the same lot-tracking headaches you had. Do you know one or two other roasters on their list you trade notes with? Happy to send them the [lot tracking feature] setup you use. [your name]. Use this when the customer has told you who they buy from, since shared suppliers are where roasters already know each other.
5. The in-person ask at a cupping or trade event
Script: "Since you're here, is there anyone in this room you'd introduce me to? I'm looking for roasters who still do inventory in a spreadsheet. Even just pointing at them helps." Use it when you join a customer at a local cupping, an SCA event, Coffee Fest or a regional roasters guild meetup.
6. The community post they can share
Body for the customer to post in a group like the Roasters Guild Facebook group, r/roasting or a local coffee Slack: "Been using [tool] for [X weeks] to track green, roasted and packaged stock. It cut my weekly count from [time] to [time]. The founder is taking on a few more small roasters and setting them up personally. DM me if you want an intro." Use this for a happy customer who already posts in roaster communities and is more comfortable posting than writing one-to-one emails.
7. The follow-up after an intro lands
Subject: Thanks for connecting me with [new roaster]. Body: Hi [first name], [new roaster] and I talked [day]. They're trying [tool] for their [product/blend line]. I really appreciate it. I'll keep you posted, and if you think of anyone else, I'm always glad to hear. [your name]. Send this within 48 hours of the intro so the customer knows it went somewhere and will ask again later.
8. Make it a weekly habit
Every Friday, pick the 2 customers who had the best week in the tool and send one of these templates. Keep a simple list of who you asked, who they named and whether it turned into a call. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can draft and track these asks for you each day if you'd rather not keep the list yourself.
People asking this right now
Real, public posts from the last few weeks. Each one is somebody you could help today.
Mistakes to skip
- Asking before the customer has had a real win in the tool.
- Writing "know anyone who might be interested?", which is too vague to answer.
- Making the customer write the intro instead of handing them one to forward.
- Never telling the customer what happened after they made the introduction.
Want this done for your inventory tool for small coffee roasters, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
When should I ask for a referral?
Right after a concrete win, like catching a low green coffee lot or finishing a weekly count faster. Usually that is somewhere in the first 2 to 4 weeks.
Should I offer a discount for referrals?
It isn't needed at the start. Small roasters refer because it helps a friend. A free month for both sides is fine if you want to say thanks, but ask without it first.
How many people should I ask for?
One name. A single specific ask gets a yes far more often than asking for a list.
What if they say they don't know anyone?
Ask who they buy green coffee or bags from, or which roasters they see at cuppings. Those questions usually bring up a name.