# How do I ask for a referral on LinkedIn?
> Ask people who actually know you, name who you want, and make the intro easy to ignore. Cold "can you intro me to your CEO" from a new accept is a tax.
- HTML: https://omentir.com/help/how-to-ask-for-a-referral-on-linkedin
- Markdown: https://omentir.com/help/how-to-ask-for-a-referral-on-linkedin.md

Referrals work when the sender would stake a bit of reputation on you. A new connection is not that. An old coworker, a customer, or someone you helped is.

Ask with a name or a role, a one-line reason, and an escape: "If this is off, no worries." Attach a forwardable blurb so they can copy-paste. Do not make them write your pitch.

Do not ask them to spam their whole leadership team. One intro is a favor. A list is homework.

If they say they are the wrong person, ask who owns the problem, once. Then thank them. Mining a network through a reluctant node is how you burn the node.

Paid "referral" sequences that fire after every accept are just another pitch. Save the ask for people who have seen you work.

## Related

- [What is a LinkedIn 2nd-degree connection?](https://omentir.com/help/what-is-a-linkedin-2nd-degree-connection.md)
- [What is LinkedIn TeamLink?](https://omentir.com/help/what-is-linkedin-teamlink.md)
- [How do I get past a gatekeeper on LinkedIn?](https://omentir.com/help/how-to-get-past-a-gatekeeper-on-linkedin.md)

## Frequently asked questions

**Should I offer to pay for intros?**

In some partner programs, yes, in writing. In a cold DM, it can look like you are buying access. Read the room.

**Can I ask them to connect me and then stay off the thread?**

Double opt-in intros are better: they ask the other person first. Respect that even if it is slower.

**What if they ghost the referral ask?**

Drop it. Reminders on a favor are how favors die.

**Is a mutual connection enough to name-drop in the invite?**

Only if that person would vouch. Otherwise it reads as social engineering. See [2nd-degree connections](/help/what-is-a-linkedin-2nd-degree-connection).

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