Thanks for the suggestion but since most users (like Ben) are not going to be sponsors, we don't want to introduce extra steps for them.
I was thinking the opposite. Make users like Ben sponsors and let them spread the platform.
But if you say they are not going to be sponsors, I have nothing more to say.
I know what it feels when your suggestion is rejected, but what I say is based on data:
out of 72000 steem attested users, only 6700 had ever referred someone else;
out of 25000 real name attested users, only 1700 had ever referred someone else.