You have to ask

Earlier this week I responded to the question, "What advice did your mother give you?" by saying, "Use your mouth. I can't read your mind."
If you were to ask my clients, "What advice did your coach give you?" I hope they would respond, "If you want someone's help, you have to ask for it." This leads us to a useful business-building tip some industries have been using for years.


When meeting face to face or over the phone with a prospect or network member, the meeting should never close before asking, "Which 2 or 3 others (like your TM) would you feel comfortable referring to me?"

There are times I forget this, and then I'm reminded that referral is almost the best means of business-building, second only to public speaking. So if my goal is to get business, and I want referrals, I must ask for them. If I don't ask the question, I'm not giving my listener a chance to act on something he/she may already be thinking about. When I ask the question, I help this thought process get complete, and I help my listener ask any questions needed to clarify my expectations.

Ask for referrals. Do it actively vs. passively. Some people approach it this way: "If you hear of anybody who wants my product/services, let me know." Then you're letting them walk away to never think of the referrals again. That's the passive approach.  Ask actively, as the above question sample allows. It doesn't require follow-up to get the referrals.