I just read a great article called How to Ask Your Clients for a Referral Without Sounding Like a Jerk by James Chartrand and it reminded me of a referral situation I encounter once while I was seeking legal advice. The basic idea is that many businesses know of, or work with great people but don’t refer them just because they don’t have the presence of mind to do it. Just today, I had a conversation with a colleague about how my refrigerator broke down and leaked water all over the floor (I know what you’re thinking: that happened to me too!). My colleague recounted (in great detail) how he had the same situation but never mentioned who repaired his refrigerator or how I could get in contact with them. However if the repair company had given my colleague a hint or an extra business card he might have referred another customer. The hard part about referrals is asking for them. As I mentioned earlier I went to see an attorney for legal advice about starting a business and after my free consultation the attorney handed me two extra business cards and said if I knew anyone who needed some legal advice particularly related to accidents if I would give them his card he would gladly pay me a finder’s fee. Now that’s bold but I would be willing to bet he gets a substantial about of business this way. If you want to get more advice about asking for referrals, read the blog by James Chartrand because it gives some great recommendations and even a smooth dialog to follow. How have you asked for referrals and what method or dialogue works best?