There's the old joke about the two buzzards sitting in a\rtree overlooking a highway. One responds to the other, "Be\rpatient? I'm hungry. Let's kill something." Just like that\rbuzzard, it is not in the nature of most marketers to be\rpatient for business to grow. They want to go out and "kill\rsomething," too.

The trouble is that most marketers go after new business the\rwrong way. They want to "take down" the new piece of\rbusiness using all the tools of the trade from advertising\rand direct mail to cold calling and event marketing. This is\ran expensive way to drum up business. Your existing clients\rare just waiting to tell you about people they know who\rcould use your services, and then help sell you in to these\rpeople they refer. Not only is this more cost effective, it\rpractically guarantees the prospects will share the same\rcharacteristics of your best customers.

"OK, Harry," you're asking, "but how do I do it?"

The first rule of getting referrals: ask. When should you\rask? Let's review.

- After your customer has purchased something from you is a\rgreat time to ask. The new customer is pumped up about your\roffering and you can harness that energy by asking for names\rof others who could beneft from doing business with you.

- Upon delivery of your product or service is the next time\rto ask. The benefits of your offering should be readily\rapparent now, so you can remind the customer of the\rimportance of their referrals.

- Anytime you have personal contact with your customer is a\rgood time to ask. You are continuing to build a relationship\rwith them and can use the opportunity to ask for referrals.\rDon't ask more than three times per year.

Many people hesitate to ask for referrals because they are\rnot sure how to do it. Just be honest. Tell your customers\rthat referrals are very important to the growth of your\rbusiness, and that you want to grow it with people just like\rthem. Remind them that the people they know will benefit\rfrom your service the way that they have. Then, ask.

Tell your prospect that you'd like for them to give you the\rnames of three or four people who might benefit from your\rservices. Pull out a sheet of paper and pen and look\rexpectantly at them. If they can't immediately give you\rnames, ask some prompting questions. Such as:

Who are your three best friends?\rWho are the most successful business people you know?\rCan you think of anyone who would benefit from my services?

Write the names down and keep writing until the customer\rruns out of names. Then, go back and ask for contact\rinformation for each one.

Thank the customer in the way you feel most comfortable.\rSome people like to send a gift, others will just drop a\rnote of thanks. Some wait to see if the referral becomes a\rcustomer and then send a higher end gift. Do whatever works\rfor you, but do thank them and keep them in the loop,\rletting them know about your follow up and the outcome of\ryour prospecting.

So, don't just sit there in your tree. Get out there and\rkill something.

Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR, http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Duke Energy, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina Tourism, VELUX and Verbatim.