One northern Manitoba February, Bert, a new AA convert, was driving me from Flin Flon to The Pas to work with another agent. Bert's enthusiasm for AA bubbled throughout the trip, and I learned many things that helped me improve my life.

One was that "You've got to give it away to keep it". To Bert, at the time, this meant spread the AA philosophy. To me, it meant the sharing of all ideas.

It also applies to referrals. To get them, give them.

You want referrals. And you know many others who also want them. Have you given them any? If not, why should you expect any from them?

Consider your accountant, your CA. How does she acquire new clients? Through referrals. Have you ever given her any?

No? Then take her to lunch. While you're eating find out as much as you can about her---the sort of stuff that anyone hiring a CA would want to know. And what you need to know in order to refer her.

When you get to coffee tell her, "I'm asking you all these questions because every so often someone asks me if I know of a good accountant. I'd like to be able to recommend you."

"But some of those who ask may not be what you want. So tell me, how will I know if they're a good prospect for you?"

Wow! Imagine if someone asked you that. Wouldn't you be elated? This is exactly what any prospect-seeker dreams of. Someone who is willing to feed her leads and asks what kind!

Listen closely her. You might even want to take notes. She may describe someone you already know, or have as a client. (Of course, you can't just recommend her willy- nilly, but you can let it be known, to those who are interested, that you have met an accountant who really impressed you.)

Don't push it, but be ready to offer your specifications for the prospects you're looking for, if she asks. But don't expect it. Wait for it to come naturally. It may take years, but eventually she will be giving you referrals.

Now visualize yourself having a lunch like this every week with a different prospect-seeker. Think of the various accounting specialists, lawyers, financial planners, even competitors, to whom you could be giving referrals. And who may feel obliged to return the favour.

But don't ask them to lunch with that in mind or you'll blow it. Be gracious. Give it away to get it!

And schedule monthly follow-up phone calls to let them know you haven't forgotten them.

And so they won't forget you.

Don Pooley has shared his marketing know-how with audiences in major Canadian cities, London, Australia, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and now in his free ezine, TIP. Subscribe at http://www.eTIP.ca/, or get free article downloads, and redistribution rights info at http://www.eTIP.ca/Downloads/Publish.html