You’ve heard me say that when you ask for referrals, you get more referrals.

I’ve heard you say you don’t want to ask.

Well, there are ways to “ask” without asking.

When you write an article or blog post, for example, and share a success story about a case you handled, you can casually mention that said case or client was referred to you by another client who had a similar case or situation and received a positive outcome.

Your reader sees that you were successful in helping two clients with that problem. They also see that your clients refer other clients to you, suggesting that they can, too.

There are many other ways to “ask without asking,” and, if “asking” makes you uncomfortable, you should avail yourself of them. They are spelled out in my Maximum Referrals course.

Now, if you’re not uncomfortable asking for referrals, from clients or prospects or professional contacts, when you do ask, I have a tip for you:

Be specific.

Don’t simply ask, “Do you know anyone who needs an attorney?” That’s too broad and begs the listener to say no.

Instead, when you’re speaking to a small business client, for example, ask if they know a couple of business owners or execs who might need help protecting their assets or re-negotiating their lease (or with the legal situation you’re helping them with).

Being specific makes it more likely they’ll think about someone they know in the context of your services. You can then ask for an introduction or ask them to give them your card.

Another way to be specific is to help them think about people they know in a given context: from work, from church, in their neighborhood, or their customers or clients.

“Do you have any clients who might need help with. . .?”

Now, here’s another way to ask for referrals without asking. You can do this in person, on the phone, via email, or in your content:

“If you know anyone who could use [help or advice] with [a legal problem or situation], tell them go to [web page] to download a copy of my free report [problem-solving, benefit oriented title]. . .”

Reframe “asking” into “offering” and you’ll get more people sending people your way.

For more ways to get referrals without asking in Maximum Referrals