Why I don’t ask for referrals

In yesterday's post, Some call it beginners luck, I said I love giving referrals and I suck at asking for them. 

I feel uncomfortable asking for help. 

Asking for a referral makes me feel desperate. 

I know it's all in my head. 

Just for fun, I Googled "how to ask for referrals" and guess what came up? 

Templates. 

Lots of templates. 

Some of the templates say to "make it personal." 

I've never been a big fan of templates because they don't feel authentic. 

I try to stuff my words into the template and it ends up like putting lipstick on a pig. 

One tip did resonate with me. 

Share the characteristics of your favorite clients and how you help them. 

Here goes nothing. 

My favorite clients in no particular order: 

1. Family is their top priority 
2. They worked in the corporate world for over 20 years 
3. They're ready to venture out on their own or they've been laid off and don't know what's next 
4. They want to maintain their skills, be relevant, stay engaged, and be part of an engaging community 
5. Their perfect business would be a 10-20 hour workweek while earning enough to maintain their current lifestyle 
6. They love to travel and live an active lifestyle 
7. We share the same values of honesty, integrity, authenticity, humor, happiness, optimism, and service 
8. We love to have fun 
9. We love to help others 
10. Money is not their driving force - making a difference is what makes them tick 

How do I help them? 

1. Get really clear on what you want in this stage of your life 
2. Help you create a business you LOVE that runs on YOUR TERMS 
3. Establish your personal brand that positions you as THE industry authority 
4. Help you maintain and improve your skillset so you remain at the TOP of your game 
5. Turn your knowledge and experience into a competitive advantage 
6. Show you how to start casual conversations on LinkedIn that turn into sales conversations. 
7. Help you use online marketing strategies to close more deals and get great referrals 
8. Let you focus on doing what you do best and not worry about learning the latest internet marketing trends 
9. Help you build a referral network that sends you qualified prospects regularly 
10. Done-for-You marketing and lead generation 

If you know someone like this, please send them my way. 

I appreciate your help. 

Ted 

P.S. That was way easier than I thought it would be.