Many people hesitate to ask for referrals because they are not sure how to do it. Just be honest. Tell your customers that referrals are very important to growth of your business, and that you want to grow it with people just like them. Remind them that people they know will benefit from your service way that they have. Then, ask.

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

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

Write names down and keep writing until customer runs out of names. Then, go back and ask for contact information for each one.

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

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

Establish Goals. Now that you have selected your charity, determine what it is you want to accomplish with your involvement from a business perspective. There are tangible and intangible goals you can reach through cause marketing. Are you looking for networking opportunities at board or donor level? Do you want to raise your business’ profile through publicity about your involvement? Are you trying to build employee or customer loyalty? Or, do you just want to shore up support in your home community? Set your goals and then you can determine what resources, both time and money, to budget for cause.

Dive In. Although writing a check to cause will help, this should not be extent of your participation. Choose a single cause and maintain a focused campaign that integrates cause into very fabric of your organization. Look at other ways to expand your involvement. Serve on board. Become a volunteer for your selected cause. Encourage employees to get involved in projects with selected charity. Give them a “charitable time” budget each month that lets them use business hours to perform their service with your chosen cause. Strategic allies and even customers may want to be involved if you have selected your cause wisely.

Communicate. Develop a simple, direct and compelling message that not only explains cause but reason your company is involved. Explain how purchases – if part of program – are directed into cause and how that contribution will affect it. Then, promote cause in customer mailings and in your advertising. Create joint events with your nonprofit partner to attract customers, prospects and media coverage.

Selecting and supporting right cause for your company can build profit, brand equity, as well as employee and customer loyalty, while improving world. So, what could be better than that?