Referrals are my lifeblood. Here's what I've learned about them.

1. Ask for them outright. Explain what you do and say you'd like referrals. That's all you have to do. Ah, but ... What if I were to ask you right here and now to refer clients to me. "I'm a personal and professional growth coach. I'm accepting new clients and I'd like you to refer your chiropractic patients to me. My bio's at bottom of this article." Would you do it? Of course not. Your whole chiropractic practice is built on how your patients perceive you, and if you refer them to an idiot, it reflects on you. (Old drinking song: "You can tell a man who boozes by company he chooses...") Until you're sure I know what I'm doing, and that I'll treat your patients right, you aren't going to do it. Your practice is too important to you.

2. You have to do courtship before you pop question. It takes time. First you have to build your reputation and build it carefully by providing excellent service. When you're good at what you do, and know it, asking for referrals is second nature. Occasions will arise where it's natural thing to do, i.e., "You know, I could help Frederic with that. That's exactly what I do. Why don't you have him call me at XXXX." You also have to have let other person get to know you enough to trust you.

3. Create an atmosphere where referrals can occur. People refer people to people they like and trust. This means getting out and about, talking with respect about what you do and about clients you work with, and letting other people see who you are. Join Chamber, go to seminars, Rotary, work out at health spa, attend symphony, but these aren't just social events. When you're in a profession, you ARE product. It's possible to be rude and irresponsible in your social life and be a good surgeon, but people won't see it that way. It's possible to get drunk at a party and harrass members of opposite sex and still be a good coach, but people won't see it that way. It's possible to be late for lunch, forget names and abuse waiter and be a good accountant, but it isn't probable. Be who you are when you're out, but be professional who you are.

4. Basically you aren't going to get them until you don't need them. That's one of those things in life. If you're desperate for clients (or anything else), you'll drive it away. People can sense it. I was helping someone write a grant and their reason was "because we're desperate for money." That's a reason why they want money; it isn't a reason why someone should give it to them. The same applies for referrals.

5. What's in it for me? It's not about you. There are a few good-hearted souls who just go about helping other people, but not many. Everyone else is thinking of benefits, risks, and repercussions. If someone refers someone to you, what will they get?

If you can recapture a wasted hour here and there and redirect it to a more productive use, you can make great increases in your daily productivity and quality of your life.

Here are five of many techniques I share in our Time Management seminars, each one of which will help you to leverage your time and get at least one more hour out of your day for additional productive time to do things you really want to do.

1. Systematize Stop reinventing wheel and recreating same things over and again. Create systems to handle repetitive tasks. For example, I have standard letters all created and saved in my computer along with standard documents such as directions to my office and various articles I share with others. Be sure to have adequate supplies you can readily access. Use one calendar to keep track of appointments. Work with a clean desk and have most frequently used items within arm’s reach. Schedule maintenance for your equipment and yourself.