Business cards are universal. They’re a way to give details to others about ourselves, and to a lesser extent, our services. So should you use them to prospect for referrals, and generate word-of-mouth and more client referrals?

The short answer is yes. Your business card should give accurate information about your location and services in an eye-catching format, as well as state that you welcome referrals.

Your business card has limited space so every word matters. Considering that you want people to know what you do, where you are, and that you are ready to offer your services to potential clients, what’s the best way to add your referral message?

Use the A-S-I format

• Add a line that you welcome referrals makes clients feel free to spread the word about your services.
• State that you welcome referrals will also make potential clients who have not spoken to you yet feel more comfortable to contact you the first time.
• Include this simple statement on your business card lets people know you are approachable, and you want introductions.

Keep a stack in your reception room, office, car and wallet. After all, when you ask for someone’s business card and they are unable to offer it, don’t you speculate whether they are serious about wanting to do business?

I remember a business colleague once telling me, “I don’t carry business cards. I tell people I forgot mine, let me have one of yours and I’ll send you mine.”

Rather clever. But I never liked that underhanded remark.

One question I’m asked a lot is…

“How do I host my own Continuing Ed Workshops–award CPE credits–and get CPAs, or others to attend?”

Very good question, and it’s easier than you might think with the right direction.

I talk about this in depth in my new CPE Workshop Guidebook.

Let me give you some suggestions from the context of building referrals from other centers-of-influence, such as CPAs, Insurance Agents, or Attorneys.

After all, these are the professionals most apt to be interested in attending a CPE workshops to earn continuing ed credits so they can maintain their licensing or accrediation.

Here’s are a few pointers, say… if you’re after CPAs (accountants) as potential referral sources, for example.

1. Pick a relevant, timely topic for CPAs.  It might be:
   “Tax Considerations for 60+ Year Old Retirees.” Again, keep it timely and relevant
2. Decide on your presentation format. Powerpoint? Roundtable? Classroom style? Group interaction? What? There’s a number of choices to make.
3. Pick a comfortable venue. This could be your office, but I prefer more neutral territory such as  a country club meeting room, for example.
4. Invite qualified CPAs to attend. CPAs specialize in certain areas: tax prep, financial planning, audit, etc. Invite those whose expertise fits with your topic.
5. Create activities that allow for networking and group interaction. This is especially important for you, the host of the event. You want to encourage group-speak, rather than you’re own personal lecture.
6. Decide who the teacher of you CPE Worshop will be. Will it be you? Someone else in your firm? Someone outside your company that you hire as a faciliator?

At a minimum, when you learn how to host your own CPE workshops, you instantly postition yourself, as:

• A leading expert in your city/town, offering a Workshop format no one else is doing.
• An authority who cares about CPAs and presenting professional advice to them.

This translates into relationships. And relationships translate into new business opportunities and referrals.

Use CPE workshops in your marketing aresenal. They are incredibly powerful.

When I mention procrastination as related to becoming active — as in, having an active referral marketing program – I’m talking about intentions versus actions.

Procrastination is intentional mental diversion. You delay today’s action, today, for a promise of tomorrow. Call it future hope, but I doubt few people ever honor that “deal” they make with themselves. I suspect that within this action lurks very tedious issues that cause frustration, as subtle as they may be. And the bottom line with anyone who procrastinates anything is they don’t like all the tedious frustrations. So they delay making a decision.

Sound familiar?

Think about something you are delaying a decision on now. I’ll be you’re perceived negativity or unpleasantness means you’d rather just duck the issue than deal with it.

Psychologists say this often happens when goals are large or unclear.  With referral marketing activities — and ones you are not currently undertaking — I suspect you are not getting the referrals you want because of this.

Now I’m not about to riff on goal-setting activities…. that’s not my point here. But trying to figure out how to get from a state of passivenes without continuing to procrastinate? Well, that indeed can be some evil psychology.

My best advice is for you to lay out specific plans of action that “kick-in” when certain conditions are present. This enacts your behavior to move from passive to active, and sidestep any notion you may have to procrastinate.