Andy NearyI help insurance professionals turn brand awareness into business growth.

The surefire way to get great referrals from clients and centers of influence.

25 Sept 2026 · 1 min

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1:06

In this instructional segment, Andy Neary critiques the typical, vague way salespeople ask clients for referrals—simply asking "Do you know any more businesses who could use our help?"—and explains why it often fails, leaving clients unsure and unlikely to follow up. He proposes a more effective approach rooted in the one‑on‑one sales framework: first, clearly define the ideal client’s psychographic profile (values, behaviors, industry traits, etc.). Then, when asking for referrals, phrase the request as, "Do you have any peers just like you?" By describing the ideal buyer in psychographic terms, the client can easily identify similar prospects, making the referral process smoother. The same principle applies to centers of influence such as bankers, accountants, and attorneys; instead of a generic ask, you guide them with the specific psychographic criteria, enabling them to match you with the right introductions. The overall message is that specificity and psychological alignment dramatically increase referral success.

Chapters

Imagine you're sitting in a meeting next week with a client you love. I bet you would love to have more like them. But when we ask for a client referral, what's the typical way we ask for a referral? You guys are quiet today. The typical response, right, is, is, do you know any more businesses who could use our help? Well, what does that do? Makes the client think, makes the client come up with the list, right? A little harder to get a referral because what do they tell you? They tell you, I'll get back to you, let me think about it and get back to you. Do they ever do that? No. Here's how you take referrals up a notch with the one-on-one sales framework. List out all of the ideal psychographics of your client. This is why I love working with you. Do you have any other peers just like you? Remember, we do business with and hang out with people like us. When you describe the ideal buyer psychographically to your client, it makes it easier for that client to give you referrals. Same thing goes for centers of influence, whether it's a banker, it's an accountant, it's an attorney. Don't just say, hey, do you have any clients I could— you could introduce me to? Talk about the ideal psychographics because it's going to make it easier for the center of influence to know exactly who they should refer to you.