Recently a survey asked major companies where most of their customers come from. A whopping 85 percent said referrals are their number one source of new business.

The first place to look for referrals is from happy customers. When someone is satisfied with your product or service, mention how much you would love for them to tell friends and co-workers. Most people feel a bit proud you would ask.

Get referrals from other sales people. You don't have to look at them as enemy competition.

Many people in your industry fully appreciate how well you do what you do.

They may feel you offer better expertise in some areas.

Competitors can also get over-worked and need to refer customers to you to give themselves time to catch up.

Several top business writers frequently send jobs to me. They know I have a staff of top-notch writers who can get the job done quickly. The competitor looks good to their customer and has time to work on other projects.