When I was selling Encyclopedia Britannica door-to-door many years ago, it was an obligatory part of the job to ask for referrals. And I hated it. It made me nervous and shaky just to think of it. Is this how you feel too?

I hated to ask for fear I was imposing on my prospects, or even destroying my chances of a sale, so I left it almost until I was out the door, like an afterthought. As I didn