There are tons of ways to actively get referrals, but one method in particular may surprise you: Helping others get them.

Put simply, if you look out for other agents, they will look out for you, too. Going a step further, if you develop a reputation for helping your colleagues, you may end getting leads from agents who don’t even know you (often because they will have decided you’re a good person to know). Of course, I’m not talking about sending good prospects to your competitors. Heavens, no! But if you’re a property/casualty agent and one of your clients says she needs a life insurance policy, be ready to give her the name of a life agent you know. Grateful, that same life agent will likely send some business your way.

The insurance industry is incredibly competitive, and many agents have taken that to mean success is a zero-sum game. It isn’t. Once more agents realize that, they’ll realize that their good deeds pay karmic dividends.