In my role with the world's leading networking and referral training organisation, The Referral Institute, I'm on a mission to raise the level of networking in my region - the East Midlands.

There are close to 100 opportunities to network in around the Nottingham-Derby-Leicester triangle and beyond. That's 100 clubs, events, groups, organisations, get-togethers and associations that bring people together for support, information and business generation.

Many of these groups I've had the honour of speaking at in the past. Those that make the biggest difference to their members and guests tend to be the ones who in some way educate and train people to network better.

Whether that means a speaker of note or some kind of professional development input, people benefit hugely from both the opportunity to network and the opportunity to learn.

I'll be interviewing the leaders and organisers of many of these clubs, groups and events over the next few months. Yesterday I spoke at Access2Business, ran by the incredible Karen Kennedy.

After a very successful relaunch of this highly successful club of senior decision makers and business owners, Karen is putting her intimate blend of education and connections into growing A2B into a dominant networking brand in this region.

Her next event on on 3rd December. With a dedicated core of high level business developers and connectors, this is one of the premium groups in the East Midlands. Karen herself will also be doing a presentation on 'The Many Intangible Benefits of Networking!' Get yourself there and tell her I sent you!

If you want more referrals to grow your business, then your objective from your networking and your business relationships should be:

To generate referrals and positive word of mouth from other people you know.

However, this doesn't always work. You want people to say great things about you and recommend you to others. You want people to introduce you to great prospects. But does it happen like you want it to happen? NO.

Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine you have somebody in your network who wants you to refer them. They tell you about their business. They tell you what to say and ask. So why don't you refer them? Here are ten reasons why not:

1. You haven't got the same soul or passion they have for their business.
2. They don't give you a clear target market or articulate exactly what they're looking for.
3. You don't deal with their kind of clients.
4. You don't know any of the kind of prospects they're looking for.
5. You don't understand what they do well enough.
6. You don't like them.
7. They sound like lots of other people, so you don't know how to set them apart.
8. You're scared of making a mistake.
9. You already have someone to give those kind of referrals to.
10. You don't have the time.

So the good news is that you can identify what the problem is. The bad news is that all of these are your fault! In my next blog I'll tell you why it's all your fault and what you can do about it.

In the meantime, read this fantastic article from Mike Macedonio, who is President of the Referral Institute. The foremost authority on referrals I've ever met and an incredible individual. You'll learn when it's inappropriate to ask people for referrals and introductions. Gold dust!

After delivering three seminars this week on Referral Marketing to some terrific people in the East Midlands, one thing is clear:

Even great networkers don't have a networking strategy!

Let me give you some context. People network for a number of reasons. Here's a few that great door-opener Simon Bozeat, founder of the Midlands-based Bozeat Business Clubs, gives for networking:

"New sales opportunities, make money, save money, source local suppliers, build a stronger local presence, PR, personal development and just to hang around some great people!"

Whatever your motivation, you've got to have a plan to wrap your good intentions around. For pretty much everyone, there's an element of business development in mind. Indeed, my definition of networking is attending business-related events to fulfil your commercial objectives.

Yet it's unlikely you'll find your next best client or customer directly through networking. It's more likely you'll be referred to them through somebody you met networking. Craig Bunday, who runs the brilliant Leicester Business Club, offers an induction to his members to help them identify what they would like to achieve from membership and how they can get the most out of The Club. Now that's the beginnings of a strategy!

Charles Walker is founder of the 500 Clubs, based in Derby and Leicester. Charles is most prolific referral giver I know, and has passed over £200,000 of referral business to his contacts personally in the last month! He runs focus groups within his clubs to develop referral partnerships. His aim is to generate £1m of business for his members in the next year. Knowing Charles, he'll have that done by Christmas!

Over the next few weeks I'll be talking more about your networking strategy in a series of referral marketing seminars I'm running for the Referral Institute East Midlands. If you really want to know how to double your business by referral and generate a load more referrals from your networking, reserve your place here>>