Seth Godin  recently posted about word of mouth and why people don’t give referrals. According to Seth, one of the questions people ask themselves is:  

  • Does it look like I’m getting some sort of kickback or special treatment in exchange? Is that a good thing?

A followup question is, what sort of special treatment is seen as good? Here are some examples where the primary purpose is the special treatment, and the referral isn’t really seen as a referral. 

  • A blogger who frequently gives away fantastic advice who has an amazon affiliate link and buying products helps fund his hosting costs.

  • Girl Scouts selling cookies. 

  • A friend asking for help building the perfect playlist for tonight (the referral is the music service)