You can't buy specific outcomes with specific actions, but you can ask clearly, stay in front of decisions, and track both your activity and your outcomes.
The idea
Anyone selling you a proven formula that converts a set number of actions into a set number of referrals is selling you something that does not exist. There's no guarantee any single action produces a return, and relationship timelines are unpredictable. You control the actions, not the results. Marcus Aurelius had this figured out: your mind is yours to govern, events are not. That doesn't mean sitting back. Getting results comes down to two moves: be proactive about asking for the returns you want, and track what you're doing at several levels so you know whether it's working.
How to do it
Make the ask. Know what would be most valuable to you and make sure your people know it too.
Stay in front of decisions. Drop sales timelines and keep enough mindshare that they think of you when they're ready.
Track leading indicators. Count your touches against your plan and watch replies.
Track outcomes, loosely. Note where every opportunity came from and thank the source.
Remember the job. Your sphere's role is to bring you more at-bats. Closing them is on you.
Example
A few months into Contactually, with a half-working prototype, we hired our first salesperson on our advisors' glowing recommendation. Six weeks later he was gone, with zero sales and not one real opportunity to show for it. His line at every daily check-in, "just dialing for dollars today," is seared into my brain. Volume math doesn't work when you're building long relationships on uncertain timelines.
Watch out for
Expecting clean attribution. The results won't always be clear, so ask directionally whether your business is better for the work.
Have Your Ask Ready: Prepare a one-line, specific answer to "what would be most valuable for you?" and put it in your signature and bios.
Be in Front of Decisions: Drop sales timelines and just stay top of mind. Tell people plainly you're there to build a relationship for the long term.
Track Leading Indicators: Track the actions you take and the replies they get, since deals arrive too late to steer by. Your personal outreach should beat mass-email benchmarks.
Divorce the Action From the Result: You control the outreach, never the reply or the result, so judge yourself on whether you reached out and how well you swung.