My boss often says "To be interesting, be interested."  When I meet with a team member for coffee, I ask subtle questions about that person's personal background, as well as about their professional background.  I learn about their families, where they are from, where they went to school and sometimes what they do for fun.  That way, I can describe them as people, not just as "task doers."  In my opinion, that makes them sound more appealing to meet from a cient perspective.  It makes the person I am describing sound human.  People want to do business with people they like, but also those they may have something in common with or who seem interesting.  I try to find small things that make people I refer sound attractive, other than just their skill set.  This practice also makes me seem like know the person I am referring, and I think that makes my referral more credible.