Yesterday I told you about Ibrahim in Jordan, where 99% of his referrals flow outward - and why that's actually working brilliantly.

Today: how he solved the operational challenge that comes with high referral volume.

You know the problem. A client needs help in another country. You make the introduction. Then what? You hope your network contact responds quickly. You hope they understand the client's specific needs. You hope the client doesn't get frustrated with delays or miscommunication.

Ibrahim eliminated the hoping.

When referral volume grew, he promoted his audit manager, who'd been with the firm for nine years, to a new role: "development, sales, contract and connections manager."

It’s worth noting that he didn't hire externally. Referrals had become serious business and Ibrahim realised they needed dedicated attention from someone who already understood the firm's standards.

“Now that person can be solving issues between all kinds of stakeholders and services. For example, if something is not fully about accounting or audit he will take care of it," Ibrahim explains.

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It's Ibrahim's systematic process that makes referrals work. First: "I will talk to a client to find out what exactly he wants, and in which country."

No assumptions.

Then: "I will ask the client to send me an email with what we have discussed, so that I don't make a mistake, and then I will forward it to someone in Dubai (or wherever)."

The follow-up: "I will hope to get a quick response from the contact in Dubai (or Saudi Arabia, or wherever), to let the client know that we are caring about the case and ready to serve. A quick response from me is very important,” says Ibrahim. "It's in my genetics!"

But what if there’s no quick response?

Here's where Ibrahim's steady relationship-building pays off: "I would probably contact the person in Dubai through WhatsApp.”

Notice what he's not saying.

He's not WhatsApping random network contacts. He's messaging people he knows well enough to have their personal numbers, people whose communication preferences he understands.

“The relationship between you and the other person in the network is very important," he emphasizes.

This is why Ibrahim attends every TGS conference he can.

Not only for the formal sessions, but for what happens around them, “when you have a chance to smoke or eat something with someone”.

In those moments he's building the personal relationships that let him send that urgent WhatsApp when a client needs help quickly.

Ibrahim knows who responds to what, who works how, and who he can push for a quicker turnaround.

"You have to work to build up your knowledge about other TGS members. You need to know their reactions," Ibrahim explains.

The goal is successful referrals but also long-term client satisfaction: "I want my client to contact me after one or two years and say, ‘Ibrahim, thank you so much for that contact in UAE or Saudi Arabia or wherever, they gave good advice and just what I was looking for.’"

Since he joined TGS, Ibrahim has grown into a network with multiple personal contacts at each firm. He understands their specific capabilities and communication styles, and what they can deliver for his clients across the region.

His patient, relationship-first approach isn't just helping him but building TGS's Middle Eastern presence.

It demonstrates how referrals - even and perhaps especially outbound referrals - become a competitive advantage. When you've invested in personal relationships to make them function smoothly, they’re a prestige service for clients.