The Referral Mindset That Pays Premium Prices
How Horacio turns everyday client conversations into quality referrals
Stories from the TGS network, gathered and written by John-Paul Flintoff.
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Many members of international networks wait - passively - for referrals to arrive. But what happens if you train yourself to hear opportunities in every client conversation?
Horacio Rocha San Miguel's approach transforms routine client interactions, at his TGS firm in Mexico, into premium-priced international solutions.
The mindset shift
“I don't wake up every day saying, ‘how can I refer work to Azerbaijan’,” Horacio concedes. "But I am always aware that I can be referring someone in the network."
“When one of my clients says, ‘I'm doing something in Spain’, or if someone says they're going to Greece, I say, I know someone there. If you have any problems we have someone.”
To be clear: this isn't about pushing referrals.
It's about positioning yourself as the connector who makes your clients' global challenges disappear.
The geographic advantage
Of course, Horacio has natural advantages. “Some countries export business, and others import,” he explains.
Mexico's economy as a producer of raw materials and minerals means Mexican businesses are constantly expanding internationally: creating outbound referrals that Horacio sends to network partners.
“We hear a lot in Latin America meetings, on Zoom calls. Firms in some countries complain that they aren't getting a lot of referrals” - because their economies don't generate the same international expansion.
Horacio is in an enviable position. When you're consistently sending profitable referrals to colleagues across the network, you build stronger relationships and earn more goodwill than firms that only receive referrals.
Of course, the advantage isn't just economic. It's relational. Being the firm that solves other people's problems builds the kind of trust that delivers premium results when your own clients need international support.
The proof point
December 2024 demonstrated exactly why this approach pays off.
One of Horacio’s clients mentioned that he was buying a castle in a small town near Milan. The deal had to close in January, and the client needed urgent support during the holiday season.
Horacio didn't hesitate: “So I call Alberto [at TGS firm Athena]. He was traveling, but he was glad to help, even in December and New Year's Eve.”
(Why was Alberto so willing? Was it because Horacio had referred lots of work to him before? Had they met frequently at conferences? Maybe. But sometimes people just help because they're good professionals who understand the value of mutual support.)
The result? “Whatever they charged, my client was happy to pay and paid immediately,” says Horacio.
Today, that castle is being converted into a hotel.
The strategic foundation
Horacio learned from his father clear principles about independence: “When you join one of the big networks you aren't really a partner,” he told Horacio. “You're answering to someone elsewhere.”
When TGS approached them in 2016, Horacio liked that his firm “would belong to something bigger but without having someone to answer to.”
The real value came from how he approached client relationships afterward. Competitors may talk about capabilities, but Horacio delivers immediate solutions by actually calling on the network.
The multiplier effect
This approach creates multiple advantages:
Network goodwill: Sending referrals builds stronger relationships than just receiving them
Client trust: When you consistently solve global problems, clients pay premium prices without question
Crisis response: Network partners prioritise your urgent requests because you've helped them
Competitive positioning: You become the firm that makes international complications disappear
Crucially, Horacio gets to know other TGS members by regularly attending network events: “It's easy for me to refer to people I have met,” he says.
The lessons
The Horacio Method:
Train yourself to hear geographic mentions in client conversations
Focus on sending referrals, not just receiving them
Position network relationships as problem-solving tools
Let your reputation as a connector build network goodwill
Closing
Nine years after joining TGS, Horacio's referral mindset has transformed both his client relationships and his network results. He'll be the first to tell you it's not just about geography - some countries just do export more business than others. It’s about listening differently and positioning yourself as the connector who helps others succeed.
The question isn't whether Horacio's approach works. It's whether you're ready to become the network member everyone wants to help.