Times have changed in business — and I’ve seen it first-hand.

I started in the plumbing trade over 20 years ago. Back then, finding a service was simple: grab the Yellow Pages or Thompson Local, find ‘AAA Plumbing’ at the top of the list, and make a call. The customer made the first move.

Fast forward to today, and it’s a completely different world. Customers don’t want to pick up the phone first anymore. They’ll go on social media and ask for recommendations. Or they’ll post their job on a lead-generation site and expect the tradesperson — or the letting agent — to be the one making contact.

And here’s the thing: this mindset shift isn’t just plumbing or lettings. It’s happening across every industry. People are shy about making the first call, but bold about posting publicly.

Recently, I realised how much this impacts referrals too. A few contacts told me, ‘I know someone who could use your services, I’ll pass your details on.’ And then… nothing happened. My phone never rang.

That’s when the lightbulb hit: why am I waiting for them to call me?

Now, instead of hoping, I flip the approach. I ask my contact to check with the lead if they’re happy for me to reach out directly. That way, I can give them a quick, friendly call. No hard sell. No “pen they don’t want.” Just a casual chat to see if I can help. If I can, great. If I can’t, that’s fine too — we’ve spoken, they know who I am, and they’ll remember that I took the time to call.

The lesson?

In today’s world, the business owner makes the first move, not the customer.

So if you’re thinking of referring me, don’t just pass along my number and hope for the best. Make that little bridge, get permission, and let me call them. That’s how we turn referrals into real connections.

And if you’re reading this thinking you might need some help yourself, just drop me a message — I’ll give you a call, no problem.