New book about how referrals can supercharge flows of work across extended networks in the modern workplace

New business in 2025 isn’t just about tech. Beyond search engine optimisation and pay-per-click advertising, referrals retain their power as the most lucrative way for small practices to grow. So why are they so often left to personal chance and inclination, asks Robert Flint in a new book, Working with Strangers. Collaboration remains our superpower as humans, he argues, the one that will continue to let us thrive beyond AI. When expert teams combine through introductions, recommendations and networks, they have every chance of competing against industry leaders, offering a more personal service and better value. However, Flint argues, these efforts are easily fragmented. As humans, we rarely excel at working with strangers. Trust is easily lost and everyone returns to the comfort of their own silo. It’s a pattern reinforced by everyone working from home from where they network less and have few chance conversations. In this book, Flint sets out the case for building a modern referral strategy that uses the power of tech to connect and engage with all your potential connections, lead and partners. For individuals, whether natural communicators or not, it represents a rewarding way to establish a profile and build a career. For practices, when referrals are put at the centre of a market strategy, it creates the capability to build their own ecosystem, assemble a team of trusted collaborators and together bid for the best work. ‘Big tech might seem unassailable’, says Flint, founder of his own global network of over a hundred specialist legal practices, ‘but teams of people who know, like and trust each other are still the future. For small practices, the challenge is to be empowered by tech, not destroyed by it’. For Maria Luisa Castro, founder of Costaluz Lawyer, this book is a significant contribution to the personalist revolution in our offices and workplaces. ‘In our digital professional environments suffocated by prefabricated and artificial connections, Robert Flint’s vision is about creating genuinely personal frameworks where mutual trust flows spontaneously and implicitly.’ At Legal Connection, Guy Stern says, ‘I’ve long believed small firms and solo practitioners can effectively challenge the dominance of the Magic Circle by strategically partnering and working together. Working with Strangers offers the roadmap to make this collaboration a reality.’ At Microland, Karthikeyan K says, ‘Working with Strangers unlocks the true potential of referrals, offering a fresh take on building trust and expanding networks. Robert Flint’s approach is both insightful and practical, perfect for anyone looking to supercharge their business through smarter collaboration.’ • ‘Working with Strangers: Build your career and grow your business through referrals’ by Robert Fllint, Novaro Publishing, 15th January 2025, ISBN: 978-1-7398640-9-5. See here for further details.