Stop Chasing Leads, Start Building Trust: The Referral System Queensland Business Owners Wish They’d Started Years Ago
Episode 2 | Paul Lomas | Founder, Local Recommend & PixelBird
Paul Lomas has spent more than 25 years at the intersection of technology and human connection. He founded one of the UK’s first web development companies during the original dot-com boom, went on to lead BNI franchises across both Brisbane and the UK, and has helped thousands of professionals generate what he estimates to be hundreds of millions of dollars in business through structured, relationship-based referrals.
In the second episode of Queensland Business Stories, Paul sits down with host Chris Tipper to talk about why 98% of businesses rely on referrals but only 3% have a strategy to find them – and what to do about it.
From the Dot-Com Boom to Brisbane’s Networking Scene
Paul’s entrepreneurial instinct kicked in early. Starting with a paper-based publishing company in the UK, he saw the potential of the internet before most people had heard of it.
“We were actually the first internet development or web development company in Merseyside. And we were the first company registered in the UK Yellow Pages under the category of Internet Services.”
After building his IT business and discovering the power of in-person networking through BNI, Paul threw himself into the referral world – eventually buying BNI franchises in both Canberra and Brisbane, then transferring to Liverpool before returning to Australia. The through-line across every chapter: relationships drive revenue.
The ABC System: Attract, Bond, Convert
Paul’s approach to referrals isn’t guesswork. He’s developed what he calls the ABC system – a structured process for turning connections into long-term referral partnerships.
Attract the right people based on your ideal client profile and existing strengths. Bond through regular touch points – coffee, meetings, even a run at the gym. Convert over time as trust deepens and opportunities naturally surface.
“My most profitable partnerships took years to build, but they generated hundreds of thousands – and on one occasion, multi-millions of dollars worth of value for my company. And that’s just through regular touch points and building those referral relationships.”
The Boxing Gym That Built a Business
One of Paul’s most profitable referrals came from the most unlikely place – a boxing gym in the UK.
He and a fellow gym member, Mick, bonded over early morning runs and bag work. Over time, Paul learned Mick was an IT director at the second largest barrister’s chambers in the UK. What started as a low-risk intranet project grew into a website rebuild, then referrals into the barristers’ side businesses – including building an online auction platform for the largest specialist auction website in the world.
“We did the creation of the site, the maintenance, the management – for over 15 years. That was a brilliant client as a result of meeting the guy in the gym.”
The Five-Year Phone Call
Paul’s second biggest referral came from someone he’d never met in person. A hosting company employee named Dave, a Liverpool FC fan (Paul is not), became his regular point of contact whenever he called in.
“Me and David talked about business and the problem I had. And then we’d start talking about football. This happened for probably three or four years.”
When one of the hosting company’s biggest resellers exited, Dave handed the client base to Paul. Two years later, Dave revealed his father owned the entire hosting company – one of Australia’s biggest at the time.
“I’d been building a relationship with this guy for five years. I never knew for one second that his dad owned the company.”
Be More Interested Than Interesting
For business owners who aren’t natural networkers, Paul’s advice is simple: stop trying to sell and start trying to listen.
He tells the story of a local excavation contractor who came to drop off clean fill – and eight months later, after regular touch points, called Paul to build an AI voice agent for his new business.
“People are generally ready to come and have a conversation with you when they’re ready to buy. They just need to know what you can do and that you’ve got credibility to deliver for them.”
The contrast? A woman at a networking event who immediately launched into a sales pitch about telecommunications without any relationship groundwork.
“I genuinely don’t get it. I don’t really know you. I don’t know if you’re any good. I don’t know anybody who’s recommended you to me.”
Local Recommend: AI-Powered, People-First
After returning to Australia in 2024, Paul combined his IT business (PixelBird) with his decades of networking experience to create Local Recommend – an AI-powered referral generation network designed to be affordable and locally driven for Queensland businesses.
“If people haven’t got thousands of dollars to spend on a membership but they do want to get involved in some sort of structured networking environment, we’ll give them the platform to do that.”
The model is already running successful in-person groups in Brisbane on Fridays and Wednesdays, with all membership fees going straight back into the platform’s development.
“By putting people before profit, I think some beautiful things are going to happen with the connections we’re going to make through that network.”
Why Trust Will Always Outperform Marketing Spend
Paul’s core message cuts through the noise: in the age of AI, the businesses with the strongest human relationships will always outperform those with the biggest marketing budgets.
“Whatever line of business you’re in, you are going to be touched by artificial intelligence. There’s no question about it. Just make sure you’ve got a strong network behind you.”
His advice: spend 90% of your time on your job, and 10% on your career – meaning the relationships you build, the connections you make, and the depth of those connections.
Connect With Paul
Website: localrecommend.com.au
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: Paul Lomas
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