Bill Cates is the Founder of Referral Coach International, a company that helps professionals grow their business by generating referrals and personal introductions through proven relationship marketing systems. He is a bestselling author of several books on referrals and business growth, including Get More Referrals Now and Radical Relevance. Bill has spent over 25 years helping thousands of financial professionals and business owners move from incremental to exponential growth by improving client engagement and communication. He also hosts the Top Advisor Podcast and founded The Cates Academy for Relationship Marketing.

Many professionals struggle to grow through referrals without feeling awkward, pushy, or inauthentic. At the same time, deeply held money beliefs — often shaped by fear or scarcity — can quietly sabotage both personal finances and client relationships. How can leaders overcome these hidden barriers to build trust, growth, and lasting wealth?

Bill Cates, a referral expert, bestselling author, and coach to financial advisors, explains that referrals still dominate how people choose advisors — but only when handled with empathy and intention. He emphasizes shifting from asking to creating natural introductions, planting referral seeds through service, and aligning growth strategies with how clients want to connect. Bill also highlights the importance of understanding money mindsets, recognizing the emotional stories behind financial decisions, and transforming fear-driven behaviors into confident actions through education and awareness.

In this episode of The Customer Wins podcast, Richard Walker interviews Bill Cates, Founder of Referral Coach International, about growth through referrals, money mindset, and client trust. Bill discusses why introductions outperform leads, how scarcity thinking affects advisors, and how storytelling can reshape beliefs about money.