Press Release
Now Available: the new book from leading business coach, Karl Smith
How To Survive The World Cup: Business Relationships and Business Planning

“ Are South African businesses truly ready for a major international event such as the imminent Soccer World Cup?

In terms of popular appeal, the World Cup is by far the biggest sporting event in the world. Leading business and relationship development coach Karl Smith decided to write the book when one business owner told him: “The World Cup is killing our business”.

This pragmatic book considers valuable lessons that can be learned from a survey conducted of professionals across five Central and Eastern European countries to gauge their attitudes and preferences during the 2006 Soccer World Cup on this issue.

The aim of many of the World Cup awareness strategies in Africa seems be focusing on creation awareness of the tourism industry. At the time of writing this book, South Africa had no coordinated national resource to provide guidance for business sustainability during the World Cup.

Research shows that while many companies are implementing no-air travel measures, they aren’t making plans for transport disruptions, absenteeism and other factors during the World Cup. A survey before the 2006 World Cup in Germany suggested planned absenteeism for businesses and the economy as a whole, translated to millions of man-hours of lost productivity.

Buy this book to learn how you can use sport to improve communication, better your management styles and increase sales. Learn how to deal with the ethical dilemma in business gifts: giving or bribery? Major sports events are characterized by sponsorships and other forms of “giving”. Get guidance to ensure operational efficiency and human resources during World Cups as is a critical component of general day-to-day business.

The value of this book transcends the World Cup as the information is applicable for business sustainably during any major event. “I encourage companies to use it as a reference point during their planning meetings and where necessary to rebuild their relationship capital. The book can be ordered at R100.00 (excluding postage and packaging) a copy by emailing your details to karl@businessnetworkingsouthafrica.co.za

About Karl
Internationally acclaimed business relationship building expert, Karl Smith, is a sought-after and compelling self-improvement teacher, author and coach on business networking, referral business, trust, credibility, ethics, personal excellence, personal branding and leadership from the core. South Africa ®, and he is the author of the book: Beyond the Business Handshake: Dare to Build High-Trust Business Relationships and co-author of the book: One Goal, Many Paths. Karl passionately delivers his message and is dedicated to enabling individuals and organisations around Africa to reap the dividends of high trust. With deep insight in human behaviour and business, Karl presents a people centric and principle-based approach to self-mastery. It’s about learning how to invest in people for an extraordinary return. It’s about increasing individual effectiveness to positively impact the speed and cost of business through integrity, honesty, accountability and credibility.

Ends.

Contact Business Networking South Africa CEO: Karl Smith
Tel: 071 444 2210 Tel: 021- 511 0802
Tel: 087 808 9753 Fax: 086 694 6399
karl@businessnetworkingsouthafrica.co.za www.businessnetworkingsouthafrica.co.za

The relationship is the currency in today’s rapidly changing and competitive business environment. We give people bachelor’s degrees in marketing, business and even entrepreneurship, but we hardly teach them anything about the one subject that virtually every successful executive and entrepreneur says is critically important to their business—“networking” and “relationship capital”. Companies with high trust business relationships are more productive, have better results, retain clients and get referrals more easily and win in the marketplace over their low-trust peer organisations.

It is argued that “90% of your new business comes from focused, proactive networking and word-of-mouth referrals, 70% of new positions are filled using positive networking strategies and future employers will want you to demonstrate that you are well networked”. The earlier you learn how to manage this aspect of your life, the better. Unfortunately, most people have the “cocktail function image” of networking and they don’t achieve the results. This image is further advocated through many networking articles – and networking meet-and-greet events – where the focus is on impression management and business card exchange rituals rather than on genuine contact and business relationships.

With deep insights in human behaviour, business and pointed anecdotes, Karl reveals a holistic step-by-step framework to demonstrate the value of people skills, authenticity, connecting, networking and building high-trust business relationships.

If you want a copy of Karl’s book - available until 17 August 2009 at the celebratory price of only R75, 00 + R25,00 for packaging or postage where required - then email the following detail to karl@businessnetworkingsouthafrica.co.za (name, surname, company, number of copies and telephone number). The in store price is R150, 00. You can personalise the foreword in the book if you invite Karl to do conference speaking or in-company training. Don’t forget to ask him about the special discounts on bulk quantities available to corporations, professional associations and other to organizations:

Some of the benefits:

·     Enable you to use networking beyond the “meet-and-greet” events

·     Establish and build rewarding business and personal relationships

·     More referrals and increase the bottom line

·     Do strategic business networking and evaluate return on investment

·     Increase your influence and as a result boost your business and career goals

Visit www.businessnetworkingsouthafrica.co.za for more information or call karl on 082 777 9431.