Do you remember where you were when it was announced that South Africa had won the bid to host the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup? Throughout the country, a unified chorus of approval was sounded as history was finally made for both South Africa and the continent. We are now counting the days until South Africa hosts the Soccer World Cup and the advantages of hosting the FIFA Soccer World Cup in South Africa in 2010 are now well known. Hopes are high Africa’s first World Cup will bring tourists and financial benefits to Southern Africa and elsewhere on the continent. A quick overview on the benefits of the 2010 Soccer World Cup indicates that most commentators remind us of the direct and indirect benefits such as infrastructure, tourism, economic injection, job creation, cultural boom, property investment, tax revenue, strengthening the image and identity of South Africa worldwide, national pride and many others.

Similarly, neighbours to South Africa and Kenya in the north have launched their campaigns to reap from the World Cup tournament. In short, the aim of many of the World Cup awareness strategies in Africa seems to be focusing on creation awareness of the tourism industry. Local organizers expect 450,000 overseas visitors for the event with an estimate that the economic benefit to South Africa could reach $7 billion. In terms of popular appeal, the World Cup is by far the biggest sporting event in the world. This spectacular and great extravaganza will take place in South Africa and the first game of the Soccer World Cup will be on 11 June 2010. Surely one cannot undervalue the long-term benefits long after the greatest show on earth is over? But how many local and other businesses on the African continent have considered the potential quality contacts they can make during this period to leverage in future?

It is my humble, and perhaps naïve opinion, that most local businesses are only focusing on the cashing in opportunities during the period around the World Cup. How many of them are taking a long-term view of the potential benefits to be derived from the thousands of overseas visitors? How many are actually training staff and preparing themselves to do business “unusual” so that foreign clients can rave about their experience whether at a guest house, hotel or at the stadiums. How many of us realise that among these visitors may be individuals who want to use their stay for business purposes? How many of us understand the power of word-of-mouth and that even if they are not directly interested in business ventures, chances are that someone in their own country may enquiry about their experiences and impressions?

Understanding the 2010 World Cup environment will help businesses leverage these opportunities more effectively to generate new business and build their profile in the local and international marketplace says Smith. The event provides Africa with the opportunity to make contact with people from across the globe in one country. Have we considered the potential networking benefits for our businesses? If you haven’t done so yet, should you not place it high on your agenda? We will have many local gatherings from organised dinner events to informal braai’s and we are going to find ourselves outside our normal business environment. So what is my point? We are going to meet potential prospects, funders, decision-makers, collaborators, people who can open doors and so much more. Many of us cannot afford to go and meet people elsewhere in the world, now the world is coming to Africa. What a great networking opportunity! The question we need to ask is what South Africans and Africans in general are doing from a relationship building perspective to leverage the host of networking opportunities? “I am not referring to attending business breakfasts and other opportunities to be seen”, Smith says. “I am saying that you know your business and personal goals and that you understand the value”.

The ability to develop and maintain a broad network of “business friendships” is a critical skill for every entrepreneur, business developer, or company leader says Smith. There are three fundamental types of networkers: Givers who give altruistically; Takers (we’ve all known some) who only engage in conversation, call or email when they want something; and Investors who see their personal, functional and strategic relationships as their most valuable asset, and consistently aim at more effectively identifying, building, nurturing, and leveraging those investments for a quantifiable return on those relationships. Which one are you? Giver, Taker or Investor?

Trust is a keystone of business-to-business relationships says Smith. Research conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit 2008 on the role of trust in business collaboration shows that people who want to collaborate want first and foremost for their partners (individuals and organisations) to have integrity (i.e. be honest and ethical). It further suggests that it is quite likely that an individual who does not inspire trust has the power to erode trust in their entire organisation. So what then are the key skills you or your company’s representatives would need to acquire to move from making contacts to building relationships? The ability to inspire and build trust. It is also important to remember that networking to make new contacts may not always need a specific commercial imperative. Since Africa is geographically remote from America, Europe and other countries, it is vital to form relationships to keep abreast of new and developing business trends. And these ongoing interactions help to maintain trust and confidence in the relationship. Smith cautions networking and conference event organizations as well as SMMEs not to infringe on FIFA trademarks as they might then be liable for prosecution.

Why don’t you drop me a mail via karl@businessnetworkingsouthafrica.co.za to tell me about your networking and other international business relationship building challenges?