Business is a Contact Sport [Hardcover]

Augusto Vidaurreta (Author), Gus Vidaurreta (Author), Tom Richardson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

Business is a contact sport because human contact, connection, and cooperation is the essence of business. Even in our transaction-driven, increasingly virtual world, solid, long-lasting relationships are still fundamental to success. Yet in most companies, relationships with customers and employees and even more so with suppliers, distributors, licensees, licensors, shareholders, lenders, strategic partners, board members, universities, charities, the media and the community are the most underutilized assets.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book is a clear how-to for what we all suspected would work.” -- Sheila Beauchesne, SVP, Chief Information Officer, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

From the Back Cover

Business is a Contact Sport introduces 12 crucial principles for managing each business relationship as an asset at every level of the company, whether dealing with customers, stockholders, suppliers, employees, or community leaders. Relationship Asset Management (RAM) takes the understanding of the one-to-one relationship to the highest level, explaining how to use not just what you know but who you know to succeed in business. Business is a Contact Sport shows managers and entrepreneurs how to recognize all of their company's relationships as strategic assets and manage them as such.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 1st edition (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028641639
• ISBN-13: 978-0028641638
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,593,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A practical and insightful way of creating win-win situation, August 23, 2001

By 

Stefan Inzelstein (Aventura, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business is a Contact Sport (Hardcover)

This book is not theory. The authors, both successful businessmen, illustrate how great results can be achieved through genuine care for all stakeholders, be they customers, employees, suppliers, community causes and even competitors.

Many of the examples come from the authors' own practice applied in diverse businesses ranging from computer services to the banking, manufacturing to the hospitality industry.

Not only is this book well written and useful. Its timing is perfect at a time when Corporate America begins to realize that doing business in an ethical and caring way is not only right, but that it pays off handsomely.

Stefan Inzelstein President ISM Consulting, Inc.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for the top execs, September 30, 2002

By 

Kurt V. Sligh "kurtsligh" (Alpharetta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Business is a Contact Sport (Hardcover)

I guess I'm one of the fortunate ones. I had the opportunity to work with Tom and Gus for a few years back when they first birthed Systems Consulting Group. I spent quite a bit of time with Gus and noticed from day one that he had an uncanny way with people. So I paid close attention and began to soak up all I could. I'm not wired like Gus is motivationally, nor am I gifted with his charismatic personality. I'm a software consultant, I'm still thrilled with the technical side of IT, and that's where I want to remain...but the competition is getting more and more fierce.

I recently discovered that Gus and Tom had written, "Business is a Contact Sport" so I rushed to Amazon[.com] and purchased it...more from curiosity than anything else. What I never would have realized had I not read the book was just how much I had gleaned from my time with them. I've actually been using many of their principles for more than a dozen years and greatly benefiting from them. I've had numerous long-termed engagements as I watched people with more expertise and more years of experience than myself being laid off. I've been able to cultivated relationships with key individuals at many of the clients I've worked at and have frequently been able to leverage these relationships into longer term or repeat engagements. Along the way I've always tried to help people in every way I could, even when I knew there would be no chance for reciprocation.

Maybe you're like me, you're not CEO material (or CRO for that matter) and you don't have the desire to IPO new companies, you're happy with your career but want a edge at being able to land the longer term or more lucrative job assignments. This new book is not just for the top executives, it's for the average person like myself who just wants a leg up in this new economy.

By the way, my wife and I attended the first Christmas party that SCG gave back in 1988, the one that cost 10% of that year's profits. They didn't have to invite me, they knew I'd never be a large source of income for the business, but they cultivated the relationship anyway. Relationships truly are circular aren't they...here I am fourteen years later giving a rave review on their book!

Of course you don't have to buy the book to benefit from their knowledge, you could begin your career under their tutelage like I did!

Kurt Sligh
Software Consultant

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great book!, August 13, 2001

By 

ken allen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business is a Contact Sport (Hardcover)

I just got a copy of Business Is a Contact Sport and couldn't put it down. I own a small business in the midwest, and the advice about building win win relationships was excellent. The idea of creating the position of Chief Relationship Officer to manage these "assets" was eye opening, i'm putting the plans in place to create it now. The person from PW must not be in business.