Business Is a Contact Sport: Relationship Asset Management

Tom Richardson and Augusto Vidaurreta, the founders of the Systems Consulting Group, have had tremendous success since the late 1980's using some of the obvious techniques necessary in business that we all know are important, but sometimes forget to practice. For the seasoned business professional BUSINESS IS A CONTACT SPORT easily defines and labels terms for the principals we know are important for us to succeed, but didn't know how to organize them to teach them to new entrants into the business world. Business leaders should read and develop a cheat sheet of the 12 principals and post it as a reminder of what we need to be doing each day. BUSINESS AS A CONTACT SPORT has been tested and passed with high grades from some of our best business schools. RAM, Relationship Asset Management and CRO, Chief Relationship Officer will become a standard in the evolving business world. Managers need to arms their sales staff with this book as well as department heads and HR personnel.

This book is really a must read for anyone interested in developing a "breakout strategy" for their business, especially if you want a strong ethics/values orientation. When it comes to most business books today, the suggestions that they make are often add-ons to existing ways of doing business, so implementing the suggested strategy or system will still rely on access to significant capital or technology to achieve a successful result. In reading "Business is a Contact Sport", I found a fundamentally different perspective that guided me to create a completely unique competitive approach based on developing relationships with other businesses that should be willing to promote expansion of my business because it will also help them expand their business. The more I let my imagination wander, the more different types of businesses I came up with that could have an interest in this approach because they could benefit in a unique way too. It was exciting. On a practical level, the authors provide very good methods for organizing the "relationship management" process in order to keep a company focused on getting good business results from using this approach.In addition to the "breakout" value for businesses, I would suggest that this book is worthwhile for anyone who is looking for a way to make their personal work more meaningful and challenging. The book is full of good advice on how to build good business relationships. Even if the company you work for is not into this approach, you can use it for your own benefit. There is a lot of uncertainty in the job market these days and good relationships will always be the most valuable way to find another job, so the advice is good on a personal level as well as corporate level.

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.

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.