From The Editor's Desk
According to "Dr Feelgood", a leading American neurologist, from birth through to death, our brains will file away huge amounts of information - facts, names, faces, sounds, smells and events - and the emotions that are unavoidably associated with them.
Our memories can be a reliable asset but they can also let us down badly by forgetting what we have learnt. One of the keys to remembering something is to repeat that specific thing a good few times.
Did you know that Graduates of any of The Dealmaker™ programmes are more than welcome to attend that course again at any time? This is our way of making sure that you don't forget the vital information you picked up on a course. All you need pay are the venue expenses of the programme.
How can you book to do this? Contact Portia for more details on 011 440 0193 or send an email to portian@thedealmaker.com. Course dates for our programmes are at the bottom of this newsletter.
In this month's Edition of the newsletter
- We bring you an inspiring story that will teach you about the secret you have hidden within you
- Our "Meet The Team" segment introduces you to Stephen Buchalter
- In July's "The Real You" Interview we chat to the inimitable Chris van der Walt
- Last month we promised you an article by Kim Meredith entitled "Lessons In Dealmaking From Children". This is the first article of a six part series
Wishing you a warm July - Portia Ngcobo
Did You Know?
As a dealmaker, learning about the other cultures in South Africa can lead to increased social and business opportunities. South Africa is a multilingual country, with 11 official languages. In case you don't know what they are, here's the list: Afrikaans, English, IsiNdebele, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.
According to the South African Language Census, IsiZulu is the first language of about a quarter of all South Africans. It is the most widely understood African language in southern Africa, spoken from the Cape all the way to Zimbabwe.
Owen Nonyane of Languages Works recently published an interesting article. It highlights the do's and do not's of how to respond appropriately should you be dealing with Zulu speakers, from the greeting to the conversation, when dining with them and lastly, when doing business with them. Here are a few tips on how to win over a Zulu speaker.
Greeting Do's
When it comes to the greeting, make sure that you spice up your greeting Sawubona, with Sawubona Mfowethu. This will create a stronger sense of unity with the person you are meeting instead of just saying Sawubona. What's even better is that you add the person's last name after the greeting. If you are meeting Mr Dlamini, say Sawubona Mnumzane Mr Dlamini.
Once you have extended the courtesy of speaking their language you may continue in English if you are not fluent in Isizulu.
The greeting is always accompanied with a three stage handshake with the men and a one stage handshake when it comes to women. If you are unsure of the exact sequence of the handshake, just follow the procedure of your host. If you are the host then your culture takes priority. The Zulu speaker is usually willing to adapt to your culture.
Greetings Do Not's
Saying Sawubona only in the Zulu Culture suggests superiority and is considered detached so it's a big do not.
Conversation Do's
After the greeting do continue with a light conversation, for example, discussing the décor and design of the host's office or sport (soccer is always a good one). Having said that, always make sure that you have researched the topic you want to speak about sufficiently to avoid embarrassing yourself.
Conversation Do Not's
Do not enter into debates, criticisms or impose your point of view. This can easily destroy the outcome of your visit as Zulu is a respect- based culture. Avoid speaking about politics or religion unless you can keep it general and inoffensive.
Eating Do Not's
Refusing food in the African society, not just in the Zulu culture is seen as offensive. Rather take a small serving than to decline your host's generosity.
Do not start eating before your host, wait until they start eating.
Business Do's
Mutual understanding must always be established before getting down to the business matters.
Do remember that, from a Zulu perspective, the terms and conditions of an offer or proposal can be negotiated right up until the agreement is absolutely final.
Business Do Not's
Do not be too early as this might be an inconvenience to the person you're meeting. Arrive on time. Being late in the African culture, not just in the Zulu culture, is not frowned upon in the same way as in Western culture. It's better to be late than not to arrive at all.
If you want to learn more about the Zulu culture, or any other language, visit www.languageworks.co.za or give Owen Nonyane a call on 011 442 3440.
Portia Ngcobo, July 2008
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"The Real You" InterviewInterview with Chris van der Walt
Founder of ISS, one of the largest compliance practices in South Africa
The Dealmaker™ Graduate |
1. What would your mother have said were your best and worst traits when you were under ten years old?
Best - obedience, worst - impatience.
2. What was your first job and how much was your paycheck?
Law Clerk earning the huge sum of R250 per month.
3. In one sentence, describe your current job to a five year old?
I make sure that people don't cheat.
4. Where is the most interesting place you have ever visited? Why?
Solitaire in Namibia. There are only about 10 people there and between them they represent a fair sample of the entire world's population.
5. What is the most interesting thing you have ever seen? Why?
Any of the elaborate inventions from the 1900 - 1920's. Little technology and a lot of imagination go a long way.
6. What is the biggest lie you tell about yourself?
That I am a purist.
7. What do you eat for breakfast?
Croissants and/or muesli.
8. What would your partner/spouse say are your three greatest strengths?
Solid, fun, fair.
9. What would your partner/spouse say are your three greatest weaknesses?
Temper, rubber arm, my daughter Emma.
10. What is the best advice a business mentor gave you? Who was that mentor?
If through logical thought processes you arrive at a different conclusion from what your gut tells you - your logic is flawed. Michael Katz.
11. If you were President for one day, what law would you put in place?
I would amend the transport act to make the "Kaapse draai" shorter and the "Fyndraai" longer. I would also ensure the proper application of those acts which have administrative justice as their aim to stop officials from abusing their authority.
12. If you were given the opportunity to have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?
Winston Churchill, to hear his take on "hero to zero."
Thanks for the sharing the real you, Chris.
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This Edition's StoryA Sioux Story The Creator gathered all of Creation and said, "I want to hide something from the humans until they are ready for it. It is the realisation that they create their own reality." The Eagle said, "Give it to me, I will take it to the moon." |
The Creator said, "No. One day they will go there and find it."
The Salmon said, "I will bury it on the bottom of the ocean."
"No. They will go there too."
The Buffalo said, "I will bury it on the Great Plains."
The Creator said, "They will cut into the skin of the Earth and find it even there."
Grandmother Mole, who lives in the breast of Mother Earth, and who has no physical eyes but sees with spiritual eyes, said, "Put it inside of them."
And the Creator said, "It is done."
Extracted from www.inspirationalstories.co.za
Meet The Dealmaker™ Team: Stephen Buchalter (BCom LLB)
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With degrees in both Commerce and Law, together with over 25 years of extensive executive level business experience in a variety of forums, Stephen is able to draw from a broad base of experience and knowledge. Graduating in 1983, Stephen started one of the first companies to import and distribute computers into South Africa. |
After selling this company in 1989, Stephen ran various businesses until 1997 when he was invited to join the Board of a computer company planning to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Stephen assumed responsibility for the sales and marketing portfolio of the new company.
Leveraging off the Information Technology (IT) boom, the company grew to have a market capitalisation of over US$150 million with offices in South Africa, England, Denver and California in the USA and Australia.
After leaving the corporate world, Stephen founded the Money Coaching Foundation in South Africa, using his far-reaching business experience to lecture in essential money management skills. His primary technique was assisting people to understand their "Money Blue Print", how to break this pattern and how to move towards making more enlightened business decisions.
Stephen is the only South African to have been trained on Robert Kiosaki's "Rich Dad Poor Dad" coaching programme. He has also been appointed as an Associate of the USA-based Money Coaching Institute.
In 2006, after selling his local business interests in Johannesburg, Stephen moved to the Garden Route with his wife to start a family. Stephen currently manages his business portfolio from the coast and is a member of the global The Dealmaker™ Coaching team.
Guest Article
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Lessons In Dealmaking From Children
By Kim Meredith, Managing Director of Spectrum Solutions |
Just for fun, Google a definition of "deal" or "dealmaker" (or look in a dictionary) before you read this article. Did you find anything useful? I doubt it. www.thefreedictionary.com defines "dealmaker" as "one that makes deals, as in business, finance or politics". The definition of "deal" is "1) to give out as a share or portion, apportion; 2) to distribute among several recipients; 3) sell; etc. etc." If you had to ask the best dealmaker you know if this is what dealmaking is all about, they would laugh at you.
Do you think maybe Donald Trump and Richard Branson would agree with the definitions above? Fat chance. I spent a day recently researching the qualities that characterise the world's leading dealmakers. I used my findings to re-define "dealmaker" as follows:
Dealmaker: a person skilled in using instinct, processes and expertise in primarily negotiation, selling and communication, and able to leverage or adjust the balance of power to bring closure to transactions that usually benefit all parties (© The Dealmaker Programmes)
It may surprise you to see the word "instinct" in my definition. I got the idea from Donald Trump, who had this to say about doing deals:
"Deal making is not about being brilliant -
it does take certain intelligence -
but mostly it's about instinct"
Donald Trump (Business Entrepreneur 1946 - )
The word instinct validated an opinion I have held for many years - an opinion formed watching and working with some of South Africa's best dealmakers. These people relied as much on their intuition as on their ability to sell or negotiate. They had one further thing in common - communication skills. But let's start with instinct. It comes back to another opinion I have - we are all born with great dealmaking skills. Without exception. Here are two reasons why I believe you were born with these skills. The answer lies with children.
1. Children are natural dealmakers
Cast your mind back to when you were a child and wanted a treat - maybe being taken to the park or eating sweets before dinner or having your dog sleep in your bed. How did you get what you wanted? Did you beg as in "Ag please daddy won't you take us to the drive-in?" This is known as persuasion, or selling, in adult-speak.
Children peak as dealmakers between the ages of four and eight. If you have kids in this age group you will know exactly what I mean. Try getting a six year old to go to bed if this is not what he wants. He can think up many more reasons or ask for many more treats in exchange for going to bed than you can come up with, so you resort to "go to bed because I said so". Is this the best you can do? Unfortunately, in most cases, it is! How can a child outsmart you? Firstly, children are infinitely creative. Secondly, they are infinitely flexible. Thirdly, they do not apply associative logic to a deal. Funny thing this, but I saw these same qualities in my research into the world's leading dealmaker and the dealmakers with whom I have worked.
2. Children understand the nature of incentives
I recently read Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner. If you have not yet read it, do yourself a favour and buy a copy now. I hate business books - I find them terminally boring - but it was the title of this one that grabbed my attention. In the book this statement is made: "Incentives are the cornerstone of modern life". The authors go on to say "The typical economist believes the world has not yet invented a problem that he cannot fix if given a free hand to design the proper incentive scheme". The authors, one of which is a Harvard graduate with an award for being best American Economist under 40, even talk about how well children understand incentives. Children hold adults in the palms of their grubby little hands. In my example above Johnny understands that Mom wants something - for him to go to bed - and he instinctively uses this opportunity to try and get something for himself - a little incentive. Maybe this is the origin of the term "give to get"! Johnny also knows Mom has more power than him, but he still takes the gap. Why? Because this is how dealmakers operate. More about power in the next article, but what advantage do children have? They have unlimited creativity and flexibility, and no dependence on logic. The understanding of incentives is something with which we were all born.
"An incentive is a bullet, a lever, a key:
an often tiny object with astonishing power
to change a situation"
Stephen D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
(authors of "Freakonomics", 2005)
So if children are born with dealmaking abilities, why do they lose them? Well, have you noticed that children start to lose their dealmaking instincts during primary school? In order for children to adapt to the rigours of school life and because of their initial natural willingness to listen to their teachers, they start to conform to "the system". And when they unwittingly buy into "the system", they let go of their inherent trading skills - getting something for giving the other person what they want - and by the time they meet the next real "system", commonly called "business", their dealmaking abilities are long gone. But a few children don't lose their skills, they keep developing them, and they later emerge as outstanding dealmakers. Here's how it works: imagine you were born with a talent for tennis. You were really good when you were a kid because you played tennis every day until you were eight. Then, for some reason, you didn't play tennis for ten years - how good would you be compared to the kids that continued play tennis? We know that all the great tennis players, golfers, etc. were coached continuously throughout their childhoods.
Kim Meredith
Johannesburg
June 2008
Kim Meredith is an internationally acclaimed lecturer, negotiator and dealmaker. Kim is Managing Director of Spectrum Solutions and The Dealmaker Programmes Company. Kim has been working with and consulting to international companies in negotiation strategy and dealmaking for nearly 15 years. Kim currently lectures and consults in the USA, Europe, Latin America and Africa.
A Brand New Programme
Last month we introduced you to The Dealcloser™, our exciting new programme. As registrations for the first programme are about to close, we thought we should remind you about this wonderful course again.
The Dealcloser™ is a two day programme for people with sales and negotiation experience who want to enhance their proficiency in:
• closing large, strategically important or complex sales, and
• maximising the profitability of their deals
The programme's emphasis is on selling strategies, negotiating skills and the related processes that ensure this success.
The next programme is scheduled to run 05 & 06 August 2008, but is nearly full so book now!
The Dealmaker™ Programmes - Remaining Dates for 2008
The Dealmaker™ programmes dates for the remainder of this year are below. To register for a programme or to request further information, please email portian@thedealmaker.com or call 011 440 0193.
The Dealcloser™ |
Venue |
05 & 06 August 2008 |
Johannesburg |
01 & 02 October 2008 |
Johannesburg |
The Dealbuilder™ |
Venue |
16 & 17 September 2008 |
Johannesburg |
The Dealdiva™ - Women Only |
Venue |
20 & 21 August 2008 |
Johannesburg |
11 & 12 November 2008 |
Johannesburg |
The Dealmaker™ |
Venue |
26 – 28 August 2008 |
Johannesburg |
07 - 09 October 2008 |
Johannesburg |
The Dealmaker™ Follow-up |
Venue |
21 & 22 October 2008 |
Johannesburg |
The Dealguru™ - Executives Only |
Venue |
14 & 15 October 2008 |
Johannesburg |
Charity Support And Plea
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Spectrum Solutions conducted The Dealguru™ programme - for Executives Only - recently, and as part of the deal negotiated with Dr Hussein Cassim, Managing Director of Richester Foods, we received a "small lifetime's supply of sweets". It was unanimously decided to donate the sweets to the Leratong School, Joy For One Foundation. |
The sweeties were received by the deserving kids of Leratong, which is home to over 200 near destitute pre-schoolers, run by Peggy Chauke. Most of the children are HIV positive; their living conditions are utterly appalling; they live in one-roomed shacks with not even the basic of amenities and often with no parents. Many of them are being brought up by siblings as young as 12 and 13, who themselves are in dire need of support - physically, mentally, materially, emotionally and educationally.
Richester Foods, owned by Dr Hussein Cassim & Mariam Cassim, was previously known as Kwality Biscuits. In November 2004 Kwality Biscuits, the second largest biscuit manufacturing company in South Africa at the time, was sold to Bokomo Foods, a division of Pioneer Foods. In March 2007, Richester Foods opened its manufacturing operation and now manufactures a full range of confectionary and sweets. To find out more about Richester and the goodies they produce, go to http://www.richesterfoods.co.za.
Without Hussein's innovative and intelligent approach to negotiation, 200 pre-schoolers would have not have received this special treat.
If you would like to make a donation of clothes, money (any amount is welcome) or food to Leratong, please email Brenda Bensted-Smith of Ad Talent on brenda@adtalent.co.za.
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