Speaker draws record attendance
The attendance of the recent networking breakfast surpassed all records when about 280 people showed up.
NELSPRUIT – The attendance of the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT) networking breakfast on April 16 surpassed all records when about 280 people showed up. As a result, the venue had to be moved to the Emnotweni Arena to accommodate all business people.
The big drawcard was motivational speaker, Mr David Wilkinson, the chief executive of the Global Equipping Centre. A former Lowveld resident, Wilkinson now lives in United States, but still makes an effort to visit every three months.
Even he and his Lowveld business partner, Mr James Rice were surprised by the turnout. Rice said he had aimed for 200 to attend. Wilkinson noted during his talk that the magnet of the event was the topic he spoke on – of breaking into the Lowveld market place. A show of hands at the beginning also proved that most of the guests were not locals.
“The Lowveld is a most exciting place. But to understand what it is all about, you need to understand the concoction, context and culture.”
This was the reason Mr Kenneth Mhlango of Custocare Consultants had attended. While his company has been operating in Nelspruit for a while, he was very interested in gaining more market share.
On how to achieve this, Wilkinson spoke from experience, since he – an outsider himself – decided to set up the GEC’s South African branch in the city.
“Things that work in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban or anywhere else don’t work here. If you are not a part of the culture, you are a foreigner,” he explained.
To become a part of the culture and the community, Wilkinson advises three strategies – relax, be rational and learn to relate.
“Don’t be too aggressive. It puts you outside the local context. People here also don’t just want to make money, they want to like you.”
Invite prospective clients for a meal or a braai, he advised, noting that his experience showed that the higher his company’s food bill was, the more business they did. He added that he found people to be very rational.
“Develop strategies for the Lowveld here. Brainstorm with local people. Ask them what they want.”
His biggest tip was to befriend a local business person with a sphere of influence in the culture. By winning them over through goodwill (and a rational product), they will get you into the “in-crowd”. “Be good with a purpose,” Wilkinson concluded.
