ST. LOUIS, Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — A new book promoting better communication through sports talk is now available in both print or eBook formats, just in time for the festivities and friendly competitions occurring in the workplace associated with the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament better known as "March Madness."
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140226/PH72228-a
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140226/PH72228-b )
Talking A Good Game: a Guide to Sports Talk in the U.S. Workplace (Amazon) addresses a challenge faced by many in corporate culture. According to authors Allison Hawk Collinger and Carla Freiman Feuer, those who work with or for Americans miss out on business and social opportunities because they don't know how to take advantage of sports talk to build strong relationships. It's the same age-old struggle faced by American employees — both women and men– who simply don't like sports, they said.
A February 2014 poll by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) SHRM March Madness) illustrated the growing importance of the role the tournament plays in the office:
- The NCAA college basketball tournament was among the top events for which organizations reported having office pools in 2013 (36 percent)
- HR professionals see office pools as having a positive impact on their workplaces. More than two-thirds (70 percent) noted a positive impact on relationship building, 64 percent mentioned promoting team building, and 54 percent said they increase employee engagement.
Talking A Good Game presents a mix of basic information about all major American spectator sports and popular sports cultural references. Unlike other books about sports, this one is designed to teach readers some common sense communications techniques for using sports to open or participate in sports-related conversations with confidence and credibility. Content includes basic rules and terminology, real-life scenarios, reference sections, how-to instructions, illustrations, lists and an easy-to-read calendar of sports year round.
Collinger and Feuer, veterans in marketing, communications, and strategic branding, were inspired to write the book based on their own work experiences. Both knew little about sports in the early days of their careers but learned fast that it was an important tool for getting along in the business world. Through focus groups and research they were able to confirm the universality of that realization.
Collinger was an active member in bringing the Rams professional football team to St. Louis. A former vice president at Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., Collinger directed the corporate communications and community outreach for the St. Louis Rams, overseeing the Rams' community outreach team, the Rams Foundation and the teams' off the field public relations initiatives. She is an adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Business which just began its inaugural Certificate in Sports Philanthropy. She currently owns and operates AHC Consulting.
Feuer has more than 25 years of marketing communications, public relations and sales experience in-house, as well as for agency and non-profit organizations. She has provided sales coaching, strategic communications and media relations for some of America's largest organizations. Several of her campaigns won nationally recognized industry awards. A certified Integrity Selling® Facilitator and skilled communicator, Feuer has presented a variety of training seminars on media relations and crisis communications both to clients and as a volunteer to non-profit organizations.
For more information, contact Allison Collinger at (314) 680-1583 or Carla Feuer at (314) 494-2320.
About The Book:
Talking a Good Game: A Guide to Sports Talk in the U.S. Workplace is a primer for busy professionals who want to boost their fluency in sports talk, a 'language' often spoken at the office. It is based on the premise that countless business opportunities may be lost, fumbled or wasted by those unfamiliar with American sports and sports culture. Anyone who feels left out when sports are discussed at work will find the book helpful and entertaining. Published by Talking A Good Game, LLC. in St. Louis, MO, the book is available in paperback and eBook formats online at Amazon and through other distributors and retailers nationwide. Retail prices for the book and eBook are $12.95 and $3.99 respectively. Check out the book at Talking a Good Game website, on Facebook at Facebook/TalkingAGoodGame and on Twitter @TalkinAGoodGame.