Doing business in other languages

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Doing business in other languages

By Kim Trengove

Rodney Chalmer prepared well for his first trip to South Korea, where he hoped to sign a major sponsorship for an Australian sporting body. He did a lot of research on social protocol before he left, learned basic South Korean phrases for ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and took an abundance of cuddly Australian toys for gifts, most of which he’d bought at the airport.

But, unless he’d auditioned for Australian Idol, nothing could prepare Rodney for the real deal clincher, which climaxed well after mid-night at a plush karaoke bar in Seoul.

“You have to consume large quantities of alcohol before you sing karaoke in Australia,” says Rodney. “It’s a bit of fun and an opportunity to make a fool of your self.

“The Koreans regard their vocal capacity and ability to perform very seriously. It could have destroyed our business negotiations if we had gone ahead without any acknowledgement of their skill. We got up and sang ABBA, they got up and belted out Bon Jovi numbers with tears in their eyes. Then we got up together.”

Throughout the evening, alcohol was consumed at a challenging rate for several of the Australian representatives. “The negotiation process is primarily based around entertainment,” says Rodney. “The Koreans like to form a personal connection before a professional platform is established. A key means of gaining rapport is getting drunk together and you are expected to handle it. If you are jet-lagged, your capacity to handle alcohol can be compromised so you might want to discreetly drink water.”

Saving face
Lenny Parker spent many years working for a large advertising agency in Thailand, but never forgets his first meeting with a Coca Cola bottler and local banker who – wanting to show his friendship – told Lenny he had spent weeks preparing the perfect gift.
“ I’ve decided to give you a girl,” the Thai banker said, smiling broadly. Lenny looked across the room and saw a beautiful, 25-year-old woman, who lowered her head and clasped her hands above her forehand in a deferential bow.

“She is delighted to be yours,” continued the Thai. “You can do with her what you want, she is yours for life, but you must take care of her dental, medical and food bills.”

Lenny, 32 at the time and married with several children, did not think his wife would welcome a beautiful Thai woman to their Parramatta home, even if she had graduated from university with a bachelor of economics. “But what could I do?” he says. “The single most important thing in Thailand and many other South East Asian nations is not to lose face. The worst thing I could have done was reject the girl. The Thai banker kept smiling at me all night, leaning across to ask, ‘Have you decided what you are going to do with the girl?’”

Eventually, Lenny arrived at a well-received solution. “There was no way I could take her home so I said that she would be my personal representative in Bangkok. They were delighted and the girl ended up having a senior role with my company.”

How culturally savvy are you?
Knowing the ins and outs of doing business across cultures is widely recognised as having a huge impact on sales, recruitment, acquisitions, marketing, mergers and management. The smallest blunder, no matter how innocent, could have a major negative impact on people and business relations.

“If you are not aware of subtle cultural differences, how can you possibly know if you have lost business because of it,” points out Sally Fagan of Rendez-vous Management Consultancy. “It would be easy to blame the lost contract on market conditions, price or not quite meeting the specification when in fact the underlying cause may have been a cultural blunder.”

Some countries, like Singapore, appear to observe normal Western values, says Ms Fagan. But the longer you live there, the clearer it becomes that the Chinese value system runs deep and outward appearances are deceiving.

Careful preparation
While it is impossible to detail every cultural difference in this article, a starting point is understanding where key differences lie and what sort of cultural research should be undertaken before holding a business meeting, either at home or abroad. Careful preparation is the key.

The first principle in dealing with other cultures is to remember that your way of doing things is not better than others, nor worse. It’s just different.

Four main categories of difference are:

Spoken language
Body language
Manners
Customs and systems

“Knowing the facts will help us see what attitudes exist and why,” says Ms Fagan. “These will influence behaviour patterns, which in turn will govern communication.”

Facts may be geographical (Great Britain is an island), historical (Australia was discovered by European mariners in 1606), political (the People’s Republic of China operates in a framework of a single party socialist republic) and demographic (approximately 304 million people inhabit the United States).

“The fact that Japan (and other Asian countries) are demographically over-populated had led to comfort zones being smaller,” says Ms Fagan. “If we step backwards from a hand shake to re-establish our own comfort zone, we may make them feel distinctly uncomfortable and create the feeling that we are ‘cold’ or that we don’t really like their company.”

General tips
If you are meeting someone from a different culture for the first time, apply these general rules:

Speak slowly and clearly
Check and recheck
Be direct
Be specific
Give them time
Don’t be funny
Convey consideration and goodwill
Don’t make hasty judgements
Think people, not foreigners

The following quick tips outline do’s and don’ts that apply to specific cultures.

Country	China	India	Japan	South Korea	USA
Gifts	-Food baskets -Don’t give scissors, knives, clocks or flowers. -Eight is luckiest number. -Don’t wrap in white, blue or black paper. -Present gifts with two hands. -Don’t open gifts when received.	-Yellow, green and red are lucky colours. -Don’t give frangipani or white flowers. -The gift is less important than the intent. -Don’t give Hindus gifts made of leather. -Don’t give Muslims gifts made of pigskin or alcoholic products.	-Giving is highly ritualistic. -The way a gift is wrapped is important. -Give good quality chocolate or small cakes. -Don’t give lilies, camellias or lotus blossoms. -Don’t give white flowers. -Choose pastels for wrapping. -Give items in odd numbers but not nine.	-Gifts are reciprocated. -Bring fruit or good chocolates if invited to a home. -Wrap gifts nicely. -No.4 is unlucky, don’t give in multiples of four. -Giving seven of an item is lucky. -Wrap in red or yellow. -Don’t wrap in green, white or black. -Don’t sign a card in red ink.	-A gift can be as simple as a card. -Bring a small box of chocolates, wine or flowers if dining at someone’s home. -Gifts are opened when received.
Greeting	-Greet the oldest person first. -Handshakes are used with foreigners. -Address the person by an honorific title and their surname.	-Greet the eldest or most senior person first. -Shaking hands is common. -There are seldom handshakes between men and women, only between same sexes.	-Wait to be introduced. -The traditional form of greeting is the bow. The deeper you bow the more respect you show. -A foreign visitor may bow the head slightly.	-Expect to shake hands after a bow. -The person of lower status bows to the person of higher status. The most senior person initiates the handshake. -When leaving, say goodbye and bow to each person individually.	-Handshake. -Be firm, brief and confident. -Maintain eye contact during the greeting. -Call people by their first names but use titles in formal situations.
Dining	-Remove shoes before entering a house. -Bring a small gift. -Learn to use chopsticks. . -Never eat the last piece on the tray. -Don’t put bones in your bowl. -Try everything offered to you. -Wait for the host before you start eating.	-Indians may not be punctual but foreigners should be. -Take off shoes before entering a house. -Turn down the first offer of tea, coffee or snacks. -Wait to be told where to sit. -Use your right hand to eat. -Leave a small amount of food on your plate.	-Remove shows before entering a Japanese house. Put on the slippers left at the doorway. -Dress as if going to the office. -Put on the toilet slippers and remove them when you are finished. -Wait to be seated. -Learn to use chopsticks. -Don’t mix your food. -Don’t talk too much.	-Remove shoes before entering a house. -Wait for the oldest person to start eating first. -Return chopsticks to the table after every few bites. -Don’t pick up food with your hands. Spear fruit with chopsticks. -Try everything. -Refuse the first offer of second helpings. -Finish everything on your plate.	-Table manners are more relaxed than in many countries. -Many foods are eaten by hand. -Remain standing until invited to sit down. -Don’t rest elbows on table. -Food is often passed around on large serving trays. -Feel free to refuse specific foods without explanation.
Business	-Make appointments one/two months in advance. -Provide the company with information about your company. -Arrive on time or slightly early. -Don’t ask Chinese to turn off their mobiles. -Bring your own interpreter.	-Make appointments by letter one or two months in advance. -Confirm your appointment close to the time. Be flexible with your schedule. -Expect first meetings to be taken up with getting-to-know chatter.	-Make appointments several weeks in advance. -Be punctual. -Take time to let them get to know you. -Never refuse a request. The Japanese are looking for a long-term relationship. -Provide a package of literature about your company.	-Try to get an introduction through a third party. -Social gatherings are the way to develop relationships. -Never insult or criticise in front of others. -Legal documents are viewed as consensus statements with room to move. -Expect direct communication.	-Arrive on time. -Meetings may appear relaxed but are taken seriously. -Expect a summary of what was decided at the meeting and a list of next steps.
Negotiating	-Only senior members of the negotiating team speak. -Chinese are non-confrontational and won’t overtly say ‘no’. -Decisions may take a long time. -Don’t use high-pressure tactics.	-Indians are non-confrontational. -Decisions are reached with the person of most authority. -Decision making is slow. -Indians expect concessions in price and terms. -Don’t get overtly legalistic. -Don’t disagree with members of your negotiating team.	-Japanese don’t like to say ‘no’. Observe non-verbal communication -Phrase questions so they can answer ‘yes’. -Expect long periods of silence. -Never lose your temper or raise your voice. -The Japanese seldom grant concession. Come to the table with your best offer.	-Send an agenda and back-up material. -Use the first meeting to get to know the others. -Don’t remove your jacket unless the most senior South Korean does. -Have all written materials in both languages.	-Be direct. -Use statistics to back up claims. -Conduct business rapidly. -Expect little small talk. -The emphasis is on signing a contract rather than building a relationship. -Develop the relationship post coming to an agreement.
Clothes	-Conservative. -Wear dark colours. -Women should wear flat shoes or low heels.	-Conservative. -Dark colours. -Women should wear suits or dresses. -Dress is less formal in hotter parts of the country.	-Conservative. -Dark colours. -Men should wear business suits.	-Conservative. -Men should wear dark colours, women subdued colours. -Men should avoid wearing jewellery other than marital rings.	-People in the east dress more formally. -Executives dress formally. -Casual Friday is common in many companies. -Wear a suit unless you know the company is more casual.
Cards	-Exchange cards after initial introduction. -Translate one side of your card into Chinese. -Offer the card with both hands. -Study a business card when it is presented. -Do not write on someone’s business card unless directed.	-Exchange after initial introduction. -Put any university degrees or honours on your card. -Use the right hand to give and receive cards. -Cards do not need to be translated. -Present your card so that it can be read as it is handed over.	-Exchanged constantly and with great ceremony. -Invest in quality cards. -Treat the business card reverentially. -Translate one side of your business card to Japanese. -Give your card with the Japanese writing facing the recipient. -Include your title.	-Exchange after first meeting in a ritualised fashion. -Translate one side of your card into Korean. -Present your business card with both hands with the Korean side face up. -Examine any business card you receive carefully. -Never write on someone’s card in their presence.	-Exchange cards after the initial handshake. -No formal ritual. -Recipients will put your card in their wallet, which may then go in the back pocket of their trousers. This is not an insult.

For more on specific cross cultural etiquette and training go to:

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk