Know International Business Cultures for your Global Success ...

by David Keenan

This week I continue to discuss the impact, positive and negative, of taking the trouble and time to learn about other business cultures ? or not. If you do, you are much more likely to be successful and if you don?t, you are more likely to make some major gaffes and fail.

As I have written previously, the USA as a nation is probably one of the most insular of the developed nations. This is not my just opinion. Surveys after surveys have confirmed that educated adult Americans have a widespread unawareness of countries outside the USA and many cannot point out the location of well known countries on a map of the world that does not show country names.

By taking your company global, you can adapt your products and services to satisfy the many global business tools that will make you an active and successful member of the Global Village. As discussed last week, the Global Village means just that ? Global. It does not conform to one method of doing business nor one specific strategic ideal, whether it is American, British, Chinese, German, or Indian.

Now, with the growth of multinational corporations, in International Business, we seek to adopt and adapt the best business tools from many global sources. Those that do so are more likely to become successful members of the Global Village.

While we all seek the same in business, the way we express ourselves and say what is essentially the same thing, actually differs from country to country because even one word in one country can have a totally different meaning in another, as can non-verbal gestures and communications.

Here are a few humorous examples just between American English and English as spoken in the UK and two examples of questions I have been asked by Americans when flying internationally.

When I first came to America, I was invited to an American home, which was very nice and welcoming. I thanked my hosts and told the wife that her house was very homely. She was, to say the least, very upset and insulted. In England, where I am from, homely means the same as homey here in the USA.

That was one of my first experiences of the truth of what George Bernard Shaw said about Britain (I think he actually said England) and America being two countries divided by a common language.

At that time, I wore 3-pieced suits and the waistcoat (as I called it) was a different color than the suit itself. I was complimented on how nice my vest was and responded that I did not wear a vest. After some confusion, I learned that a vest in the US is what the British call a waistcoat and a British vest is an undershirt in the USA.

Shortly after I started my business I was asked how it was going and I said; ?great, it?s going a bomb? to which the person who asked me said ?I?m sorry to hear that.? ?That expression means the exact opposite in the two countries.

Flying into LHR, the pilot announced that those on the left side of the aircraft had a wonderful view of Windsor Castle. An American businessman sitting next to me in the window seat looked down and then said he thought it was risky for them to have built Windsor Castle beneath the flight path into LHR. While the Castle has been modified over the centuries, it was originally built by William the Conqueror in the 11^th Century.

But the classic was when I arranged a conference in Madrid for one of my clients and received a phone call from one of the employees who was traveling overseas for the first time. He wanted to know how much cash to bring and I told him he could get use his Credit Card and if he needed cash, he could use an ATM in Madrid and get local currency. He said he didn?t think Spain was that advanced that it had ATM?s and accepted credit cards. No, this did not happen 50-years ago, it was a little over 10-years ago.

I am being a little more light-hearted about it this week but it does highlight how even the most simple things can cause communication confusions and how little people do know when traveling overseas.

Getting back to business, the moral is not to assume that other countries and other cultures are very advanced and have excellent methods of doing business and unique cultures.

The only way to be successful doing business in other cultural environments is to learn their cultures and adapt accordingly. Don't think American, British, Asian or Latin American when expanding internationally. As we discussed last week, you have to think Global and speak the language of the Global Village.

A Few Tips:

• Learn the Cultures of the countries with which you want to conduct business. Ask your Channel Partner, read books or hire an International Business Specialist to guide you in the early stages.


• Develop excellent listening skills and learn to communicate. As much as you learn about the cultures of others, tell them about yours.


• Adapt your product because in the Global Village, one size does not fit all requirements. Be aware that what you may think is a reasonable price in the US or UK, it could be a luxurious price in other countries.


• Similarly, be aware of the cost of an invoice when dining out with clients. Again, you may be tempted to say that the cost was low or, even worse, ?surprisingly cheap? when in that country, it is very expensive. Think I am exaggerating? One of my clients was taken out to dinner in Hungary in the mid 90?s as the country was trying to re-establish itself and was taken to a top restaurant. His host paid but he saw the bill and said that the cost was very low. His host told him that the only way he could afford it was because his company was paying for it. The cost would feed his family of four for about 2-weeks.


• We have dealt a lot with localization so, again, don?t assume that your English version is going to suffice everywhere.


• Always be aware of the political situation in countries with which you are not familiar and check regularly with the State Department who keep you updated with potential risks. A sudden political change of power or policy can impact your business, including such events as nationalizing business or confiscating imported goods because they decide to ban products from the US as Venezuela did a few years ago.


• Be aware of your non-verbal communication and gestures. For example, gesturing for someone to come to you in the US or Europe is different in Asia. Here and in Europe, we tend to hold our hands up with palm out and gesture with our finger(s) for the person to come over. In many parts of Asia, the palm is down, the hand if flat and the fingers are used in a rolling gesture. So learn and be sensitive to such nuances.

Learning about the many cultures is not easy but is necessary because true, effective business communication, is the ability to communicate across the many global cultures. Be sensitive, aware and study cultures because you will become more professional, more empathetic, perceptive and able to adapt to all the challenges the Global Village offers you.

You are an Entrepreneur who has worked hard to build your company and your brand. Invest in your staff and your company with that same Entrepreneurial work ethic by making sure your staff is correctly and fully trained. Do this and you will be welcomed into the Global Village and be successful.

About The Author:

Lafayette International Business Consultants, LLC, headed by David Keenan, provides Strategic International Sales and Business Development advice and services to our Clients.

We develop strategies specific to Clients? needs providing consistent and sustainable growth through International Channel Partners or Direct Sales Teams, coaching them in the different nuances of International Business Cultures and Etiquette.

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