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A
Guide to Global Business Etiquette
It
is important to be punctual for business meetings in The Netherlands,
whereas Brazilians believe latecomers are likely to be more successful
in commerce than people who arrive early.
And
although Italians expect you to be timely for a meeting, they
will make a point of turning up late to show you who's boss. As
they say in Rome (and everywhere else in Italy), Le persone importante
si fanno aspettare - important people arrive late!
Understanding
these cultural quirks of business etiquette could be the difference
between success and failure for British companies looking to win
new customers overseas, according to global credit insurer Atradius.
Atradius
says that knowing how to behave in a foreign business environment
will not only help the meeting go smoothly, it will also show
your hosts that you have taken the trouble to appreciate their
culture.
Will
Clark, Atradius' Regional Director of the UK & Ireland, explains:
"The internet and e-mail might have made the world a smaller
place, but when it comes to doing business we still like to meet
in person and agree deals with a handshake.
"Products
and services from British firms are much in demand around the
globe and there is a lot of export potential out there. So it
would be a shame to lose business simply because you were late
for a meeting or your host found your body language offensive."
Many
overseas customers do business in English, giving British firms
a head start over their foreign rivals. However, just because
English is spoken, a turn of phrase does not always mean the same
in a foreign country as it does in the UK - especially when it
comes to saying 'no'.
Customers
in South East Asia and the Far East feel it is impolite to say
no and will often say yes, even though they are not agreeing to
the deal:
- The
Japanese will sometimes say 'yes' to mean 'I understand what
you said', not 'I agree', and they will very rarely say 'no'
- If your
Chinese hosts say 'I am not sure', 'maybe' or 'it is inconvenient',
they actually mean 'no'
- Indonesians
are gracious and polite and don't like to say no. Their native
language, Bahasa, contains twelve words that say 'yes' but
really mean 'no'!
In
other countries your seemingly innocuous body language can actually
cause offence:
- In Chile,
holding your palm upward and then spreading the fingers signals
that someone is 'stupid', while slapping your right fist into
your left open palm is considered obscene
- In India,
never point your feet at anyone, as they are considered unclean.
If your shoes or feet touch another person, apologise
- Be careful
not to sit with your legs crossed in Egypt as showing the
sole of your shoe is considered an insult. And don't tap your
two index fingers together - this is considered a crude gesture
meaning, "will you sleep with me?"
- In Saudi
Arabia the 'thumbs up' gesture is offensive
The
meeting is a crucial part of doing business overseas and can be
almost
a ritual for many countries:
- In Japan
most decisions are reached through a group decision-making
process, so expect to make your presentation to many people
at a lot of meetings
- In China,
business culture may seem regimented and slow, but let your
hosts set the pace of a meeting. The Chinese put a lot of
store in rank, so select a senior member of your team to be
spokesperson
- Italians
prefer to do business with the most important people in your
organisation
- In The
Netherlands, late arrival will be frowned upon, as the Dutch
believe that people who can't use their time wisely cannot
be trusted
- Data
collection is also important to the Dutch, so don't be surprised
if your host has a complete dossier on you when you arrive
for a meeting
- Brazilians
do business with people they like - and being late for appointments
suggests you're relaxed. Brazilians like to get to know their
business partners, so expect a lot of negotiation and several
meetings before agreeing a deal
For
further information about doing business overseas or credit insurance,
contact Atradius on 0800 21 21 31 or email visit www.atradius.co.uk
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