So you want to successfully approach and deal with a business person on the other side of the world. Do you know how to do this in the most culturally accurate and appropriate way(s)? Don’t do as many business people who overlook or simply ignore cultural differences when dealing with foreign companies. Translating all documents to the language of the country where you are doing business is pivotal but going beyond is even more rewarding – recognizing cultural nuances when dealing with foreign partners is the guarantee for a successful deal. That and more is presented in the book “Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Sales and Marketing” by Terri Morrison.
One of the author’s bold statements that I liked the most was,
“Businesspeople underestimate everything about the profession – the complexity, background requirements, and cognitive demands. There are many bad brands and translation blunders that have occurred because of clients cutting corners and simply having a lack of knowledge about the job qualifications. Never underestimate the value of clean global communications. I advise clients to send all jargon, contract requirements, marketing collateral, etc. weeks ahead of time. I suggest they set up a virtual meeting as soon as those materials arrive, and review everything with the translators.”
You can read the complete interview to the author in this link to the Huffington Post’s article. Enjoy!