| It is important to understand the business | | | | possible to learn the entire language but you can |
| customs and culture of the country you are | | | | try to learn a few words (just to impress the |
| planning to do business with. This is something a | | | | other party). You should also consider hiring an |
| lot of business owners tend to overlook. A lot of | | | | interpreter or take someone you trust along with |
| time is spent on market research and establishing | | | | you to the meetings and other negotiations. |
| contacts in the country. Whilst all these are | | | | Documentation plays an important role in all |
| important these alone are not enough. | | | | business transactions. Something that might be |
| Understanding business customs will teach you | | | | assumed normal and does not require to be |
| about the business beliefs, business practices and | | | | mentioned in writing in some countries might not |
| motives and expectations of the country you are | | | | hold true for other countries. In some countries |
| doing business with. With this knowledge you can | | | | you might need to get everything in writing. And |
| shape your approach the right way and reap | | | | the way you say it in writing is also important. |
| maximum benefits. | | | | Some of the business transactions might not |
| If you are not aware of the culture and the | | | | involve you to set up a base in the foreign |
| customs of the country you are dealing with then | | | | country. You might actually do most of your |
| you might accidentally offend the people you are | | | | negotiations and deals over the phone. Just |
| dealing with. You might not even be aware that | | | | because it’s over the phone don’t think |
| you are doing this. You might think that you are | | | | you don’t need to understand the business |
| doing business as normal but some of the | | | | culture of the country you are dealing with. |
| practices you are accustomed to might not be | | | | Understanding the business practices and business |
| okay with people in other countries. And we know | | | | customs and business beliefs of the country you |
| that we all do business with people we like. So by | | | | are dealing with is a small investment of your |
| offending people however good your deal or | | | | time when compared to the benefits you will reap |
| offer is you might lose out. | | | | and the frustrations you will avoid. |
| Body language also plays an important role. People | | | | You can now outsource a lot of your project |
| in different countries interpret body language signs | | | | management and business processes to countries |
| differently. So it is important that we don’t | | | | like India and China. The employees of the |
| convey the wrong message or interpret the | | | | businesses which handle your projects and |
| wrong message and in the process offend | | | | business processes actually spend a lot of hours |
| someone accidentally. | | | | of training in the western business culture. The |
| The ways the topics are discussed in a meeting | | | | management realizes that this training is small |
| are also different. In some countries the | | | | investment towards maintaining good relations |
| participants come straight to the point. In other | | | | with their western counterparts. Similarly if you |
| countries it could be different. | | | | were going to do business in India or for that |
| If the language spoken in the country you are | | | | matter with any other country you should also |
| dealing with is different to the language you know | | | | spend some time understanding their business |
| then understanding their business etiquette | | | | customs. This knowledge is the core foundation of |
| becomes even more important. It might not be | | | | all your business dealings with that country. |