Proper Business Etiquette Around the World

Chapter 1

Proper Personal Skills

Language

Being able to conduct yourself properly when you speak is necessary if you are going to build global business relationships. The first step to accomplishing this is to learn the basic history and culture of the country you are visiting. It also doesn't hurt to try to learn a few phrases that is common in their language. English may be considered by some to be the international language of business, but it is important to remember that not everyone speaks English in every part of the world. Many regions will respect your efforts if you at least try to speak their language. Learning key phrases, such as "Do you speak English," "Yes," "No," "Good day," "Good night," "Excuse me," "Where is the restroom?", "Thank you," "Please," and

"Help" can be very useful. Even though this is not an extensive list, it will show that you are at least giving the effort and are respecting the fact that they do not speak the same language that you do.

The whole idea of doing business with someone is to build rapport with him or her so that he or she trusts you enough to conduct business. We do this by using language. An element of language that we tend to give less attention to is that of saving face. Anything that happens during discourse to cause one of the members to lose face can be devastating to the relationship in many cultures in the world. Building a relationship with a business colleague is the only way to do business in many parts of the world. Understanding how the host culture's members speak to one another, what the proper discussion topics are, who to speak, what style to use, and what nonverbal actions to use can be crucial in making a positive first impression and building a good business relationship. Host-country language knowledge increases the opportunities for social and daily interactions with host nationals. If you are able to speak the language, then you are going to be able to engage in more in depth conversations with the people in the community. The more you speak the language and learn the meaning of nonverbal cues, the more you have the opportunity to be included in social interactions.

Greeting/Introductions

Greetings are different from culture to culture, but share the common theme of being essential for building relationships in all cultures. One example is our informal use of the word "Hi". While not seen as a big deal here, it can be very uncommon in other countries to say this to people you don't know. The phrase "Hi, how are you?" can also be taken literally in other countries, and then become offensive since we are not actually asking about their health but rather it is just a normal greeting for us. A more appropriate alternative to this would be to say "Hello, I'm pleased to meet you".

It is understood that it is important to know the how the people of another country should be greeted. Is it ok to be informal immediately? For example, would it be ok to use a common greeting of the area even if you are not from that area yourself, such as "G'day, mate", that is common in Australia. Another example being "Oy, mate" commonly used in Britain. Even though these are common in their respective regions, it is normally smart to play it safe and keep things professional with formal titles like "Mr. or Mrs." If someone has a title, it is proper to use the title. For both business and social situations, you should arrive on time; however, the ending time is fluid. After the initial introductions and greetings, you may be given a beverage to share before the business meeting begins. It is very important that you accept whatever you are offered, unlike in the United States where it is acceptable to decline the offer of refreshments.

Gestures and Nonverbal Communicators

Gestures and other forms of nonverbal communication can help you send and interpret messages when interacting with people from other cultures. These nonverbal communicators are especially useful when different languages are involved and people must rely on alternative methods of communicating. In addition to gestures, messages may be sent through the use of color, eye contact, facial expressions, posture, silence, and touch. Many nonverbal communicators are culture specific. Because nonverbal signals are interpreted immediately when they occur, whether they are judged in a positive or a negative manner is very important. This is why it is crucial to investigate the nonverbal signals and their meanings before doing business in another country. You also must understand that your nonverbal communication may be ambiguous in other cultures and be detrimental to relationship building. In the United States, nonverbal signals become even more difficult for foreigners because we are made up of many different cultures. For example, Native American children avoid direct eye contact as a sign of respect; however, you will not find this to be true among all Native Americans. This is why it can be difficult to rely on nonverbal signals all of the time. The longer someone spends with a particular culture, the more likely they are to pick up on some of the nonverbal communication. Nonverbal signals are learned behaviors so they change as different cultures interact with different aspects of other cultures.

Gestures are a good way to ad emphasis to whatever message you are trying to get across. This can have either a good or bad outcome though. If you use them at the wrong times with other cultures, then it can cause strain on the business relationship you are trying to develop. This is why it is important to be careful in what gestures you use because a gesture that is ok in culture may be offensive in another. There isn't any one single gesture that has a universal meaning. One example being that the V hand gesture for victory in the U.S. is positive while the meaning in England is quite different and is inappropriate. Another example is that the OK sign in the U.S. doesn't have any negative meaning here but is obscene if used in Brazil. If you use this same gesture in France, then you are referring to someone as being worthless or something equaling zero. The same gesture again in Japan signifies money, so gestures can have many different meanings depending on where you are.

While having a somewhat rude connotation in the United States, the hand gesture usually used when calling a waiter to come take your order is even more offensive if used somewhere like Mexico because

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