"So how is your wife & family, my brother?"
Seems like a very harmless question... Right?
WRONG!
The answer depends on where you are and who you are asking this to.
If you are in the Middle East (Syria, Saudi Arabia etc.) you can expect this question from someone you met for the first time 5 minutes ago. It does not matter that he is purely a business contact or the fact that he has never met your family and chances are that he never will! He will ask this question and not only are you expected to answer it but also ask the same of him about his family.
However, if you travel from there to Europe (especially parts of western Europe) and out of habit ask this question, you better be prepared for a cold stare and a retort like "What is it to you?"
THIS is the softer side of doing business Globally... So many countries, so many cultures and a multitude of sensibilities. Just like a small gesture can win the hearts of a business associate (e.g. tapping a Sudanese on his left shoulder to greet him), an out of place gesture (like extending your hand to shake the hand of a lady in certain countries in the Middle East) can end your business proposition before you have opened your laptop.
In each country, in fact even in a country's sub regions, one has to contend with these subtle nuances. While one needs to be very business-like and formal when in Japan, one has to be friendly and pleasant in Iran. In the Middle East, they say, you have to become a friend before you become a business associate. While one can quote a straight figure in Europe, one has to necessarily negotiate in the Arab world, where the thrill is in the prolonged and often highly animated discussion over non-issues!
There are books that can be written on eating and drinking habits... it is so true that one man's food is another man's poison. Same is true for dining habits as well. You can't be a teetotaller and expect to be a successful businessman in China... where toasts raised with local rice wines will cross double digits at every meal.
I remember having scotch with local dealers at a business meeting... at 10 am. When I shared this with my father (a strict fauji), all he could say was "Now you are a true alcoholic!"
It is not very different when it comes to duration of lunch breaks. While the definition of a business lunch in some countries is a quick sandwich or salad, in Serbia it is a 3-hour plus marathon 4 course meal... each course accompanied by suitable liquor! I dare say more gets accomplished over lunch than in a boardroom.
Doing business in Africa is yet another ball game. In some countries one does not go for a business meeting without a gift in hand... and don't be shocked if the host opens the gift in front of you, asks you how much it cost and actually asks you to keep the gift as he would prefer cash instead!
An important rule of the game in Africa - even if you have to say 'no', say it with a big smile... and the harder the 'No', the bigger the smile!
So after reading the above... are you feeling more confident of doing business overseas, my brother??
Seems like a very harmless question... Right?
WRONG!
The answer depends on where you are and who you are asking this to.
If you are in the Middle East (Syria, Saudi Arabia etc.) you can expect this question from someone you met for the first time 5 minutes ago. It does not matter that he is purely a business contact or the fact that he has never met your family and chances are that he never will! He will ask this question and not only are you expected to answer it but also ask the same of him about his family.
However, if you travel from there to Europe (especially parts of western Europe) and out of habit ask this question, you better be prepared for a cold stare and a retort like "What is it to you?"
THIS is the softer side of doing business Globally... So many countries, so many cultures and a multitude of sensibilities. Just like a small gesture can win the hearts of a business associate (e.g. tapping a Sudanese on his left shoulder to greet him), an out of place gesture (like extending your hand to shake the hand of a lady in certain countries in the Middle East) can end your business proposition before you have opened your laptop.
In each country, in fact even in a country's sub regions, one has to contend with these subtle nuances. While one needs to be very business-like and formal when in Japan, one has to be friendly and pleasant in Iran. In the Middle East, they say, you have to become a friend before you become a business associate. While one can quote a straight figure in Europe, one has to necessarily negotiate in the Arab world, where the thrill is in the prolonged and often highly animated discussion over non-issues!
There are books that can be written on eating and drinking habits... it is so true that one man's food is another man's poison. Same is true for dining habits as well. You can't be a teetotaller and expect to be a successful businessman in China... where toasts raised with local rice wines will cross double digits at every meal.
I remember having scotch with local dealers at a business meeting... at 10 am. When I shared this with my father (a strict fauji), all he could say was "Now you are a true alcoholic!"
It is not very different when it comes to duration of lunch breaks. While the definition of a business lunch in some countries is a quick sandwich or salad, in Serbia it is a 3-hour plus marathon 4 course meal... each course accompanied by suitable liquor! I dare say more gets accomplished over lunch than in a boardroom.
Doing business in Africa is yet another ball game. In some countries one does not go for a business meeting without a gift in hand... and don't be shocked if the host opens the gift in front of you, asks you how much it cost and actually asks you to keep the gift as he would prefer cash instead!
An important rule of the game in Africa - even if you have to say 'no', say it with a big smile... and the harder the 'No', the bigger the smile!
So after reading the above... are you feeling more confident of doing business overseas, my brother??
Really great information to know,the way it was written is good.
kamal
As we are becoming global it is very important to learn culture of other people so that it becomes easy for us to understand them.I think this one of the biggest strenght of Americans.We in India are not exposed to the world and hence we think that every thing in the world will happen they way it happens here,which eventually becomes a big barrier when we start wroking with people from other countries.
I think Blogs like this can help people who are planning to go abroad or work in international locations.
If they take care of small things as written, it will improve there chances of being accepted a great deal.
Good info.Pl. keep sharing such experiences.
It was very interesting. Would like to read more on this topic.
You have put the country on my wish list of places to visit.
Both your posts were great fun to read! You should be blogging more often! I am sitting here in Kuwait right now and chuckling over your post about the Arab meetings..
Have read this one before Sir. Very obviously I can identify with and feel closer to this one since I can relate to the experiences in Middle East personally.
Would love to see a more longer and detailed one from you given the fact that you have travelled to 50 plus countries. You can give a link to some select photographs if possible.
Rgds,
Rahul