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Do you have an international sales negotiation coming up? Are you nervous about how it will go?
Most people don’t give much thought to the actual cross cultural communication process prior to their first real cross cultural negotiation. They get obsessed with secondary details.
Cross Cultural Negotiation Skills
Imagine you are in a long line of people waiting for a taxi at the busy Paris airport. With people swarming everywhere. The noise of the street traffic competing with the noise from the airplanes in the background.
And then you hear such a large commotion, right up at the front of your taxi line. You think it is yet another bomb scare and crane your neck to get a closer look with your bags in your hands ready to move. But out of the confusion you hear laughter.
What happened?
It was only someone who began to try bargaining the price of his ride before he got inside the taxi…with a Parisian taxi driver. The tension breaks as a ripple of laughter mixed with annoyance runs down the taxi line.
It is an old story. But it does highlight cultural differences in negotiation very well.
Different Cultures Have Different Negotiation Practices
Negotiation practices differ from country to country. Some cultures expect clients to negotiate over things that would be totally unacceptable in other countries. Some cultures get upset or angry by things that are totally acceptable in other cultures.
Different cultures simply have different approaches when it comes to negotiation.
This can be intimidating when you travel to a new country to negotiate for business.
And even more so if it is your first time.
It is important to know what is culturally expected of you when it comes to negotiation.
If you are just starting out in developing your international markets, it is wise to do some homework and identify the standard expected negotiating habits in the country you are travelling to.
No matter how much research you do prior to your first cross cultural negotiation communication road blocks can easily come up. This is even more likely if your negotiation is taking place in a foreign environment to what you are used to.
So it is even more important to develop skills to ride through communication hurdles.
A Beginners Guideline
Prior to your first cross cultural negotiation give some thought on how you will keep on track.
Here is a guideline to help beginners.
If you find yourself on your own in a country where negotiation practices are different to your own, there is a strategy to follow.
Prior To Your Negotiations
Do your research on what will be expected of you. Define your schedule, and what you are expected to wear and bring. If you are a woman, be sure to verify standard practices beforehand.
Are there any standard culturally specific negotiating practices? Remember to ask for advice prior to cross-cultural negotiations.
If you feel you will be in a different environment than you are used to you have two options to consider:
Hire local representation. Some large multi-national companies hire local company representatives to facilitate all business procedures in certain countries in the Middle East and the Far East.
Arrange for a local third party to accompany you. Look for someone who can tell you if you are making any cultural blunders. This will give you a certain peace of mind.
Prior research helps, but even so, it is not always easy. You will also need to keep your own behavior and attitudes turned towards your negotiation.
This is where the following 8 points are important.
Best Practices During Your First Cross Cultural Negotiation
Ask and find out what is expected of you.
Explain that you are looking forward to the business opportunities open to both of you.
Explain that this is your first trip and you have not done business in their country before.
State your good will and that you do not mean to do anything awkward.
Ask to be told or shown what to do.
Apologize if you do or say something that seems to be out of place.
Continue to show your desire to proceed in the negotiations.
Continue to say that your look forward to doing business with them and learning more about their culture.
Keep this guideline in mind during your negotiations.
Remain constantly aware of your environment so you can implement any of these points if needed.
Use each point appropriately when needed.
Do not go overboard. Overly stating your enthusiasm or apologizing incessantly can be destructive to your negotiations in some cultures.
Use this guideline as a gentle reminder to stay tuned to where the other party is at. If you feel in any way that you need to refer to one of the points above, do so, and continue your negotiation.
Cross cultural communication is a process where you adjust your communication a little and learn to meet another culture in the area where you both feel comfortable. It is about knowing when to ask discretely for feedback to make sure you are all on the same path.
Your first cross cultural negotiation will simply be a first step in the process of adjusting to another culture. Your cross cultural communication skills improve with practice.
Follow these guidelines for your first cross cultural negotiation and you will not make people laugh.
Cindy King
Cross-Cultural Marketer & International Sales Specialist
Over 25 years field experience in aligning cultural offers for international sales.
International content strategy
Custom publishing in English to build international markets B2B international lead generation
40km south of Paris, France – GMT+1
Cell: +33 6 98 91 86 11
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Article from articlesbase.com
Google TechTalks August 24, 2006 Terry Hird, UC Berkeley, Founder of Negotiation-International, has over 25 years of international business and negotiation under his belt. Terry’s work as a business owner, consultant and educator has brought him into contact with top business, organizations and learning institutions around the world. He has done business and negotiation in more than fifty countries throughout Asia, Europe, The Middle East, South America, and Africa. To learn more about Terry & Negotiation-International, visit www.negotiation-international.com ABSTRACT There is no Chinese word for negotiation. Tan pan translates “discussion or making a judgment”. In Chinese a negotiation…
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YouTube is fine to make money, but it takes a lot of work… I’ve found a site where there give for free their technique to make easy money, it’s ez-casino(dot)com, I’m making around $60 a day with it.
@JohnnyRock2000 Well that’s what he was talking about. Some cultures tend to flirt and their identities are constructed by flirting! So flirting is more important than the business. You fill their hole, they will do the contract for you. You got that? Just like some women!
Contracts are meant to be solid agreements. To reach multiple agreements in a negotiation and have them mean nothing, sounds like a no-go.
How do you finalize a negotiation when a solid yes really means no or maybe?
Why not hire a bunch of Chinese people to negotiate a peace deal in the Middle East
thank you this is very good for all cultures to learn about another and of course working with new China.
@beareroftruthiness “Chinese should recognize the selfishness of American when negoitiation with them.”
Oh? How the fuck do you know this? Did you care to consider how selfish of a comment that was?
@ytertyu And acting deceitfully, arrogantly, brashfully and hypocritical are common characteristics of our lovely communist friends. We need to keep that in mind when you negotiate with these animals.
Thank you for sharing! Let me also add that proper and legal Network Marketing business will thrive in China too. Not only has the Chinese Gov’t has to respond to WTO requirements, also it will use Network Marketers/distributors to fit in the social gap – balancing the poor and the rich.
Also refer to this CCTV video for more details…
video.sina.com.cn/v/b/9736289-1338560930.html
arrogance ,stupidity and acting bossy are very common characteristics of those our lovely American friends ..keep in mind when you negotiate with with them
hope it helps me passing my negotiations exam tomorrow
very interesting
excellent advice video
That’s a pretty bigoted response.
Man, you don’t know what you’re talking about… China is a giant factory..
that’s right Bitches, CHINA = POWER!!!!!!!
I think this is the downfall of Asian society, because American don’t respect anyone. Asian society often take other people feelings in consider, while American couldn’t careless about anyone but themselve. Chinese should recognize the selfishness of American when negoitiation with them.
Chinese always pay too much attention to how American think about it while in fact the latter spend 90%time concentrating on theirselves
You mean ‘equally’ smart right?
30:57 99% of Japanese said that win-win was the goal. Interesting.
there are so many errors in the chinese terms used ! Even an illiterate frenchman can see them
不打不相识 is the true proverbe (without a fight we don’t know each other). It is wrongly spelled 不打不相悉 in the video
monsieur le professeur; il faudrait apprendre le chinois d’abord !
still an interesting video
to plandok: bace wei!! blaja leklok!! fammak nuboy!!
to michaeldeng1981:
I agree with you.Chinese people are smart as Jewish people. I mean they are equality smart.
u suk
definelty good talk about chinese culture.
Great to find a cream of the crop video.
Yeh this one was fascinating