How to Learn International business etiquette ?

International Business Etiquette Course - IRIKAI  

Doing business in a foreign country can be daunting. Many times, it is language which becomes a barrier. Even where language is not a barrier, failing to understand the nuances of a foreign culture can be a deal-breaker. Many awkward and potentially loss-making situations can be avoided if one is aware of business etiquette requirements of the culture one is dealing with.

Consider the following cases:

The SVP of a major American company routinely complained about a “lack of professionalism” among his Indian service providers. His major grouse was that the Indian staff would routinely commit to a deadline and miss it, often without explanation. He failed to understand why this was so, because when the work did happen, it was top-notch. Why could the Indian teams not stick to deadlines? He was on the threshold of parting ways with his Indian partners before he finally realized what was happening. His American team was driving most meetings and putting in place aggressive deadlines for the Indian partners. The Indian team found it hard to push back on these deadlines, even when they knew they were unrealistic and could never be met. Their passive resistance was misinterpreted as acceptance, which led to unrealistic deadlines that were rarely met! The SVP had just been introduced to a common Indian trait – a hesitation in saying “No”, especially to international clients.

International Business Etiquette Course Delhi

The Exports Head of an Indian manufacturing firm was in regular touch with a key customer in Japan. They spoke often on the phone though they had never met in person and it seemed like they shared a good rapport. When the time came for the Head to visit Japan, he set up a meeting with his Japanese client. He arrived 10 minutes late for the meeting, which to him, did not seem like a big deal and therefore, he did not offer any apology or explanation. When his Japanese counterpart entered the room in which he was waiting, the Head and immediately grabbed his hand and shook it hard. He put his hand on the Japanese contact’s shoulder and said, “Finally we meet!” When he came back, he was surprised at the coolness which set in the relationship between the two of them.

IRIKAI offers International Business Etiquette course

While it is no-one’s case that Indians are always pushovers or that the Japanese are always reserved or that Americans are always aggressive, the above two cases are very real examples of what can go wrong if one happens to be unaware of the business etiquette requirements in other cultures. Perhaps you would plan your approach differently if you knew that for South Koreans, relationships often have to precede (and subsequently be more important than) detailed contracts or that decision making is a group activity. Or if you were aware that the Dutch like a little playfulness while doing business and will often say things which will startle the more politically correct, you wouldn’t be caught off-guard in a meeting!

Whether you are a manufacturing, trading, finance or IT firm, if you work with international business partners, come to iRikai for a consultation on how we can assist you make the most of your interactions. Whether it is team dynamics or high level negotiations, we can help you tailor your approach. 

Please Visit : http://irikai.com/International-business-etiquette-course-Delhi.php  email us at learning@irikai.com to see how we can help.