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Protocol on those trips abroad
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October 30, 1997: 3:03 p.m. ET
The right words and actions can be the key to winning business
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - A Chicago businessman recalls telling a Hong Kong colleague that it was "raining like cats and dogs" - sending the Chinese executive rushing to the window to witness the incredible phenomenon.
Such incidents are why experts advise business people to watch their words and actions carefully when doing business abroad. Proper protocol -- or the understanding of cultural nuances -- can often be the key to negotiating contracts and getting deals done, says Roger Axtell, author of "Dos and Taboos of Using English Around the World."
Of course, basic fluency in the other person's language is a good start -- but it may not always be enough. "The French would rather talk to Americans in English -- even if their English is not good -- than hear their own language destroyed, says Gilles Bouquet, who teaches French at the University of Wisconsin.
Along with communicating verbally, executives need to understand variations in body language. In Thailand, for example, pointing the sole of your shoe toward someone is considered an insult while gestures such as direct eye contact, standing with your hands in your pockets, pointing with your index finger and simply touching are considered impolite by the Chinese.
The time and location of business meetings can also vary markedly. Italians prefer to conduct business over lunch, Egyptians typically meet in a businessman's home, and the more informal Australians might transact business over drinks in a pub.
To learn these nuances, some business people have turned to protocol specialists, among them Gloria Petersen & Associates, the Lett Group and Protocol International.
"Preparation for a global market requires sensitivity to cultural, gender and generation differences. Since the rules of international business protocol are constantly evolving, it's just as important to keep abreast of the protocols of doing business as it is to keep pace with technology," says Petersen, whose firm is based in Chicago.
The Lett Group of Silver Spring, Maryland, has worked with over 200 companies and organizations on subjects ranging from "handshaking" and "business card usage" to "presence, awareness and body language" and "gift giving."
Educating executives on such topics has become a fast-growing business. At Chicago-based Protocol International, Inc., President David Wheeler says that business has increased an average of 25 percent annually over the past three years. In addition to its seminars and training sessions, Protocol International manages all travel details for its corporate customers and maintains a network of professionals based at key business destinations worldwide.
-- by Jonathan Siskin for CNNfn Interactive
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