(FORTUNE Magazine) – DOING business in Asia is different. In Europe you are not going to blow a - deal by slapping your new foreign partner on the back. But old hands in the Orient claim that happened once in Malaysia to a U.S. electronics executive who forgot -- or never knew -- that most Asians abhor physical contact. Traveling to more than one country in Asia also means coping with the sharp differences in style and behavior that divide East from East, as well as West. Two things help. First, because the Chinese are so widely scattered throughout the region, a passing knowledge of the Middle Kingdom's history and customs usually gives you some common cultural ground. Second, everyone you meet will probably speak English. The mother tongue of Australia and New Zealand is also an official language in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines. In Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, most businessmen can speak -- though haltingly -- the basic English they were forced to learn in school. So relax. You can avoid serious blunders and make a good impression as long as you heed the following tips: -- Dress conservatively. ''The biggest problem is the Texan with big boots and a big hat who wants to pat people on the back,'' says Thomas Sheldon, an American lawyer who spent two years in Seoul. Throughout most of Asia, the uniform is traditional business suits for men and plain dresses, not pantsuits, for women. In Japan clean socks without holes in the toes are crucial, since shoes come off whenever you visit someone's home or dine on tatami mats in a traditional restaurant. Your kit bag should also include a good supply of Kleenex and hankies. Many public restrooms and restaurants don't supply toilet paper or napkins. -- Be punctual. During a state visit last May, Vice President Dan Quayle scheduled a morning of deep-sea diving in Australia. Fair enough. His mistake was to ignore Secret Service warnings that he was running late, and insist on a second plunge and a round of tennis -- a decision that made him almost two hours late for a meeting later that day in Indonesia. QUAYLE ARRIVES BEHIND SCHEDULE blared the front-page headline of the Jakarta Post. -- When greeting people, a handshake and a simple nod will suffice. Extras -- the full bow at the waist in Japan or the graceful, prayerlike folding of hands known as the wai in Thailand -- are appreciated but not expected of foreigners. Stick to titles and surnames, unless you're in Thailand or Australia, where first names are the game. Naturally, no first encounter in Asia is complete without an exchange of business cards. Bring a full deck. If possible, have your name, company, and title printed in the local language as well as in English. Use both hands to present and receive cards, and be sure to show respect by reading them carefully. Diana Rowland, author of Japanese Business Etiquette, knows one U.S. businessman who lost a deal because he failed to examine the cards of his Japanese prospects thoroughly enough. Says she: ''Even though they liked his product, the Japanese reasoned that such inattention was representative of what they could expect from him later.'' -- Avoid physical contact. You know about backslapping now, but don't pat heads either. Asians revere the head as the seat of the soul. They also consider the feet the lowliest part of the body, so don't cross your legs. You may disgrace yourself by waving the soles of your shiny new loafers in your host's face. -- When making casual conversation, leave the elaborate jokes at home. They almost never translate. And avoid politics at all cost. Once negotiations get serious, remember that most Asians will rarely turn you down flat, because they don't want you to lose face. If your prospect sucks in his breath during your sales pitch and says with a sigh, ''It is difficult'' or ''We will consider it in a forward-looking manner,'' interpret that as a polite ''no.'' -- Though the region boasts several outstanding cuisines, some Asian delicacies strike Westerners as, well, exotic. The sensitive of stomach should beware such menu items as ''fragrant meat'' (dog meat) in Taiwan, ''night duck'' soup (bat soup) in China, and extremely raw sushi (the fish still writhes atop the rice) in Japan. When you have no choice, try to eat at least a tad of whatever is offered -- even if it's sea slugs in Hong Kong or eggs in horse urine in Thailand. If you really feel shaky, though, decline politely. ''That's certainly better than gagging at the table,'' says Scott Seligman, author of Dealing With the Chinese. Seligman suggests pushing the food around on your plate a bit so that it looks as if you have sampled something. But if you love the dish, forget what Mom said about cleaning your plate. Unless you leave a little, your host will think you are still hungry. Nor should happy eaters stick their chopsticks in the rice bowl. That connotes death. Place them on the chopstick rest, an indented eraser-size object made of porcelain or wood, or lay them across the side of your plate. When picking food off a communal dish, flip the sticks around and use the large end. That's not only polite, it's good hygiene. -- Women executives should prepare to put up with far more male chauvinism than they would back home. Warns etiquette expert Diana Rowland, who worked for six years in Kyoto: ''Aggressiveness works against you in Japan if you're a woman, because it makes the Japanese uncomfortable.'' That's also true in male-dominated Korea. Advises Robert Oxnam, president of the Asia Society: ''Women have to be willing to overcome slights, some of which aren't intentional.'' Ursula Gogel-Gordon, a director of product development at sportswear manufacturer Seattle-Pacific Industries, knows about that firsthand. When she was negotiating to buy yarn from a Japanese trading company, all questions were directed to her less senior male colleague. Says she: ''Each time, he would say, 'You have to talk to her.' This happened ten times in a row.'' Gogel-Gordon kept her cool and closed the deal. But she does advise female managers to forestall such behavior by spelling out their responsibilities in writing and making sure their Asian contacts get the message before they arrive.

-- Gift giving is commonplace. But outside Japan, where you should err on the side of expensive, don't give something too dear lest the recipient feel obliged to do likewise. If you think to stock up before the trip, local crafts and consumables -- Shaker boxes, say, if you're from Pennsylvania, or maple syrup from Vermont -- make good gifts. Avoid flowers, which can easily insult someone if they are the wrong color or type. White carnations, for example, suggest death or mourning in China. Don't present clocks to Chinese, either. The phrase ''to give a clock'' sounds like a Chinese expression that means ''to care for a dying patient.'' It rattles the superstitious. As with name cards, use both hands to present and receive gifts. And don't open your gift in the giver's presence. It's the thought that counts. -- Tipping is less common -- and tips are smaller -- than in the U.S. or Europe. Most hotels and restaurants automatically assess a service charge, which will be noted on the bill. No further gratuity is expected. Where service isn't included, leave 10%. -- With minor exceptions, drinking is a national sport throughout Asia, and guests are expected to play. Whether the cry is kanpai (CON-pie) in Tokyo, konbae (GUHN-beh) in Seoul, or ganbei (GONE-bay) in Beijing, the message is the same: bottoms up. Kevin Chambers, author of The Travelers' Guide to Asian Customs and Manners, recalls that when he nonchalantly declined a business prospect's offer of a cup of makkolli, the Korean rice wine, the ''frivolity suddenly came to a halt.'' So did Chambers's deal. If you really don't want to drink, tell your hosts that you are allergic to booze. Better yet, cite doctor's orders. In Tokyo and Seoul, and increasingly in Hong Kong and Taipei, you will likely be taken to a karaoke bar. In these joints, customers take turns crooning tunes to prerecorded background music, and for once, Asia's strait- laced businessmen shed their reserve and become as giddy as teenagers. Sure, it's silly. But if you feel self-conscious, consider practicing a verse or two of ''My Way'' or ''Yesterday'' -- two ubiquitous Western classics -- in the shower before you go out. This time, ''doctor's orders'' won't get you off the hook. You will be expected to sing for your sale.