With the advancement of technology, the global economy has done away with tough barriers to trade.
On any day, an employee may email a colleague in China. Videoconference with a potential buyer in Turkey or make a presentation to someone in Spain.
Nonetheless, global accessibility on its own doesn’t guarantee business success. You may make the best use of NobelCom to contact your colleagues and customers. But if you’re not considerate about your cultural differences, the entire strategy collapses.
Before you make an international call, be sure to follow this guide. Don’t forget, different countries have different customs. If you do your homework well, you’ll understand your audience better. That’s the first recipe for success.
1. Know the Do’s and Don’ts
Making calls can pose a challenge between different groups of people. For instance, it would be better to avoid “I” and “me” statements when speaking to some cultures. Instead, you can replace these terms with “we” “our” or “our team” to create harmony between these groups.
Also, try to avoid putting an international caller on hold. If they can’t see you, your attitude will be evident. Be positive!
2. Observe Punctuality
Being punctual to your appointment is the simplest way to show respect for another party. However, you need to be flexible with some people. For example, in India, it’s not uncommon for people to get late by 30 minutes if a friend wants to talk to them.
The culture doesn’t expect them to cut the conversation short. They better be late to an appointment but maintain a positive relationship with people.
In knowing this, you’ll be able to schedule the best time to communicate with your international customers. But you should never be late unless on unavoidable circumstances.
3. Research Greetings
The success of your business call is dependent on the impression you create. If your impression is good, the recipients on the other end will develop some trust levels in you. Even though they may not make a purchase today, they won’t have a problem buying from you tomorrow.
But if you create a negative impression, the clients will lose any trust they may have built. But how do you build trust levels?
Simple, by observing common practices like greetings. Know how your customers greet each other and how to respond to such salutations.
Greetings are an effective way to start any conversation.
4. It All Starts With You
When communicating with a person from a different culture, you need to be reflective. It pays!
Research on your own beliefs and habits. It’s imperative that you know your culture before attempting to understand another culture.
In this way, you’ll know the traits you do which are offensive to the other group. Read and research widely on social etiquette across nations.
Conclusion
The global market is growing. But this is not a guarantee of success for firms venturing into this market, No!
The firms need to be thorough on their research. Know what the market wants and the common etiquette rules in those markets.
Establish a stable communication channel with the market. One that’s cheap and doesn’t compromise on quality.
