iMPORT40.RU

Features of business partners - representatives of various countries

In business communication, you have to deal with representatives of different countries and cultures. And although a certain standard of business contacts is gradually emerging in the world, there are noticeable differences in behavior, in the degree of openness and independence of representatives, in the extent of their responsibility. We emphasize that the differences in styles are determined not so much by national characteristics as by the traditions of the respective states.

Naturally, firms and representatives of countries are extremely diverse and will not necessarily behave in accordance with the style of negotiations characteristic of a given country.

---

---

ForAmericanscharacteristic is the desire to discuss not only general approaches, but also details related to the implementation of the agreements. They are characterized by a positive attitude, openness, energy, friendliness, and a not too formal manner of negotiating. At the same time, they usually overestimate their positions somewhat and are confident that their negotiating rules are the only correct and acceptable ones. Often their position is assessed as assertive and aggressive. The professionalism of the American delegations is high. Compared to representatives of other countries, members of American delegations are relatively independent in making decisions. Americans like to offer package solutions that combine a number of different issues into a single whole. Usually in a strong position, Americans are persistent in achieving goals and like to bargain.

---

French peopleavoid formal one-on-one discussions. Negotiators tend to maintain independence and change their behavior significantly, taking into account who they are negotiating with. Much attention is paid to preliminary agreements and preliminary discussions of problems. They are relatively less free to make final decisions and are tightly bound by management instructions. Often they choose a confrontational style of relationships. The desire to use French as the official language of negotiations is characteristic.

---

Chinesestylecharacterized by a clear distinction between the individual stages of negotiations. At the initial stage, much attention is paid to the appearance and behavior of partners. There is a focus on people with a higher status, on potential allies in the delegation of partners. It is almost mandatory that final decisions are made after negotiations by higher authorities in China. The position of the Chinese delegations is usually closed: they try to find out the position of the partners and put forward their proposals after that, at the end of the negotiations, after a full assessment of the possibilities of the other side. At the same time, mistakes made by partners are skillfully used. Great attention is paid to the implementation of the agreements reached (various forms of pressure are often used).

---

Japanesemake concessions if the partner makes big concessions. Threats in negotiations with the Japanese are not very effective. The Japanese tend to avoid discussions and clashes of positions during official negotiations and avoid multilateral negotiations. During informal meetings, they try to discuss the problem in as much detail as possible, paying great attention to the development of personal relationships with partners. There are no major changes in the tactics of negotiations, but decision-making is associated with a rather complex and multi-stage approval and coordination and takes a lot of time. An important feature of the Japanese negotiating style is great precision and commitment in everything. An essential feature of the style of the Japanese delegations is team work, group solidarity, the ability to restrain ambitions and not "bump" strong qualities. It is unusual for Europeans that the Japanese emphasize their attention while listening to the interlocutor, although this does not at all mean agreement with the speaker's point of view.

---

Germansusually willingly enter those negotiations where they are confident in the possibility of finding a solution. They carefully work out their position and like to discuss issues sequentially, and not all at once. When negotiating with German merchants, it is necessary to take into account their commitment to accuracy, punctuality and strict regulation of behavior. It is necessary to pay attention to adherence to titles and titles. Therefore, before the start of negotiations, the titles and ranks of each member of the German delegation should be clarified.

---

Englishpay less attention to preparation for negotiations and believe that the best solution can be found during negotiations, depending on the position of the partner. They are quite flexible and respond positively to the initiative of the opposite side. Traditionally, the ability to bypass sharp corners.

---

RepresentativesSouth Koreatend to make decisions as soon as mutual understanding is established. They do not like general discussions and are ready to discuss the possibilities of partnership in the presence of a real and detailed program. They always strive for a logical sequence and clear relationships. They are prone to simplicity and really dislike abstract reasoning. They usually clearly state their proposals and ways of their specific solution.
Koreans never want to show their lack of understanding or refuse an interlocutor. Often pride and fear of "losing face" do not allow them to detect misunderstanding.

Koreansdo not openly talk about their disagreement with the partner and do not prove him wrong (and expect the same from the interlocutor). And if the decision is made, they express readiness for immediate action. Therefore, they are bewildered and even irritated by evasive answers such as "We need to think about it" and lengthy agreements.

---

Representatives of developing countries, for example, countries of the Arab worldrepresent complexity as an object for negotiations due to the poorly developed traditions of modern economic activity, the habit of bargaining, associated with a kind of "inferiority complex", the fear that they will be infringed, that they are neglected, interfere in their internal problems. Therefore, the cause of difficulties and conflicts is often the little things that the other side does not attach importance to. The most serious clashes "over trifles" occur between representatives of close cultures or nationalities, since they more easily feel the smallest deviations in the behavior of partners and react more painfully to them.

 

According to foreign experts,representatives of Russia and the CIShave good business potential. They are hampered by a lack of experience, as well as some pre-existing traditions. Thus, our side often pays attention to general, "slogan" issues and very little to how these slogans can be implemented. There is a desire to get away from decisions associated with risk, which destroys the initiative. At the same time, they often prefer to criticize the partner's proposal, rather than put forward their own versions of constructive solutions. Concessions in most cases are seen as a sign of weakness and they are made reluctantly. Often, due to insufficient culture, the position either turns out to be excessively confrontational, or, on the contrary, the Russian side makes completely unreasonable and very far-reaching concessions, as was the case, for example, when resolving the issue of Russian military property in Eastern Europe. The danger of emotional extremes is also great, when a representative of a foreign side is regarded either as an unconditional enemy, or as a bearer of the highest state and economic wisdom.
When communicating with foreign partners, one must also take into account a number of established traditions. So, for Americans or Germans, being late for a meeting is a sign of low culture, an optional partner, which naturally affects further relationships.
For a Hispanic, such a delay does not really matter and is not considered an emergency.

Peoples of different cultures have different ideas about the optimal distances between people. Thus, residents of the United States usually carry on a conversation with each other at a distance of no closer than 60 cm from each other. If the interlocutor seeks to get closer to a closer distance, then he is involuntarily perceived as an overly persistent and intrusive person who claims to establish close relationships. The unfavorable reaction of a North American who protests against the reduction of the distance is perceived by his interlocutor, for example, a Hispanic, as a sign of arrogance and arrogance.

Both of them end up being wrong. It’s just that during a conversation, the usual distance for each of them is violated. Without knowing the differences in non-verbal communication among different nations, one can easily get into trouble, offending or even insulting the interlocutor. Therefore, when preparing for a meeting with foreign partners, it is necessary to understand the differences in the interpretation of gestures, facial expressions and body movements by representatives of the business world in different countries.