Devoted to Managers and those that seek to improve their management skills

If you are contemplating doing business outside of your culture, here are a few tips and observances to keep in mind.

To ignore or be ignorant of basic cultural differences can lead to failure in sealing a deal no matter what the terms negotiated are. Many have gone away from deals thinking they are sealed and yet have not only lost the deal, but created incidents that closed the possibility of another deal being made in the future.

Here are several cultural facts to keep in mind as you venture out into other places of the world to do business as mentioned by Neil Payne:.

Eye Contact: In the , and much of northern Europe , strong, direct eye contact conveys confidence and sincerity. In South America it is a sign of trustworthiness. However, in some cultures such as the Japanese, prolonged eye contact is considered rude and is generally avoided.

Personal Space & Touch: In Europe and North America , business people will usually leave a certain amount of distance between themselves when interacting. Touching only takes place between friends. In South America or the Middle East , business people are tactile and like to get up close. In or , it is not uncommon for people to leave a gap of four feet when conversing. Touching only takes place between close friends and family members.

Time: Western societies are very ‘clock conscious’. Time is money and punctuality is crucial. This is also the case in countries such as or where being late would be taken as an insult. However, in South America , southern Europe and the Middle East , being on time for a meeting does not carry the same sense of urgency.

Make sure you consider these things in your strategy as you reach out across cultures to do business. To not take the time to learn these things can put you and your company at a great, competitive disadvantage.