Presenting Your Business

I. Read the article about the peculiarities of business communication with the Britons and do the tasks that follow.

THE UNITED KINGDOM

Strategies for Success

While many Britons are gregarious, others are likely to be a little aloof – well more than a little. It’s rare to find a Briton who absolutely must establish a personal relationship with someone before discussing business, but certainly he or she will be more comfortable working with people they like and trust. One of the biggest mistakes foreigners can make is to assume that they know British culture and customs, that they can tell what Britons are thinking, or that they know how a deal must play out. The British hate assumptions, sometimes even their own.

British Humor

The British don’t tend to appreciate jokes made by non-Brits about the royal family, politics or religion. But they do like wry twists of language and comments about life’s absurdities. They often excel at satire, tongue-in-check wit and irony. In a business situation, mild irony and gentle self-depreciation can work to a foreigner’s advantage.

Ten Golden Rules

1. Don’t assume a deal will be agreed upon just because it makes sense to you and you are convinced that it’s to your British counterparts’ advantage.

2. Don’t assume that “maybe” means “yes”, or that a “yes” today will still mean “yes” tomorrow. Some Britons will say anything to avoid explanation or confrontation at a personal level; they may prefer to give information in writing. “I’m surprised that…” or “Did you really…” are subtle ways of indicating disapproval.

3. Don’t be seduced by a smooth British veneer – clothes, accent, charm and education. Remember that you are operating far from your own cultural touchstones. You may need to do twice as much research on a potential partner as you would at home, even on one who seems perfect.

4. Asking for particular, specific, unpublished information about a company may be seen as prying, particularly if the British think the negotiations have not progressed far enough for you to need that information.

5. If you say you’re going to do something (show up at a certain time, send certain information in a fax), do it promptly.

6. Don’t say or do things in a business deal in Britain that would make you feel uneasy if you did them back home. The business culture may be different, but not that different.

7. Don’t criticize things you don’t understand – such as monarchy, the class system, cricket or anything about the British way of doing business.

8. Avoid being overly familiar (such as assuming someone named William is happy to be called Bill). What seems like normal smiling, laughing and enthusiasm to you may be interpreted as being pushy to the British. Wait for the British to initiate personal conversations; even asking where a Briton went to school, or how much business his company did in the United States last year, might be seen as invasive. Always keep in mind that they have a strong sense of privacy.

9. Refrain from using expressions like “ASAP” and “bottom line”.

10. Don’t drone on about how things are done better (or worse, more efficiently) in your company or in your country. Don’t talk a lot about yourself or your past business deals, no matter how eager you are to impress. You risk being viewed as a braggart and a blowhard.

Business Gifts

Gift giving is not a common part of doing business in Britain. If a gift is given it should be something related to the business at hand: a sample product, for example, or an umbrella or pen bearing your company logo. But loading someone down with heavily logoed company gear at a first meeting might be seen as presumptive, as bribery or as just plain foolishness. If a business relationship has progressed to the point that families are discussed it is permissible to pass on small business-related gifts for children; sporting goods manufacturers might bring along a few basketball jerseys, while a publisher might offer a sampling of children’s books.

If business overlaps into off-hours socializing, small gifts for hosts and hostesses are welcome. Flowers are a safe choice for dinner parties, as long as they are not roses, which are reserved primarily for romance.

TIME

Deadlines

Punctuality is important to the British, but they are not obsessed with it. They are averse to people who constantly rush around, one eye glued to their wristwatches. Arriving within a few minutes of a scheduled appointment is generally acceptable for most business meetings; try to at least be in the building looking for the elevator (the lift) by then. A fifteen - to thirty - minute leeway is not unreasonable for most after-hours socializing.

Deadlines, however, are relatively sacrosanct. Missing a deadline is acceptable only if you’ve given plenty of advance notice, which has then been acknowledged (no matter how grudgingly) by the other side. Three days is not enough notice to suddenly postpone a deadline that’s been lingering for three months; two weeks might be.

Power Dining

If your appointment has been scheduled between 11 am and noon, and if your meeting can be expected to last past 1 pm, you may be invited to lunch, even if the possibility hadn’t been mentioned previously. (And it would be rude to call and say, “Are we having lunch?”) This is particularly likely at a company that has a private dining room or that serves meals in conference rooms. But it’s dangerous to presume, particularly since a lunch invitation may be formally extended only at the last minute, at the host’s whim.

Generally speaking, the British prefer to keep work and personal time separate and therefore dislike the idea of combining food with business. Why spoil the meal? Many particularly despise the idea of “the power breakfast” (maybe because it’s supposed to be their favorite, and best, meal of the day) and “the power tea”.

Business dinners are often more get-acquainted after-work sessions than opportunities to negotiate. There are no particular taboos against drinking alcohol during business lunches and dinners. Don’t be obliged to follow suit, or to try to keep up. Mineral water is fine.

BUSINESS MEETINGS

Preparation

Meetings should be arranged as far ahead of time as possible, and even then, some telephoning back and forth may be required to establish the meeting’s exact timing. Aids, assistants and secretaries usually handle such scheduling. They talk to you, relay the information to the boss, then get back to you, then confer with the boss again, and so on.

Let your British counterparts know how much time you think you’ll need. Sending material in advance is almost always a good idea (though it won’t necessarily speed things along, as is confirming the meeting via letter, fax or e-mail. Consider including a rough agenda of the points you want to discuss and what you wish to accomplish. But avoid making it seem as if you plan to be incharge of the meeting. Let the Britons hold the home turf.

Presenting Your Business

Be different, but efficient. Don’t rush, don’t dictate, use hand gestures sparingly, and don’t make large predictions – all traits that the British see as particularly common among Germans and Americans. If you are running the meeting, or presenting a portion of it, a few brief, seemingly offhand personal comments – the weather, your trip – are acceptable. But you don’t want to be seen as trying too hard or as being too casual. When the Britons make comments or ask questions, take notes especially if there are questions you cannot answer immediately, or action points that need to be followed up on.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 838