Virtual Global Rainmaking

As the New York Times  reported today, more meetings are going virtual. High travel costs, stellar  videoconferencing, and virtual tools like online document sharing, have all contributed to the rise in virtual meetings. 
With fewer business meetings taking place in person, how will busy business professionals grow their client bases?  How will they become global rainmakers with less time spent connecting [...]

Industry Lingo Links Clients and Rainmakers

Let’s say you are meeting with potential clients in a particular sector of an industry.  Make sure that you learn - and use - the jargon of that industry when talking to your prospective client. Whether pharmaceuticals, energy or banking, each industry has it own professional terminology.   If you don’t know some of the relevant terms, find some [...]

Personal Notes Cross Cultures–Powerfully

Oh, the power of a personal note. It need not be elaborate–just a few phrases handwritten on a nice note card and dropped in the mail. What an easy yet high-impact tool for making a good impression and strengthening relationships. Because all too few people write personal notes nowadays, doing [...]

Build Rapport Across Cultures during Speeches with Relevant References

Great work alone rarely keeps clients happy:  professionals also need strong relationships to bolster their client connections–particularly across cultures.
Professionals can begin building rapport with potential clients from other cultures–even while giving speeches and other presentations.  I was reminded of this a few days ago while I  listened to Sir Howard Davies, Director of the London [...]

Your Client’s Cultural Identity–It May Not Be What You Assume

One thing that I most loved about studying at the London School of Economics (and, for that matter, at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service) was the school’s multi-cultural student body and faculty. The LSE’s curriculum was brimming full of rich topics dealing with issues of culture, ethnicity and the like.
It’s [...]

NEW GLOBAL YOU(TM) Book in the Works

In response to popular demand for a practical resource about building strong client relationships across cultures, I have a book in the works: NEW GLOBAL YOUTM
NEW GLOBAL YOUTM will share strategies for professionals building business relationships across cultures.
And so, how do you build rapport with clients, colleagues and competitors in our global economy? Please share [...]