How to Create a Great Global Conference: Strategies for Making Attendees from Different Cultures Feel Welcome and Included (Monday, February 9 from 3:30-4:15) and

Outsmart the Economy: Grow Business Globally (Tuesday, February 10 from 1:45-2:30)

Yesterday I was reminded of this when I led a session titled Captivating Clients and Co-workers across Cultures at the Professional Convention Management Association’s annual conference in New Orleans. Even though I always make my sessions interactive, this session felt different…like there was a certain international energy in the room.

Why? Well, the audience actively participated–-REALLY participated–-sharing interesting, international insights about doing business in places like Amsterdam and Potsdam, and personal perspectives from natives of The Netherlands, Turkey and the like. This created a rich, interactive, international atmosphere.

And this shows why an international presentation that is truly interactive always gives a greater impact. Because our world is still awfully vast, every audience member will bring his or her slightly different interesting, international experiences. Sharing those insights during the session enhances the international impact of the session–and makes it more interesting and memorable.

So, whether giving a keynote at a big industry conference or training a handful of professionals, invite international insights from the audience.  Everyone will enjoy–and benefit from–the high-impact international dialogue.

One American businessman angrily said after his lengthy–but inconclusive– negotiations with a senior Japanese businessman,  “He had the authority to make a decision.  So why didn’t he just decide?” 

As a culture, Japanese generally value group harmony and collective decision-making.  A senior executive–even one with the authority to make a decision unilaterally–may want to build consensus within his team before announcing his decision. For this reason, Japanese culture is called “collectivist”.

 In contrast, American “individualist” culture prizes each person’s independent thought. Senior executives often don’t build consensus with their subordinates before making decisions. Americans feel that each individual is entitled to his/her own opinion.  So, team members–even junior ones–speak up and express a dissenting view.

The result?  Unless the parties understand each other’s cultural outlook, the Japanese may see the Americans as impatient and disrespectful of authority, while the Americans think that the Japanese are indecisive and dragging their heels. In other words, there’s culture clash at the negotiating table. 

So, when negotiating with Japanese, be patient and be sure to treat them–and your own team–with respect. 

 And that’s just one tip for negotiating with the Japanese. There are lots of other subtle nuances, so read web articles, like this one article from All Business, about negotiating with the Japanese, or  books like Frank Acuff’s How to Negotiate Anything with Anyone Anywhere Around the World.

Global Negotiating Tip: no matter where you go, know before you negotiate.

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 with clients in person? After all, the article mentions how client relationships, particularly those across cultures, can  suffer through virtual contact.

Global rainmakers know how to take this challenge–and use it to their benefit.  First, they learn how to build relationships virtually. Yes, it’s hard to pick up cultural differences when communicating with potential clients through a screen. However, that means that subtle nuances–like body language–become even more important; personal gestures appear heightened when projected onto a screen, and so it’s wise to tone down both gestures and attire.  Following guidelines on dress and personal gestures used by television reporters is wise, e.g. no plaids or “busy” fabrics, no large gestures or exaggerated facial expressions, no bad posture, no yawning (!), and the like. 

Second, global rainmakers adapt their behavior to accommodate a virtual forum. They pay attention to everything from the pace and structure of the meeting, to the format, to the layout of the seating. They don’t dominate to conversation or the meeting.  (Again, because all behavior appears heightened when viewed through a screen, boorishly dominating a virtual meeting looks/sounds/feels extra offensive.)  Global rainmakers watch for feedback from the other participants–whether in facial expressions, body language and the like.  Yes, this is harder to do virtually.  Much harder. But it’s even more critical to pay attention to such feedback in this kind of forum.

Third, those who want to perfect their virtual meeting technique, watch replays of their meetings–and evaluate their own performance.  Just as watching a film of yourself giving a speech can be enlightening, so can watching your “virtual performance” at a meeting.  Professionals who do this see firsthand how they come across to others–and how the screen magnifies their fidgeting and other unflattering habits.  This gives them the chance to correct their behavior befor ethe next meeting.  Painful, yes, but the feedback is proceless.       

Fourth, whenever they get the chance, global rainmakers meet their potential clients in person–and make the MOST of it.  They go out of their way to make sure that personal encounters happen, as often as possible. Sharing a meal, casual conversation or experiences can really strengthen business relationships. Asking, with genuine interest (and to the extent culturally appropriate) about the other person’s culture, hobbies, family or interests, also builds both camaraderie and relationships.

Now that face-to-face client encounters are declining, make yours count– favorably.   

Even companies within the same industry sector use different expressions internally.  These reflect a company’s unique culture.  For example, one successful store chain makes its employees eschew the word “problems” and instead use the word “opportunities.”  The employees of a now-defunct energy trading company coined - and often used - the term “optionality.”  Some companies also heavily rely on acronyms. Ask current (or former) employees about some of these terms advance, and integrate them into your client meeting.  
 
Also make sure that your terminology translates across cultures–literally and figuratively .  Sometimes companies in the same industry (like the energy sector) are based in very different cultures (Saudi Arabia and the United States, for example). Look, listen and stay tuned for clues during client meetings.  Some industry lingo may work well in the US oil patch, but be too informal/slang for the Middle East.

Not long ago I returned from an international conference. While there, I ran into old friends and acquaintances, some of whom I had last seen six or more months ago. Many of these acquaintances had heard from me via a personal note or an email since we last saw each other. Who appreciatively mentioned my correspondence? The people who had received my personal, hand written notes. Overwhelmingly so. Personal notes made a big impression.

Taking the time to jot a few lines on a note card and mail it to a client, colleague or new contact makes an impact. Although doing so takes little time, it requires more time than a common email or text message. Writing a note the old fashioned way shows that you value the person enough to him or her some personal attention.

For an even bigger impression, write with a fountain pen and use good quality card stationary. Some people won’t notice the difference, but those who value nice quality writing paper and instruments will be favorably impressed.

Personal attention like this also makes a big positive impact across miles and cultures. When you can’t interact face to face, a hand written note provides a critical personal touch. Sophisticated international businessmen and women will appreciate the gesture, regardless of culture.

If you have an interesting and applicable article to forward to your contact, do so and attach a hand written note–not a typed one prepared by your assistant.

And, if you move to a new job and your new employer sends out a formal announcement about your joining, include a short personal note inside the announcements that go to your contacts. Most of those announcements look very similar, so distinguish yours with a note.

So…write on!

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 School of Economics (LSE), as he addressed a group of American LSE alumni on a very British topic:  Brown’s Britain vs. Blair’s.

Recognizing that his audience was American, he built rapport with culturally applicable analogies.  For example, Sir Davies included parallels to the Republican and Democratic parties, and other US-centric references.  Not only did this add interest to his speech, but it also helped to create rapport.

The tables turned a few weeks later when I gave several speeches in London.  Hearkening back to Sir Davies’s example, I incorporated examples and phraseology that would resonate with a British audience.  It worked.

Next time that you are speaking to potential clients from other cultures, include analogies and other references to their culture.  Acknowledging and appreciating their culture will help to bridge the gap and build rapport.

It’s no surprise that the July issue of the LSE Magazine includes an interesting article by Alan Manning and Sanchari Roy titled Culture Clash or Culture Club? The article–which is particularly timely in light of last sumer’s UK terrorist intrigue–examines the religion and ethnic background of various immigrant populations and their level of “British identity” after residing in Great Britain.

The authors’ research study found one factor most contributes to whether an immigrant reports to having a “British identity”: how long the immigrant has been in the UK. The authors also report that “immigrants from poorer and less democratic countries assimilate faster into British identity”, in part because these ethnic groups tend to take on British citizenship. (In contrast, the ethnic group least likely to assimilate is the Italians; these immigrants continue to identify with Italy–no doubt due to its better cuisine!)

In other words, the report contradicts the prevailing view in Britain that, for example, Pakistani Muslim immigrants, remain primarily loyal to their home country.

What does this mean to you? It means that when dealing with another party (clients, colleagues or competitors), and their country of origin differs from their country of residence, don’t assume that you know their cultural identity.

Instead, stay curious. Ask yourself, has this person assimilated into the new culture and adopted its values? If so, how much? Or, does this person still identify with and live by the values of his/her native land, and only begrudgingly accommodate the values of their new country of residence?

These values show up throughout communication–such as the high value that many Latin Americans place on relationships, wanting to cultivate them before doing business with someone. Or, for example, Germans are known to value, respect and defer to authority figures. Any international professional lucky enough to give a presentation to a group of Germans will likely find them better behaved and more punctual than their American counterparts.

Paying attention to these cultural values–and tailoring your interaction with clients, co-workers and competitors to reflect and respond to these values–will improve your interaction immeasurably.

NEW GLOBAL YOU^TM 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 your stories with me. If I use your story, I will credit you and send you a complimentary autographed copy of the book!