Think small talk!

A meeting with a new customer or supplier in Asia often starts with some small talk. For Westerners used to get straight to the point when it comes to business, chatting about the weather, the movies you watched in the plane or the well being of your family may be a bit disconcerting at first but it makes perfect sense in the Asian society: it creates some harmony by making you feel good and relaxed before working together. It is a smooth transition between the "before" (ie the stress of the traffic jam or the long hours in a flight) and the time spent together (ie a meeting, a factory visit or a business lunch).

Asians like to know more about the character and the experience of their partners before entrusting them. This small talk can get into very personal questions like "how old are you?", "are you married?" or even "how much are you making?". Don't feel uncomfortable about this and answer only if you want to. If you don't want to answer one of the questions, just brush it off cleverly without confronting your speaker or showing irritation. For example you could answer the later by "Enough to enjoy life with my family".

Asians expect you to do the same and ask as many questions as you wish to better understand the person you're going to work with. Just make sure to avoid politically incorrect questions like questions about human rights or politics in China, about the Emperor in Japan or the royal family in Thailand. If your conversation is hold over the phone, take the opportunity to figure out if you are speaking to a male or a female if his/her name doesn't make it clear for you, especially in China and in India. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how many times I though I was dealing with a male by email before figuring out that I was talking to a female!

[Feel free to use and share this material for non-commercial purpose. And don't hesitate to share your experience and questions in the comments or by email; I will come back to you as quickly as possible. Happy reading!]

Harmonically correct!

In Asia, individual interests are often based on the interest of the group as a whole. It makes the image of this group very important for its members as it reflects their own success. Thus everyone is trying hard to keep the apparent harmony in between colleagues, family members or team mates. Hence I would recommend to avoid any type of direct confrontation like asking an embarrassing question to someone or questioning a figure in front of everyone; if you wish to do so, find an intermediary close to the speaker or ask to meet him/her in private.

If you want your opinion to be taken more seriously, you should use terms like "we think that X" or "X would be better for all of us" aplenty while using "me" and "I" soberly. Expressing your own opinion isn't as strong as speaking on behalf of the group of people you are representing. You should always look for consensus too or at least for something which looks like consensus. Don't hesitate to reformulate your point and get people to agree or at least nod for approval. 

 In Asia, a lot of people believe that success attracts success and failure attracts failure. You will notice many people trying to make friends with successful businessmen while avoiding lousy ones like the pest. This is especially true in India, Japan and China where speaking about unlucky events like bankruptcy, sickness or even sending condolences would be considered rude and inauspicious.

[Feel free to use and share this material for non-commercial purpose. And don't hesitate to share your experience and questions in the comments or by email; I will come back to you as quickly as possible. Happy reading!]

What's your name again?

So now that you've got the business card of your Asian contact in front of you, you still can't figure out his/her name from his/her surname. And believe me it gets all the more tricky as you are not familiar with Asian names. Generally in China the family name comes first. Take “Lee Chong Ming” for example: his first name would be “Chong Ming” and his family name “Lee”. It gets a bit easier in Hong-Kong as people there generally join their first names with a hyphen; our example would then translate to “Lee Chong-Ming”. Note that nowadays more and more Chinese take a Western name either given by their first English teacher or  by a family member; something like "Bryan Lee".

In Japan people are called by their surname to which you add “san” at the end as a mark of respect. For example you should call Mr Takahashi as “Takahashi-san”. On the other hand in Thailand people use “khun” in front of the first name; for example “khun Wisit” for someone whose first name is Wisit and whose family name would be Sukprakan. To conclude, keep in mind that in Korea and in China women keep their maiden name. So don’t ask Mr Koh how Mrs Koh is doing. It would be considered very indelicate.

Be very careful with the way you address people in Asia. For example, calling someone by his/her first name at the first meeting when you don't know each others that well would be seen as a lack of sincerity from your side. In any case, if you are having any doubts about how to call someone, just ask the person directly or someone close to him/her and make sure you memorize it properly. It’s better to be too formal than too familiar. Show respect and use titles if required. Similarly, don’t hesitate to tell people how you want them to call you.

[Feel free to use and share this material for non-commercial purpose. And don't hesitate to share your experience and questions in the comments or by email; I will come back to you as quickly as possible. Happy reading!]

How to exchange business cards?

One of the most important ritual for businessmen in Asia is exchanging name cards. This is the first step in building up a relationship and it is essential for you to master this art. You want to give as good a first impression as possible!

- How to receive a business card: when you are given a business card, receive it with both hands or with the right hand only in Muslim countries like Malaysia or Indonesia; over there the left hand is considered dirty. Then pay close attention to it, read it carefully and let it rest on the table in front of you for a while before keeping it in your wallet. Putting it away before having read it completely is considered rude.

- How to give your business card: in non-muslim countries like China, Korea, Japan and Thailand, use two hands, very politely. In muslim countries only use the right hand. It must be visible and readable by the person you are giving it to without having to flip it over or to turn it around. Give your business cards individually and only to key people. If you wonder about giving it out to someone, then do it. And don't forget to get your stock ready before a trip to Asia: 100 is a good average for a 3-day visit!

- How to design your business card: it is very important to have your title written in English. You can translate it in the local language as well for better ease of use and if you are planning to spend more time and effort on a specific place. In China, you can go for a phonetic translation of your name; if you decide to do so, make sure you can get it checked by a few locals first in order to make sure it doesn't sound inappropriate. An alternative would be to choose a Chinese name: the Chinese version of "wealth", "luck" or "strength" are well appreciated! If you can't decide, check this Chinese name generator.

[Feel free to use and share this material for non-commercial purpose. And don't hesitate to share your experience and questions in the comments or by email; I will come back to you as quickly as possible. Happy reading!]

Where are your friends?

In Western countries, the education system encourages individuals to think by themselves and to question everything. Some more, it rewards individual achievements; every European kid knows who is the best student of the class and many schools provide quarterly rankings. In Asia, the focus is more on the group and its relationships with all the things around. The place of each individual is among a group. You're either in my group or in an other.

Acting solo is considered weird and suspicious. Try traveling alone in Asia and you can be sure that locals will ask you first where your friends are! Asking a question or giving your opinion for example is standing out of the group. During meetings in Asia, one could hear a pin drop when comes the time of asking questions. I even remember an official meeting with some CEOs for which the organizer asked us if we wanted our questions to be asked by someone else! Since the success of the "group" as a whole comes frequently before individual achievements, you better find which group would give you the best support and plan your way in!!

To be sure you are being heard or to deal with a problem with Asians, you will need to find a person close to them to convey your message. This person must be in their group so that it has more value compared to something you would say directly. By doing so, you keep the harmony and save anyone from losing face. Similarly, if you have to get something done, especially if it requires some creativity or autonomy, you better assign a group of people to the task and choose 2 spokesmen to provide you with the results. Don’t expect much creativity and autonomy from a single Asian but ask him to work together with a colleague, assign someone responsible and let them work alone: you will be stunned by the result!

[Feel free to use and share this material for non-commercial purpose. And don't hesitate to share your experience and questions in the comments or by email; I will come back to you as quickly as possible. Happy reading!]

Saving face!

The concept of face is key when it comes to Asian manners.

Giving face consists of showing respect. Whereas you won't mention the amount of the bill while taking customers to the restaurant in Western countries, don't hesitate to do so in China to show to your guests that it is a very special occasion for you. Leaving some food untouched proceeds to the same; it shows that the host is providing enough food to the guests and that the guests are full.

Losing face is the big thing to avoid in Asia. It basically means loosing the respect from the group. For example criticizing someone in public would make this person lose face. After such an incident, don't expect anything from him/her! If you need to confront someone, do so in private or through a middleman. Similarly, avoid to say "no" directly; a better way would be to say "I'm not quite sure" or "I will think about it". Small details can have quite their importance! I will give you more examples through the following posts so that you can avoid fatal blunders.

Some Asians see Westerners as "thick faces": somehow arrogant and unshameful. But they don't realize that the concept of losing face applies to you as well. Unfortunately, it is not good for you to lose face in front of Asians either so when they tell you that something is not possible, reply that it is not an acceptable answer and that they are making you lose face in front of others.

[Feel free to use and share this material for non-commercial purpose. And don't hesitate to share your experience and questions in the comments or by email; I will come back to you as quickly as possible. Happy reading!]

The 4 Golden Rules

First of all, let me share with you the few Golden Rules to keep in mind each time you are dealing with Asians:

-   Stay calm: the most important thing is to keep control over your emotions. If you loose your temper in front of Asians, you will loose their respect and all your credibility. If the negotiation is not going as you planned and your face turns all red or if you start shouting at people or hitting your fist on the table you will show the people you're talking to that you're going to surrender and accept their terms. In this situation, just stay calm and repeat your point again and again until you can come to an agreement. 

- Be humble: You can flatter people but when they flatter you, be humble and reply that it's too much of an honor and that you don’t deserve it. You will be amazed by the way people try to avoid compliments by reflecting them to others by phrases such as "it was mostly thanks to my boss" or "I've just been lucky". Never show your game or boast about anything.. Showing too much is being weak. If you want them to know about your achievements, find someone to introduce you, preferably a colleague or your translator.

-   Build up your network: identify the key people you need to know and get in touch with them. Approach them personally and get close to them by inviting them to informal events like a business lunch or a karaoke session for example. You won't go far in Asia without the proper network. It's all about harmony and saving face and to convey your message, you will need the support from the right people. You may even need people to talk on your behalf. Moreover, a "yes" is not always a straight "yes" in Asia and you may need someone from the inside to help you translate.

-   Clarify everything to avoid any misunderstanding. If something seems unclear to you or to them, rephrase it. Don't hesitate to explain who you are and what you are here for so that you can get the proper authority and gain respect. If anything goes wrong, apologize politely and explain them that people are doing things like this in your country and that your mistake is due to a lack of knowledge about their culture. Don't forget to tell them that you learned your lesson and that it won't happen again in the future.

[Feel free to use and share this material for non-commercial purpose. And don't hesitate to share your experience and questions in the comments or by email; I will come back to you as quickly as possible. Happy reading!]

If you don’t take care of Asia, Asia will take care of you!

Look around you. From the T-shirt you’re wearing to the salesman who sold you the computer you’re reading this blog on, Asia is everywhere. Two out of every three people on Earth live in Asia and China is slowly reaching the top of the world economy. What some perceive as a threat to their business has in fact a lot of opportunities to offer. But if you want to be successful with Asians you need to understand how different their cultures are. Have you seen how many companies tried to establish themselves in China and failed?

With this blog, I will help you to become more successful in your business with Asians. You may be an expat sent there for work or you may have suppliers and customers from Asia or maybe you are working in a multicultural team in your homeland; every one of us is in touch with Asians. Based on my experience and on stories shared by fellow expats, the following posts will focus on each and every thing you need to know to be more efficient while conducting business and negotiations with Asians.

Any question, any situation you have been through and you would like to share or to clarify? Don’t hesitate to ask me by email or in the comments and I’ll do my best to give you an answer quickly. Happy reading!