Oh my, you’ve put on weight!’ and other comments you might hear when doing business in China

Oh my, you’ve put on weight!’ and other comments you might hear when doing business in China

Want to do business in China? First, Canadian travellers need to learn the basics of how business is conducted there. These tips will help you get the deal done.

Exchanging business cards is a delicate ritual. Take double the amount of business cards that you think you need, and pay attention when you give and receive. Business is all about people, and in China and many parts of Asia, a person’s cards are a representation of their company, their role and themselves – respect it. This is the first step in what you hope will be a fruitful relationship. Thoughtfully receive the card with both hands, take a moment to read it and check if there is something (hopefully an English translation!) on the back. You will also give your business card with two hands. Take a moment to observe how they treat your card.

Business discussions are not linear. One of my favourite China analogies is that business moves forward the same way that traffic inches forward on an impossibly crowded road…the painted lines are merely guidelines. A little to the left, a touch to the right, but always moving forward is the goal. Business discussions will come up at breakfast, you’ll have a meeting in the car on your way to the Chinese opera and the questions will keep coming. This also means that you might learn at a meeting that your contact’s daughter is studying in the U.S. and also learn the history of the local area. This is also how you too need to operate to meet your goals. It’s not a straight line, but more of an adventure course in which persistence pays off. Read More…

Oh my, you’ve put on weight!’ and other comments you might hear when doing business in China

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