“Tom” was a successful salesman from the East Coast of the U.S., catching the eye of management along the way with his “hard-core selling.” When a position opened in Japan to “show our distributor how to sell,” Tom jumped at the chance to go. Knowing only aggressive American-style sale techniques … Continue reading
Remember those old adventure movies that have a Western family living in luxury in some exotic location? Gorgeous house in beautiful surroundings. Private nannies for the kids. Car and driver at Madame’s disposal. Leisurely power lunches with the movers and shakers of the local business and political communities. White jacket and … Continue reading
Transparency International is a Berlin-based organization whose mission is “to stop corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of society.” They publish the annual “Corruption Perception Index.” This index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to … Continue reading
There are some important lessons to be learned from “counting holes” (see the previous post, Counting the Holes, Part One). First, Japanese (and many other high-tech oriented countries’) customers pay very strict attention to quality. These local quality standards and expectations may be higher or broader – or both – from … Continue reading
Small companies founded on engineering or technology can face problems when communicating their ideas and concepts to an international audience who may approach problem-solving from a different perspective. The following is a condensed true story. Taking a cue from Hollywood, names have been omitted, details changed and disguised, and the … Continue reading
One situation you may encounter during international business meetings is unfamiliar “silence.” Here are a couple of typical instances where silence – and the use of silence – can be confusing or disadvantageous if you are unprepared for it. A common misstep many Americans make in international meetings is assuming the best … Continue reading