Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Chinese Business Culture Facts And Practices

By Kevin Schmidt


Whether attending a local meeting or one in another country, there are often behaviors which are appropriate and those which are not. When doing business with China, it is important to know Chinese Business Culture Facts. For, while some behaviors are commonplace, there are others which are quite different. Whatever the case, it is important to remain calm and maintain composure. While, showing a faint smile and using kind words is often the expected greeting.

It is also important that when attending a meeting or providing a presentation the individual be extremely prepared. If delivering a proposal, it is important to have enough handouts for all attendee. In addition, it is important that only black and white ink be used whether in presentation slides or handouts.

When it comes to the initial greeting, small talk is generally expected. In some cases, this time can be used to plan future events. Whereas, most often these brief discussions are related to office decor, weather and general conversation. As a rule, it is often best to avoid conversations related to policies or practices associated with a country or countries.

Delays are often common when working with China as asking for extensions to extend deadlines is often standard practice. For, the Chinese often feel that in doing so the country gains an advantage in the process. As such, accepting these delays without mentioning deadlines is often greatly appreciated.

Most often, Chinese business people enter rooms in hierarchical order. As this is the case, it is important that other countries follow this protocol when meeting. Otherwise, those in charge of the may target conversation and information in the wrong direction. When this is the case, the information being shared can often become confusing to attendees.

Business meetings often take place throughout the year in China. At the same time, most businesses prefer to do business in Spring and Fall. For, these are often the least busiest times. In addition, there are strict working hours of 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday with a two hour break between noon and 2.

Handshakes are an acceptable form of greeting. While this is the case, there are some people whom dislike this type of contact. As such, it is always appropriate to allow the Chinese to make the first gesture when it comes to handshakes or contact of any manner.

In most cases, individuals desire to be referred to by a business title and first name. While comrade may be used in some instances, when an outsider uses the term it tends to indicate the person is committed to communism. As such, it is often best to avoid using this and other military terms.

Whether at the beginning, during or at the end, speaking a few words in Chinese is often a nice gesture. At the same time, if an individual is going to use the Chinese language, it is important to understand the meaning behind the words. For, if not careful, it can be easy to misspeak in ways which can often cause tension among attendees throughout the course of the meeting.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment