"It matters to the
extent you value your business opportunities in China.
I have enjoyed success in China in part because I took the time to study
the business and overall culture. I sought out influential people whom
were trusted by the people I wanted to meet. I listened more than I
spoke."
"Yes, awareness is
definitely a plus, as it shows you have some education, in the sense
that you know about the do's and don'ts. It also is a plus because
knowing Chinese culture will help you get a more precise idea of your
partner as an individual, and his plansl - you won't be thinking : oh,
but all chinese do this, it 's a very chinese way to react."
"To be successful in
business you need to be able to out yourself in the shoes of your
counterpart. Only then can you meet their needs, as well as your own."
"But while
"sensitivity" to all cultures is important, the Chinese (and Japanese)
tend to be very group oriented in their dealings. Rarely will you meet,
dine with, and negotiate with a single person. The group will also be
structured very hierarchical. The group always defers to the highest
ranking person and that person may not even be in the first several
meetings! This is why doing business in the 'Middle Kingdom' is more
time consuming and circuitous than most countries.Definitely get
training and, if the budget is adequate, hire a professional,
in-country, facilitator to act as guide, interpretor, and adviser. The
money will be well spent. It would have saved me tens of thousands of
$$$ and a lot of time."
"Frankly, If you don't
take the time and make the effort to understand the Chinese way of life
as well as the Chinese way of doing business then you should stay well
away from China and simply forget about doing business here. Also you
should forget about using government agencies to 'introduce' you to
business opportunities in China. If they truly understood 'business
opportunites' they'd be doing them and not working for a government
agency. My Chinese business contacts run a mile when they get a whiff of
any government involvement.
The rules are simple. (1) Learn and understand China. (2) Don't expect
them to do busines YOUR way - they own the world's biggest market, not
you or me. (3) Make friends with your associates in China - take time to
listen to their story and they will be happy to listen to yours. Doing
business with friends is much, much easier than doing business with
anonymous vendors - and that is the basis of the 'Chinese way'. (4)
Never finish the food that's on your plate. They'll just give you more.
As I said learn about China before even thinking about coming here. And
finally, (5) Stay off the Beijing Third Ring Road or you'll never get
anywhere in China."
"Where is the
motivation for Chinese business people to adapt to us? Seldom any, if
none at all... We have to do that work. Therefore, if you are serious
about doing business in China, you must have the ressources, the time,
the $$$, the support of your Board and the appetite to go beyond the
'cultural awareness' level, as it is very unlikely to happen the other
way around. Learn, practice, learn, practice, learn again and practice
again...One will for sure fail in this market if one's commitment is
skin-deep and doesn't go far beyond the rhetoric - Chinese people will
see through you immediately, and once relationships are damaged, there
is usually no coming back..."
"In my opinion,
cultural awareness is absolutely vital for successful business
operations in China (or any other foreign market for that matter). As
the world globalizes, competition is becoming fierce. Business
relationships are starting to be the competitive edge for many
international businesses. Firms that foster a healthy corporate culture
that is educated and respectful of foreign markets will have stronger
relationships with customers as well as business partners/alliances."
"Cultural sensitivity
in the sense of knowing your customers is indeed vital in China, but
also an enormously difficult task. The population is too diverse in too
many ways for there ever to really be a single solution for targeting
the Chinese market."
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