International Sales Best Practices
Over the next five days we are going to look at how to become aware of your cross-cultural communication in order to communicate with more clarity.
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CCCC Tip #11 -
Be aware of the cultural flavor of your own language. |
This month’s series takes last month’s tips to get extreme clarity in cross-cultural communication and brings them into an international sales perspective. Remember to download the free calender for an easy reference to all of the 30 Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge Tips on clarity. Get the complete International Sales Best Practices series here.
If is easy to pick up the “cultural flavor’ or the cultural differences in other people. It is not always easy to see how one’s own “cultural flavor” and how it appears to others.
When you first start in international business, it is a good idea to keep this in the back of your mind. Pay attention to how others react to you. Ask good friends with stronger cultural skills, or good friends from other cultures, how they think you come across and what they notice about your cultural differences. Remember to notice similarities too.
Cross-Cultural Communication Skills & Sales Best Practices
Today’s quote from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book Of Sales Answers reminds me of the context.
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“I put myself in front of people who can say yes to me, and I deliver value first.” – Jeffrey Gitomer |
Although it is interesting to note how other perceive the cultural flavor of your communication, you must also remember that all things are relative. In international business the context of your communication is still important.
Skilled international professionals are skilled in multi-tasking. They control what they say and how they say it. And they also control the context within which they are navigating.
There are several things to pay attention to, and many of them are interdependent on each other.
For beginners, this means that you need to be alert. With a laid back approach, multitasking on other non-related things, or being distracted in unfamiliar territory for example, you rapidly open yourself up to cross-cultural disconnects. Remember to stay alert and in control of your communication.
What Is Your Experience Of This In International Sales?
- Do you know how other cultures perceive you in a business setting?
- Are you often overwhelmed by the cultural differences in an international encounter?
- How much in control do you feel in your cross-cultural conversations?
Please share your comments below. I’d love to hear your stories!
Want To Get The Cross-Cultural Communication Tips?
Two Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges are currently available:
Get all of the tips from these 30 & 31 day challenges, and learn more about the other planned later this year:
All International Sales Best Practices
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She is who I turn to when I have questions and you should too"
-- Chris Garrett, co-author of the "Problogger" book
