Monthly Series – International Sales Best Practices
How people trust you depends a lot on you and how trustworthy others perceive you. In the Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge we saw how
Building Trust In International Sales – Tip 6
As soon as you trust yourself you will know how to live. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
International Sales Best Practice
- Cultivate Your Character
There is no way to go around this. Character is important in international sales. It is not that you need an outspoken or a strong character. Instead it’s about having the right character to portray trust and credibility for successful international business. What is the right character you ask. Well, this is a bit difficult to describe, but I will give it a try. Here are some insights…
Different opinions and beliefs are OK. But it depends how you express them. In last month’s Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge we looked at how some people became threatened when faced with cultural differences, and how you need a quiet self-confidence.
How you express your different opinions has an effect on your character. It shows how you feel about your own opinions and beliefs, how well you know them and how threatened you are by different opinions and beliefs.
Confident to give trust first. This is a trait of most great salespeople. In a cross-cultural environment giving trust first also shows a few other things.
- When you give trust first, it shows that you accept the other person and his cultural differences.
- Others can also sense a degree of self-knowledge in you and this usually comes across well.
- It is easy for others to recognize this step towards them and they are likely to reciprocate in some way.
An attitude of credibility. Many successful international sales people convey their character with subtlety and yet credibility is still omnipresent. Of course, there are also elements of competency and straight forward truth that make this crediblity possible. But this particular attitude of credibility communicates well across a variety of cultures.
Don’t Be Afraid To Cultivate Your Character
Although it can be difficult describing the ideal character traits for international sales, there is one thing that is certain: your character is important for your international business success.
This is because your character and how your international clients perceive your character is vital for building trust. Your character will also influence your international sales success. This is why you need to be aware of the different areas of your character that your cross-cultural clients will notice first.
Now it is over to you…
- What image do your international clients have of your character?
- How do you think your character influences your international sales success?
- What character is the best for international sales professionals?
Please share your stories in the comment section below.
More Cultural Skills For Today’s Tip
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Last month’s Cross-Cultural Communication Tip – Do not feel threatened by other ways of thinking for doing things |
This month’s series takes reviews last month’s tips to build trust in cross-cultural communication and adds 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 trust. Get the complete International Sales Best Practices series here.
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