International Sales Best Practice – Get The Sequence Right

International Sales Best Practices

Here is another great way to simplify your cross-cultural communication. The essence of today’s post is to take things one step at a time. Communicate things in clear steps, one after the other. This gives people from other cultures the time to absorb what you mean and to find the best way to “translate” this to their culture.

CCCC Tip #17 - Give clear answers to questions before giving any additional information.

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.

Sometimes we can say things out of sequence. This has probably happened to you before when talking to people around you.

The problem is usually an assumption got in the way. Well, avoiding assumptions and getting your communication in the right sequence is also critical in cross-cultural communication… although this usually happens on different levels. Cultural differences and wrong assumptions can get your communication out of the sequence you need for clear communication.

Cross-Cultural Communication Skills & Sales Best Practices

Here is something to remember, taken from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book Of Sales Answers.

You need to give a little more thought into the order in which you present things in an international sales meeting. The best way to do this is usually to simplify your communication, go through things one step at a time and review the sequence in which you present things.

But even with thorough preparation, you will still need to pay attention to what happens during your communication. Say what you have to say in the right sequence to keep your communication clear and simple to understand.

When questions pop up, give them special attention. Answer the questions thoroughly before continuing, and ask yourself these questions at the same time:

• Why did this question come up here?
• Is this question a sign of a wrong assumption?
• If so, when was this assumption made and how has this impacted the understanding of everything else I have said?

Through experience you learn where people from different cultures find it difficult to understand what you have to say.

What Is Your Experience Of This In International Sales?

• When do you feel you lose control in an international sales meeting?
• Can you identify common areas where international clients need more clarification?
• How do you know if an international client finds it easy to understand what you say?

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:

• Expand Your Mindset
• Get Extreme With Clarity

Get all of the tips from these 30 & 31 day challenges, and learn more about the other planned later this year:

• 2009 Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges

All International Sales Best Practices

You can find the complete list of International Sales Best Practices published to date here:

• International Sales Best Practices

Tagged as: best practice, best practices, clarity, cross-cultural sales, cross-cultural selling, global sales, international competence, international negotiation, International Sales, international sales skills, international selling, international skills, sequence, simplify