Mindset In Cross-Cultural Communication

No one usually takes the time to go back and analyze the reason why successful intercultural communication happens. It is easy to go unnoticed. It is when difficulties pop up, and when cultural blunders blow up, that we usually want to know the secret for successful intercultural communication.

There are a few skills needed for good intercultural communication. But there is one overriding reason why some people are better at it than others.

It is in their mind-set.

The right international mind-set eliminates many of the risks in miscommunication.

Read more about how you can develop the right international mind-set in the articles listed below.

More On Mindset In Cross-Cultural Communication:

• Communication Across Cultures Is Better With A Whole Brain Approach
• Cross Cultural Vision Is More Important Than Learning International Habits
• How An Open Mindset Increases Confidence
• How To Acquire The Right Mindset For International Sales
• How To Identify An International Mindset
• The Secret Of Successful Intercultural Communication

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• Connect With Your International Markets
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Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

The Secret Of Successful Intercultural Communication

International Business Development Strategy

To be successful in international business you need to spend a lot of time opening yourself up to different cultures. This is an ongoing exercise. You learn to put your own cultural prejudices aside in order to be able to create authentic cross-cultural communication.

Prejudice

Yep. I just said prejudice. We all have them. Even when we think we don’t. We acquire cultural prejudices through our up-bringing, the environment we live in and our own experiences.

Prejudice is a form of discrimination.

Although we try to put aside our own personal prejudices during our cross-cultural encounters, there is one side of international business where discrimination is crucial for success.

Discrimination

You need to learn to make discriminating choices in business. And probably even more so for international business development. To grow your business abroad you will learn through failure. It might not be outright failure all the time. But you can count on surprises. Surprises happen often when you are new to developing your business abroad. Success comes to those who stick with it. You need to adapt your business to your foreign clients.

Learning Through Your Decisions

International business development takes work. Discrimination in your decisions, based on what you learn through practice will help you develop your business abroad. You need to keep at it. And learn to adapt by taking the right decisions. Discriminating decisions are part of the process.

More On International Business Development Strategy:

• 5 Actions To Start Developing Your International Markets
• Action Strategy For International Business Development
• Aligning Your Questions To Build Your International Business
• Are People In Small Countries Better International Business Developers?
• Are You Outsourcing Too Much?
• Define International Business
• Global Or International Business?
• Is The Expense Of Foreign Travel Stopping You From Getting International Clients?
• Market Research For International Business Development
• New International Business Development Phase Today With The Right Marketing Mix
• Online Success? Study Traditional Paths To International Business Development For More
• Plans With Adaptability, Flexibility And Agility
• Small Businesses Need To Take Action To Uncover International Business Opportunities
• When Discrimination Is Useful In International Business

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

• Discover Your International Business
• Plan Your International Sales Road Map
• International Market Research
• International Web Visibility
• Connect With Your International Markets

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

When Discrimination Is Useful In International Business

Mindset In Cross-Cultural Communication

Although an international mindset is important for international business, it is hard to describe exactly what it is.

Difficult To Describe The Right International Mindset

Part of the reason it is difficult to describe is because it is difficult to pick up the right mind-set without any international experience. There are different types of international experiences. Not all experiences give you good international mind-set skills.

Another reason it is difficult to describe is that many people have their own interpretations. Most people keep their own cultural prejudices within their international mindset.

The one thing for sure, is that it is easy to recognize good international mind-set skills once you have the basic skill.

International Mindset As An Identity

For seasoned international professionals an international mindset is part of their identity. It is natural.

I can tell if someone with international experience has acquired an international mindset by his ability at keeping his own prejudices out of his communication.

The Right Mindset Shows No Prejudices

To do this you need to be able to pick up cultural prejudices. It is not easy. How can you determine if something is a personal or cultural prejudice?

Most people will claim loud and long that they do not have any prejudices. But we all do. Awareness and experience teaches you to identify prejudices.

To master an international mindset in all situations you must first be able to recognize your own prejudices and sometimes even put them aside. Seasoned international professionals know when to put their own prejudices to the side to ease real communication across different cultures.

Incomplete International Experience

The people who have some international experience, but who are not able to do this, think they have reached international nirvana. They are usually opinionated and voice their opinions loudly, not realizing that they are clearly identifying themselves as newbie’s in cross-cultural communication.

So what should you do, if you want to identify someone with the right international mindset to help you develop your international business?

The Right Mind-Set Is A Natural One

Look for the international professionals who blend into different situations and cultures effortlessly. As their international mind-set has become part of their identity, they will often be quieter about their own skills.

More On Mindset In Cross-Cultural Communication:

• Communication Across Cultures Is Better With A Whole Brain Approach
• Cross Cultural Vision Is More Important Than Learning International Habits
• How An Open Mindset Increases Confidence
• How To Acquire The Right Mindset For International Sales
• How To Identify An International Mindset
• The Secret Of Successful Intercultural Communication

Don’t Miss These Other Article On Mindset

• Mindset

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides

• Connect With Your International Markets
• Cultural Web Tools

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

How To Identify An International Mindset

Mindset In International Business Development

An international marketing strategy requires sustaining an international mindset. Setting up an international marketing strategy requires a more intense focus than for a local marketing strategy. There are so many more factors to take into account.

If you have markets in several countries it can be a challenge to remain open to all of their different cultural requirements. You must be open to understanding the different markets in each country, with the different parameters specific to each country. And yet you must stay focused on each marketing strategy.

1 – Set Up Antennas For Market Intelligence

One of the easiest ways for small businesses to do this is to cultivate a set of different antennas for each country. Antennas to capture the information you need and stay tuned to each cultural group.

At the same time as you assess the needs for each country you need to keep in mind any of your companies branding issues or international policies. Will these be easily integrated into each country?

2 – Track Similar Needs And Variations By Culture

As you look at the marketing needs for each country, identify any similarities between countries:

• Variations in product use?
• Variations in key selling point?
• Religious holidays?
• Events?
• Languages?

Keep track of all of this information. Compare this to your local company’s marketing strategies.

3 – Create Global Marketing Strategy

As you focus on each individual country and how your product or service fits into that country, you might identify key selling points that are more prominent in certain countries, non-existent in other countries. As you focus on your company’s global strategy, how do these differentiating points fit in? Can they be incorporated better into the global communication strategy, or are they country specific?

Identify the marketing strategies you can apply through all of your international market. Create a company-wide International Marketing Plan.

4 – Add In Country Specific Marketing As Needed

It is often a good idea to have a few marketing strategies with a global international reach, combined with local campaigns. The right mix will depend on your different target markets, your products, and your budget. The more you can market locally the better local response you will have.

Cultivating an international mindset will allow you to maintain your focus on each individual country as well as the whole international market. Your marketing strategy will become clear.

More On Mindset In Cross-Cultural Communication:

• A Question Of Mindset
• Boost Your Company Way Out Of Your Local Recession Field
• International Marketing Strategy For Small Businesses – The Right Mindset

Don’t Miss The 31 Day Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge:

• Take the 31 Day Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge to expand your mindset:
• Download the free Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge Calendar

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

• Discover Your International Business
• Connect With Your International Markets
• Cultural Web Tools

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

International Marketing Strategy For Small Businesses – The Right Mindset