Knowing How to Communicate in the Global Environment is Key to Success

More than ever before, the world economy is opening up and the international trade barriers are breaking down. Unfortunately, even though businesses are looking to expand in global markets and governments are becoming more tolerant or even facilitating foreign trade, one barrier that remains is the difference in communication styles among different cultures. Both language and customs make it difficult for companies attempting to do business with each other in different countries. Of course, these differences are unique to each country and certain countries clash with each other much more than others. As a result, it is necessary for companies to carefully research every country with they try to do business so that they can make sure that their business transactions and agreements can be done successfully.

Unfortunately, smaller companies probablyn do not have the time and resources to devote to learning the language and customs of every major country and therefore must focus on the ones in which it plans to do business with. Here we will address some of the basic strategies that need to be used for commuicating with people from other countries, but will focus primarily on the customs and processes of individual cultures and how they need to be addressed in order to facilitate proper communication.