In the last few weeks, I’ve written about the importance of learning Business English to enhance negotiation skills. Now I want to focus on the importance of recognising and understanding cultural differences to enhance those negotiation skills. This is where cross-cultural negotiation strategies come into play.
Negotiation has been in the news a great deal lately with respect to US President Donald Trump who is trying to stop wars, impose tariffs globally and negotiate trade deals. He also wants to secure business deals in the Arab Gulf countries. He says he is the ultimate dealmaker – he even has a book entitled, “The art of the deal.” Is he successful? …Time will tell.
For the rest of us, it is important to study cross-cultural negotiations if we are to be successful. The importance of good communication and listening plays a large part in ensuring a good outcome for both parties. Knowing and understanding cultural differences is key.
By learning cultural differences (personally I have lived in several countries – the UK, the US, the UAE, Vietnam, NZ and worked with many others) we learn that expectations are different. Some of the ways these may differ include time and how it is perceived; how relationships are prioritised and the importance placed on hierarchy, trust and conflict resolution.
For example, some cultures consider it very important to adhere to deadlines and for attendees to be always punctual for meetings; others do not. (I remember once while I was living in Dubai, in the UAE, that I waited 1.5 hours for a Saudi Arabian delegation. They thought being late showed how important they were. Not surprisingly, I left. I thought the behaviour was just rude).
In some cultures, such as the Arab culture, it is important to spend time not only getting to know someone first but their family too. It may take a dozen meetings before a deal is done. It is important for each party to build up a rapport with the other.
A direct style of communication, which also includes body language such as eye contact, gestures and facial expression, is more acceptable than indirect language in some countries. For example, in the UK I was told not to look at anyone directly when travelling on the underground, something I naturally did before I was told not to do so.
Understanding and learning these differences can help us present our arguments more confidently and precisely, reducing the risk of misunderstanding or misinterpreting the other party’s comments. Hence, this increases the likelihood that both parties achieve a favourable outcome. (Entrepreneurs not only have to negotiate deals, but they often must pitch to potential investors before negotiating.) Mastering cross-cultural negotiation strategies enhances your ability to build trust and avoid costly missteps.
These are only some of the reasons why understanding cultural differences matter when speaking Business English and how it can enhance your negotiation skills. As I have previously written, speaking and understanding Business English enables us to communicate more precisely and persuasively than would be possible if we were not speaking Business English. It is the “lingua franca” of the business world.
Approximately 1.3 billion speak English worldwide, most of whom are not native speakers and about 300 million speak English as a first language.
These are the tips I read recently that can help in negotiation:
(1) Do your research.
(2) Know your priorities; on what issues are you prepared to budge?
(3) How will the opposing side view your terms?
(4) Keep communications open.
(5) Even so, there are limits. Know when to walk away. Importantly I would also add, recognising and understanding cultural differences makes negotiation easier.
Taking a Business English course (such as the online course at www.learnbusinessenglish.net) teaches the importance of listening and understanding the needs of the other party and their perspective on matters. These programmes refine your Business English negotiation skills by emphasising cultural awareness and persuasive language. You will learn that picking up and understanding nuances can make a difference. Often, these differences can be cultural. (There is a module in the course that focuses on developing your cultural skills and cross-cultural negotiation strategies.)