Our Business Model Must Adapt to Different Locations

Understanding Regional Differences

All areas of the world have their own history and cultural norms which are apparent in every form of their communication.

Whether you are a tourist or an entrepreneur you still need to understand and compensate for these differences to ensure that communications are understood equally by both parties.

Whilst assimilating the obvious differences in another culture, there is an assumption that in the business world we will automatically communicate with the same protocols.

Businesses that have their sights set on an expanding marketplace have to adapt to the social and cultural values of their targeted markets and this applies to the language of business as well as in etiquette.



Working with locals

The employees and the strategies used for this challenge need to be adapted for businesses that are aiming for a global presence.

It is not enough to have staff who can speak the language, you need to have indigenous employees who understand the way that language and non-verbal communications are used in the everyday life of the targeted market and can readily communicate that to the executive branch of your company.

 

Business Terminology

A comprehensive understanding of the terminology and behaviour adopted by businesses in overseas markets gives you a huge advantage. We recognise that spending money on training is a good investment as is training in a corporate language, which is also essential if you are dealing with a global marketplace.

Words can be and often are used differently in countries that have a common language, which can lead to unnecessary failures of communication.

 

Business Etiquette

We need to learn a new etiquette and reach beyond problems that can unintentionally occur.  It is essential to recognise the business and social norms of the non-verbal communications which may occur in situations such as closing deals or in the way meetings are arranged and handled.

We need to know and understand how to greet people, what the unspoken rules of interactions are, and to learn to recognise what is being communicated to you by body language and other non-verbal actions. We need to be aware of other indicators, such as what the appropriate dress codes are, what working days and times are appropriate and the acceptable times for meal breaks.

At DRolls Associates local teams ensure that these cultural values are understood so potential clients are familiar and comfortable with the methods used.

This strategy is a crucial element in all our projects and in our extensive experience we have seen a dramatic increase in sales.



Dafna Rolls, CEO & Founder of DRolls Associates, is an expert in hands-on business development with over 17 years of experience in sales, sales management and training, marketing and lead generation. Her entrepreneurial approach has been instrumental in helping to build and grow numerous small businesses in multiple industries.