| A good tip for business people in international trade | | | | have learned sooner that Nova in Spanish means |
| dealings is relating to your trading partner and | | | | “no go”. If Chevrolet had involved people |
| understanding their business methods. Giving | | | | with knowledge of the customs and language in |
| importance to that will lead you to an axiom in | | | | Mexico when doing business there, they could |
| business relationship which is the common knowledge | | | | probably have avoided this mistake, perhaps by |
| of and interest in language, religion, or ethnicity of | | | | simply marketing the car under a different name. |
| your business partner. American business people that | | | | As an American businessman may know what |
| would put this into serious consideration would have | | | | product is important to a specific country, it is clearly |
| an edge over others. Before venturing in an | | | | useful to note that knowing how that product works |
| international trade, it would be valuable to have a | | | | in their society and what investments they have in |
| basic knowledge of the formalities that apply to a | | | | the market that is centered around the product will |
| foreign country one is about to deal with. | | | | give the US company a definitive advantage over its |
| Observance of cultural etiquette specific to the | | | | competitors. Obviously, further advantage will |
| business partner’s country will show respect and | | | | transpire if a company is willing to invest in the |
| care that is seldom expressed in the international | | | | cultural education of their representatives specifically |
| business scene. | | | | targeting the country with which they are dealing. |
| It is inevitable nowadays, given its size and power in | | | | Chinese businessmen, for example, would most likely |
| the business world, for the United States to be a | | | | prefer a business representative who speaks their |
| trading partner for almost every nation entering in | | | | language and shows an interest in the cultural |
| the international trade. American businesses could be | | | | attributes of their society. |
| more successful in international trade if they directed | | | | Some other examples of cultural differences and |
| their efforts to providing a form of cultural training | | | | formalities: In China, it is rude to begin eating before |
| that could go hand in hand with international trade. | | | | the host picks up his or her chopsticks. In Japan, it is |
| Perhaps integrating the discipline of Anthropology | | | | a norm to show respect for the Japanese culture by |
| would helpful. Anthropology is the study of people, | | | | offering a slight bow when being introduced. And, in |
| their culture and how they function in all facets of | | | | Brazil, it is considered very impolite to cut food with |
| society, often with a concentration in one particular | | | | the side of the fork; a knife is required to be used at |
| part of the world. A person with culturally specific | | | | all times. These and millions of other small cultural |
| knowledge as well as trade knowledge will be an | | | | practices can be observed, exhibiting an interest in |
| important asset in being a portal to a foreign | | | | the cultural practices of the country and improving |
| company’s business and trade methods. Having | | | | business dealings between international business |
| sufficient cultural knowledge of a foreign country that | | | | partners. Because of this, a method of cultural |
| one is about to deal with would help in understanding | | | | training is becoming increasingly important in trade |
| their business practices. This will enable one to do | | | | relations, as the world continues to shrink with |
| business with them more economically and more | | | | technological advances in communication. A system |
| sensitively, much more so than someone lacking the | | | | of updating business people interested in keeping up |
| cultural training. In effect, this will bring in more | | | | with changing trends in the business world is |
| business opportunities in the future. | | | | necessary. Basic knowledge of language, religious |
| This article is made available so that no business | | | | practices, food, and history is already proven (in this |
| company would have the same pitfall as Chevrolet | | | | article) to be helpful when interacting in the business |
| experienced as it marketed its Chevrolet Nova in | | | | world of a country abroad. Now, as the American |
| Mexico. It is a familiar story in the business industry | | | | business will incorporate efforts to become familiar |
| where had the company had a representative who | | | | with the specifics of that foreign business, the trade |
| was familiar with the language of Mexico, they would | | | | relationship is expected to run suaver. |