On the 23rd of September, EMITA, an independent trade association promoting international trade amongst businesses in the East Midlands organised the International Communications Masterclass 2011, which took place at the National College for School Leadership in Nottingham.

The aim of the Masterclass was to provide practical advice about doing business abroad, stressing the importance of cultural awareness and how to exploit the internet to communicate well on a global scale. The event included three cultural surgeries based on Russia, the Middle East and China. These markets are currently booming and have great business potential, however they are also tricky markets to tap into due to their cultural differences to the West.

  • What would your Muslim client think if you took him out to a pub and offered him a meat dish and a pint?
  • How embarrassing would it be to go to China and see the horrified faces of your counterparts after you have taken their seats?
  • How apprehensive would you be if your Chinese client drinks bottle after bottle of strong wine without even starting your business negotiations when it’s nearly 9pm?
  • If you were asked “How are you?” by a Russian, are you expected to give a long response? Russian people would feel insulted or think that you are unhappy with them if you answer in just a few words.

To maintain a long term, healthy business relationship with any foreign clients or suppliers, it is of paramount importance to understand, respect and be aware of the cultural and linguistic aspects of the working environment you are in. At SanTranslate we are not only cultural experts, we will also use local cultural knowledge and language translation expertise to convey your message into great communication. To learn more about all of our languages, visit our Language pages.