Chinese Etiquettes – Vital in the Business World
By ROBERT PARKINSON
No matter what part of the world they come from, expats in sales and marketing jobs in China and those planning to set up new businesses here need to study how the Chinese behave in the business environment.
Expats come to China to be involved in the second biggest global economy. Figuring out the four rising and falling tones in spoken Mandarin – no easy task in a month – will not, however, help in delicate business situations. My advice is to make every effort to understand another important detail while at the business table – etiquette.
First things first. Deals in China are not clinched in your company office or that of your business partner. If you’ve ever seen movies where a group of serious looking Chinese businessmen in black framed glasses negotiate ruthlessly with their Western counterparts, you need to forget it. That was probably an imagined scenario back in the 1980s. Nowadays, business with the Chinese moves on at the dinner table. The Chinese call this fan ju. Inviting Chinese business partners for dinner or lunch, therefore, will help close the deal.
My second tip is about the use of names. Expats normally address each other by their first name. A Chinese name comprises the xing (surname) and ming (given name). Imagine you are meeting the CEO of a reputable Chinese company for dinner. It could be the first time anyone in this situation addresses him by his Chinese given name, which could be awkward for both of you. In the past I thought my employees were joking when they addressed me as Pan zong (my Chinese surname is Pan). But I soon realized that addressing a senior manager by his surname with the suffix zong (boss) is actually a way of showing respect.
My third tip is about business cards. The point about presenting business cards with both hands is by now an old chestnut. But I would like to take this important tip further. The purpose of being equipped with business cards is to maintain contact with your business partners. If you know beforehand that your Chinese business contacts do not speak English, then you must ensure you carry a bilingual version of your card. It is also a good idea to figure out for yourself an interesting Chinese name, as this will give you some ready-prepared small talk.
As far as small talk is concerned, my fourth tip is about what is and is not appropriate to talk about with Chinese people at a business meeting. I know that a lot of expats are interested in Chinese politics and social problems and like talking at length about them amongst themselves. But some topics might do more harm than good at business meetings. Talking about the negative elements in Chinese politics and society is insensitive, and will simply exclude expats from the business meeting and the whole deal. The strong sense of patriotism prevalent in China means that you need to choose your small talk carefully. You might otherwise be removed from their list of contacts.
Fifth, be careful about non-verbal communication. If you think verbal communication is more important than non-verbal, you have made a big mistake. Ninety percent of communication depends on non-verbal elements. Expats from the Arab world or India need to pay attention to how Chinese people react when they agree on a business treat. In ancient times, ceremony was highly emphasized in Chinese culture. Courtesy remains all important today. So I suggest that expats bone up on the fundamentals of non-verbal courtesy before meeting their Chinese business contacts.
The last tip leads back to verbal communication. The essential differences between Chinese and English can often make communication between two parties difficult, even with an interpreter. To expats from the U.S., (famous for speaking incredibly fast), Canada, Britain (famous for hard-to-follow nuances), India (famous for the strong accent) and Australia (famous for its thousands of Aussie slang terms), I suggest that you speak formal English, clearly and slowly. This will be most helpful to an interpreter.
I hope these tips will be helpful to expats who are still relatively inexperienced in the Chinese business world.
ROBERT PARKINSON is CEO & founder of RMG Selection, an international recruitment organization whose Asia-Pacific region offices are located in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore.
