CHAPTER 10
Selling to Customers from Other Cultures

PHONE SALES CHALLENGE – Brenda, an experienced saleswoman, has recently moved into international passenger truck and van sales, and is facing this problem: “I know some French and some Spanish, but it’s not just the language thing. It’s hard enough figuring out how some of these Europeans think, let alone how to strategize the accounts in India I’ve just been given, and my customers there speak English!”

Just as we look at selling to different personality types, when we look at selling to customers in other cultures we must first consider our own culture, because that is the basis of our interpretation of others. Assertive and submissive behavior, as well as agreement and disagreement speaking patterns, are very different among the world’s cultures. Silence during the conversation is a pointed example. Americans are often uncomfortable with it and rush to speak, thinking that silence on the other end of the phone means inattention or hesitation. Depending on who the salesperson is speaking with, silence could signal serious consideration of the options presented. Breaking the silence—a typically American phone behavior—might derail what was working into a close. With so many variables in cultural styles, smart phone salespeople in the United States need to learn to recognize differences in stalling, negotiating, or closing signals from their non-American customers.

It might be helpful for you to know how Americans are perceived by some people in other countries:

We’re all “cowboys.” People in many countries find the “Old West” element of American society endearing, but dislike the galloping-in-with-guns-blazing approach sometimes used in doing business. Americans, and particularly businesspeople, are often seen as pushy, in a hurry, and at times, disrespectful.

Americans care most about money, not relationships. Often we get right down to business without any social niceties or discussion of factors that might affect the person we’re speaking with, whether it’s a family situation, something in the news, or even the weather.

Americans are “new” and crass. Compared to those from civilizations that are thousands of years old, we’re an infant culture and are sometimes viewed as unappreciative of important matters of tradition and protocol.

Ouch! Anyone who has traveled can attest to these perceptions. A compliment by an American about how quaint a pub in England is may prompt the comment, “Well, you can’t buy it” from one of the locals. Or an effusive handshake offered to someone from Japan or Korea may be met with an almost painful-looking recoil. So even though you won’t be in the pub or shaking hands as you do business over the phone, observing the protocols of other cultures can be useful in developing relationships and securing business.

As you can see from the examples that follow, you may not be the only one who makes mistakes when calling on customers living in or from another country.

RYLIE (office furniture saleswoman, calling on a German customer): Hans, you will really, really love the way our beautiful mobile furniture fits into your work space. It is so flexible, so warm, so friendly—it’ll be great! The chairs will feel like you are sitting in butter.

Rylie is giving a nearly poetic, sensual description to a customer from a culture that emphasizes engineering excellence. (Ever drive a BMW?) As a result, she may be perceived as either lacking in relevant knowledge or as trying to cover up for a poorly engineered product. Either way, she has missed the focus that is most important to the customer—whether it’s the technical or engineering detail—and she has likely lost a sale.

ELENA (trade show business entertainment, selling to a Japanese customer): Takumi, I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together, but it’s really great that you want to do business with our firm. After all, everyone wants to book our talent for their trade show booths, and as you know, we’re the most experienced in the market, so you’ll really like what we offer. I’m sure of that.

CUSTOMER: Yes, thank you for bringing that to our attention.

Oh, Elena, no! Relationship is an important element in doing business not only with Japanese businesspeople, but with those in the other Pacific Rim countries as well. It sounds like Elena has not had time to establish a solid relationship. Bandwagon appeals and boasting don’t fly when doing business with individuals in the Pacific Rim. (In fact, using the words “most” or “best” are frowned upon as self-aggrandizing.) As for the “yes” she received, it was merely a polite affirmation that she was heard, not that her message was appreciated or received positively. Sorry, Elena, no sale today.

MARCUS (picture frame salesman, selling to a Venezuelan customer): Buenos días, Alegría. How’s your soccer team doing? Kickin’ it? Ha Ha. Let’s get right to it. You said you really need to get your boss involved, but if you go ahead and make a decision on the picture frame shipment today, we can offer you an additional 10 percent discount. Whaddaya say?

Marcus, how could you? First, the most popular sport in Venezuela is baseball, not soccer. Second, leadership and team stability are viewed as very important, so trying to cut the boss out of the negotiation will almost assuredly nix a deal. Negotiations in most Latin countries take quite a long time, so quickie discount pressure is not likely to be well received. Oh, Marcus, you’d better stick to state-side selling, or read a good book on selling to customers in other cultures!

Paying attention to cultural differences is very much a part of telephone selling, especially with the technology available today that closes geographic distances. With so many electronic communication options, Brenda could just as easily cover a sales territory that includes Belgium, France, Canada, or one of the African nations that have French as one of their official languages. But just because she speaks the language doesn’t mean she speaks the culture.

Each culture around the world has its own way of expressing its values and expectations. Earlier in this book you considered different personality types and adapted your phone sales strategy to better communicate with those personalities. Now, whether you are calling on customers outside of your country or you are dealing with a customer who has moved here from elsewhere, you need to focus that same attention on cultural variables as you make your phone calls.

The Importance of Time

One of the many differences among cultures is the way in which they view time. If you’ve set up a conference call or webinar to begin at 9 A.M. in Germany, you’re expected to already be on the call when your customers dial in at 9:00—and trust us, they will dial in at 9:00, on the nose. Punctual as a culture, Germans are highly insulted if you are late or if you dawdle in getting to the point. Venezuelans, in many ways very Americanized in their business understanding, will expect you to be on time or early as well. On the other hand, a call to another South American country might begin closer to 9:30 and proceed at a more leisurely pace with at least as much casual conversation as business presenting going on. As for customers in the Pacific Rim, they will often do business over dinner after work, and will expect that you do likewise. Be prepared for phone presentations when it is after 6 P.M. in that part of the world.

Another factor involving time is the rate at which resolution is reached in business. In China, for example, a country whose culture has existed for several thousand years, your need to close business in one or two phone calls might be seen as laughable. Old cultures view time as a bit less important; time and business are about the long run. Consequently, you should expect to give your phone presentation many times, as you will likely deal with several levels of decision makers. The harmony of the decision with both the past and the future is viewed as more important than a quick resolution.

The Role of the Relationship

The role of the relationship in the business process varies among cultures as well. To Americans, this might be best explained in terms of getting to the point versus getting to the person. Getting to the point focuses on written contracts and directly addressing conflicting views or problems. But getting to the person directs attention to formalities of respect and cultivating a trusting connection with the customer—often over time. Hierarchy also plays into the selling situation. In India, for example, you may establish a great relationship with an employee, but decisions are typically made only from the top. Thus, making the sale may involve working through various levels to achieve an introduction to the higher-up, which as you may guess is a longer process than Americans are used to.

Another relationship-based cultural variable involved in phone sales is the degree to which “small talk” is involved in the process. Whereas American businesspeople tend to jump right in and ask probing questions or launch directly into discussing product benefits or establishing their company’s solid reputation, in Central America and in India polite conversation always takes place before business. And since family is extremely important in both of these cultures, a customer may want to talk about his or her children in leading up to the business conversation. Certainly an inquiry from you about the customer’s family would be well received—and might help distinguish you from other, more brusque sales reps.

Many relationship issues, such as the subtleties of eye contact or body language, which vary by culture, can be avoided simply because the phone gives you visual anonymity. However, when a videoconference is scheduled, you would do well to study the nonverbal cues that are predominant in your customer’s culture as they relate to respect, acceptance, and interest (we give you a website and a book referral later in this chapter). For example, when conducting a videoconference, consider as part of your planning process what you are wearing and what the camera shows. A loud shirt or a messy desk can be interpreted as disrespectful or “typically American” when viewed by someone from another culture.

Yet another part of the phone selling process is the ability to establish relationships that can moderate the customer’s concern with risk, and here, too, cultural differences can be a factor. What you may see as a very low-risk situation according to the numbers, may be viewed as high-risk if the purchase decision conflicts in any way with cultural traditions and formal social rules. For instance, attempting to sell long-term care insurance to a Chinese prospect for her mother would be considered an insult. Chinese people often have extended family living with them, so this sales call most likely would not result in a close. No matter how much relationship-building you do with customers regarding their perception of risk, you will never win them over on the basis of trust alone. You will have to show a compatibility of your product or service with their established cultural values.

Language and Communication Across Cultures

Understanding grows out of common experience. If you know a friend is afraid of spiders, then when you hear a barrage of swear words and a commotion from the garage, you probably aren’t alarmed. You can guess that your friend ran across a spider. Your understanding of your common background with your friend made the words, tone, and volume inoffensive. In short, you blew it off as nothing. In a different situation, someone swearing boisterously and throwing things around might either make you angry or scare you.

This is why the context of language is at least as important as the words themselves. You must understand the cultural basis of the communication you are hearing on the phone. And at least as important, your customer must understand the words and phrasing that you use in your sales call as well.

Business communication improves with neutral language—that is, words and sentence structures that are as close to standard as possible. Someone learning English in a foreign country rarely learns casual American English. The person would learn Standard English from a textbook, which would include standard pronunciation, sentence structure, and grammar.

Once you become aware of any casual speech habits that you have, including dropped words or letters at the ends of words, you can begin to adjust your style for phone conversations with nonnative speakers. A refresher in Standard English grammar and pronunciation might be in order. Remember that no one actually speaks Standard English, but the closer you can come to a structured communication style with your customers, the better your rapport will be. Of course this is hard work! But isn’t a potential hundred thousand or million dollar account worth it?

Being able to communicate effectively with people from other cultures involves knowing what not to do as well as knowing what to do. For instance, when selling to customers from other cultures, you want to be careful not to use too many idiomatic expressions and “typically American” expressions, which can be confusing. For example, “Whatcha’ say we pick up some carryout?” or sports analogies such as “You’ll hit a home run on this one” are often confusing to people who are trying to understand your words as they would be translated literally. A reference to American baseball expressions would be ludicrous when used with someone from a country where baseball is not played.

It’s also wise to play it safe by avoiding any humor, much of which may be perceived as inappropriate, derogatory, or simply misplaced in a business call. A case in point: joking about or poking fun at the Queen is common among the British, but is considered grossly inappropriate by any outsiders.

In addition, it pays to be wary of communicating too casually. Keep in mind that using terms such as “you guys,” when referring to a group, can be considered offensive.

But we really need to look beyond mere dos and don’ts of phone conversations across cultures, because communication of intent is what the salesperson banks on. For example, are you focusing on the objections rather than the points of agreement? Are you offended by the Russian customer who argues with you loudly or the French customer who may even become verbally abusive when it comes to stating his or her goals? When you learn that the Russian is arguing to show respect to your viewpoint (he wouldn’t be arguing if he didn’t see some merit in what you are saying), does that change your perception of the sell-ability of that customer? And though perhaps that French customer is yelling, if you listen closely you may find that she is being quite clear about what she needs to be able to give you a “yes.”

Culture and Personality

Now, before you begin to wring your hands over the scope of the challenge of dealing with customers who come from other cultures, go back to the discussion of the four personality types in Chapter 3. From the information in this chapter you will note some similarities of cultural operating styles and personality styles. Germans, for instance, might be seen to fit many of the characteristics of the Assured personality type. Central American customers, on the other hand, may be more along the style of the Kind personality. Customers from countries in the Middle East are likely to behave like the Precise personality type in their strict adherence to rules and procedures. As for Americans, they are most often perceived by much of the rest of the world as fitting the mold of the Energized personality perfectly.

As you begin working with customers from different cultures—both those living abroad and those who have settled in the United States—take the time to relate their cultural style to a specific personality type. Naturally you will want to familiarize yourself with more elements of the culture than just enough for a personality match. Also, not every element of a sales exchange is cultural; different personalities exist in all cultures. For this reason the personality work that you do can transcend perceived cultural differences.

Dealing with Cultural Differences

As you might have guessed, there are far too many cultural differences and concerns to cover in a single chapter. The best way to ensure successful phone sales business deals is to heed the following pieces of advice:

If selling to a customer with whom you are unfamiliar, ask around before calling him or her, or conduct some online research to learn where he or she is from, before making that first call.

Prior to dealing with a customer from another culture, regardless of whether you have been to their country or know someone from there, research the culture extensively before picking up the phone or setting up a webinar or web conference.

Take cues from the customer’s voice mail and writing. You may hear a familiar accent in the outbound voice mail or see a particular writing pattern in an email. These may help you determine how to communicate with that customer, for instance, whether to address him or her more formally by using a surname (Ms. Hyashi) or to use their first name only (Rodrigo) when leaving a message on their answering machine or communicating via email.

Although the authors have both used Morrison and Conaway’s comprehensive book, Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, there are numerous other guides available that can also help you to prepare for selling to customers from other cultures. In addition, you may find the following website useful as you add to your education in international phone sales: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/culture_negotiation. This site offers many guidelines for expected behaviors and motivations for cultures throughout the world and is set up for easy access to specific information. It also has an extensive listing of further references.

However, for a quick overview to help you in doing business with certain cultures, see Table 10-1.

The Payoff

The worldwide recession beginning in 2008 proved pointedly that we are all participants in a world economy. But while we are interdependent on larger economic levels, salespeople operate at the company- or individual-decision level where the impact of the recession is looked at in different ways. Thus, you need to understand thoroughly the basis for decision making used by the culture of the customer you are selling to. The more you know about the rules and perceptions of the nature of business in each country you deal with, the greater the success you will have.

Table 10–1 Customers Around the World

If you can become comfortable and effective doing business globally, you will be a valuable asset to your company. And that is job security.

So it’s time to see how secure the salespeople that we eavesdropped on earlier have become:

RYLIE: Hans, there are two reasons you will want to consider placing our mobile furniture in your office space. First of all, based on your office blueprints, the furniture’s streamlined edges will fit perfectly into the geometric design of your space. Second, you mentioned that you are concerned about maintaining the office integrity by creating a consistent look throughout the building. This furniture meets those outlined specifications.

Good job, Rylie! Her approach demonstrates an attention to detail not only in the references to blueprints, specs, and design, but also in the sequential organization of the presentation.

ELENA: Mr. Ono, thank you kindly for taking the time to speak with me about your upcoming trade show. Based on your requirements, it appears that there are a variety of people involved in this decision at your firm. As a next step, what do you think about us scheduling a conference call to discuss what your colleagues are thinking?

Elena has smartened up considerably in the way she deals with her Japanese customer. She has used a formal approach, addressing the customer by his last name. Plus, she has affirmed the need for consensus in the decision-making process and suggested a medium that will include others. Now she has an opportunity to move forward in this sales interaction.

MARCUS: Alegría, hello and best wishes to you and your family. They tell me in the office that your nephew lives in Miami with your brother and plays ball in the minors there. How are they doing?

CUSTOMER: Ah, Marcus, actually my nephew’s team has won three in a row. Thank you for asking. And your daughter, is she playing basketball this year?

MARCUS: Yes, she is, and I’m very proud of her. My family is very important to me and I want to always make sure they have a good life, just like you do, Alegría.

CUSTOMER: Of course. My youngest will finish school this year. We are also very proud.

MARCUS: That’s excellent. My best wishes go to them all. (Pause) I do remember that you had asked me to call to discuss the framing options in more detail. However, we wouldn’t want to rush you into moving too quickly. We’re on your time frame. Do you think that we should look into web conferencing with you and your managers so that we can answer your questions and show you some options within our line?

Marcus seems to be learning about the speed of business and the role that cultivating relationships plays in conducting business over the phone with customers from other cultures. Now he is looking forward to better managing his relationships by selling more over the phone to close more business and make more money!