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Setting up a Business in the USA - Understanding the Culture
As I mentioned before, the USA is a big place and the culture on the east coast is quite different to the culture on the west coast or the deep south - that being said I'm going to make some sweeping generalisations and sum up the prevailing business culture in the USA in three words. Respect, equality and success. Time is money, so wasting it is not looked upon favourably. Punctuality shows respect, so turn up on time, or call ahead to say you are going to be late if you are delayed. Likewise, expect the people you are dealing with to have the same attitude and to be very task orientated - you'll find a lot less pointless 4 hour meetings with no real plan of action. Politeness is also paramount, use peoples titles and surnames until they have indicated that you may refer to them by their first name - they may well suggest that you do this almost as soon as you have been introduced, but it's still polite to wait. Business is serious stuff in the US, and the sort of office humour, throw away comments and jokes that you may be used to could well be construed as deeply inappropriate - on the other hand when Americans do do 'funny' they do it, like everything else, big, bold and (some may say) brash. It's not true that Americans don't get irony and the British sense of humour, but you don't want to use the negotiating stage to find out whether your new business partner does or not. Americans are proud of their culture of success - the American Dream is alive and kicking, and those who can work their way from the post room to the board room are highly regarded. America loves winners (which probably also partially explains why they do so well at the Olympics). Caution, self depreciating wit and a hint of cynicism may be the order of the day in the UK but may convey a much more negative impression than you intend in the US. Article copyright John Cave 2008 If you have any queries on freight to and from USA, please do not hesitate to contact one of our team on +44(0)121 713 7250 or by email for advice or further information. |
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This intel was contributed by John Cave
John Cave
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May, 2012
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