Most of us do business with people from other countries, or at least other cultures.   We all know that negotiation practices vary from country to country. So what should you do differently if your team is cross-cultural or you negotiate across borders?

First, understand the other party’s stereotype of you.  Check out globesmart.com and executiveplanet.com.

Secondly, avoid engaging in behaviors that reinforce these stereotypes.  For example, if you are of U.S. origin people may expect you to be arrogant, ethnocentric, pushy, impatient…  Knowing that your negotiating partners may expect this of you, you can temper your behavior.

Next, understand norms of the other culture.  Knowing, understanding, and demonstrating another culture’s norms can earn you a great deal of respect.   For example, if you hand someone of Japanese origin your business card with both hands, they will likely be impressed that you have taken the time to understand an easy to follow norm of their culture.  Likewise, in some cultures it is okay to address most people by their first name.  In some countries, such as Germany, it is more appropriate to initially address people by their title and last name.  To learn more about many cultural norms, I suggest reading: Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How to Do Business in Sixty Countries.

Lastly, understand how decisions are made in other cultures.  For example, in most of the world, decisions take much more time than in the U.S.  Building relationships and brainstorming may be important precursors to decision making in many cultures.

As with most issues related to negotiations, research is the key.  The more informed you are about what people might think of you as well as what they may expect, the better perceived you will be in dealing with them.