A Global Perspective: Planning International Meetings

1
A Global PerspectivePlanning International
Meetings

• 2012 SGMP National Education Conference
• Colleen A. Rickenbacher, CMP, CSEP, CPC, CTA
• 18 May 2012

2
Initial Facts You Need

• Country Brief
• Your Checklist

3
Understand the BasicsInternational Visitors

• Are they coming to you or are you going to them?
• Customs
• Beliefs/religion
• History/background
• Business practices
• The purpose

4
Initial Facts

• Travel
• Air/Train/Car/Driving/Taxi
• Main use by locals
• Traffic laws/signage
• Dress and appearance
• Currency and Exchange Rates
• Arrival and first impression is critical

5
Must Know

• Location/Geography
• Size, borders, capital
• Language
• Population
• Demographics
• Religion
• Government

6
Should Know

• The people
• Hierarchy
• Names (tradition and western)
• Entertaining (home)
• Restaurant guidelines

7
Initial Facts

• Dining Etiquette
• Eating
• Drinking
• Ordering
• Paying
• Tipping (0-20)

8
Initial Facts

• Passports/Visa
• Weather/Seasons
• Weather (Celsius verses Fahrenheit)
• Colleen double C 30 F
• Workweek
• Day, hours, work week, bank hours
• Meals

9
Initial FactsCustoms and Manners

• Holidays and Religious Celebrations
• Italy42
• France 37
• Germany 35
• Great Britain 32
• Norway 42 plus 10 days
• Sick time for children
• Canada newborn approximately
• one year (unpaid, but benefits)
• USA Time Poverty
• 14 21 but 41 cannot take time

10
Safety and Health

• Awareness
• SARS/virus/flu
• Inoculations
• Doctors
• Prescriptions
• Water

• Visible/Vulnerable
• Pickpockets and purse-snatchers
• Passports
• Duplicate copy
• Credit Cards
• Copy back of cards
• Non-800 numbers
• Register Embassies
• Travel.State.Gov
• STEP

11
Communicating

• E-mail
• Time Zones/24 hour clock
• Greenwich Mean Time/EST
• 3 p.m. or 1500 hours
• Translation
• Dates
• May 18, 2012 5/18/12 versus 18.05.12 or 18 May
  2012
• Day is first safer to write out month

12
Cultural Mentors

• Language
• Conversations
• Gestures and public manners
• Business Attire
• Setting up meetings/initial meeting
• Womans role
• Conducting meetings
• Protocol of meetings

13
Meeting Manners

• Process
• Initiation
• Greetings and introductions
• Business cards
• Dining (Drinking)
• Language for meeting
• Hierarchy

• Punctuality
• Control
• Presentations
• Seating etiquette
• Speaking order
• Questions
• Decision makers
• Closing

14
The Handshake and Introductions

• Your First Impressions
• Lets Shake Hands

15
USA and International

• Introduce yourself
• Always be ready
• Web to web
• Eye to eye
• Smile
• Shoulder to shoulder
• Clammy or dead fish
• Rings and bringing me to my knees

16
USA and International

• Remember their name. Help me!
• Name badge
• Shake from the elbow. How many shakes?
• The double hand shake
• The release
• Gloves
• Hugs and kisses?

17
Forms of Address

• Significance of age, rank, official title
• Names used in public
• First name basis
• Public use or private use
• Handshakes/Bows
• Follow lead
• Addressing a person

18
Introductions
19
Introductions

• Higher to Lesser
• authority/rank

20
Introductions

• Higher to Lesser
• authority/rank

Older to younger when rank is not involved
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Introductions
Older to younger when rank is not involved
Woman to man when rank is not a factor
Higher to Lesser authority/rank
22
Business Card Etiquette

• Always have them
• Condition
• Presentation/chit chat
• Emphasis on card
• Case or portfolio
• Storing them
• Translation
• Not flyers

23
Gifts

• Giving and Receiving
• Guidelines

24
Gifts Dos and Donts

• Accepting
• Presenting
• Proper
• Protocol
• Guidelines
• Superstitions
• Costs
• Invited to a home

25
Gestures and Faux Pas

• Gestures
• Too much or accepted
• Faux Pas
• Introductions
• Gifts
• Dress
• Meetings
• Dining

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Cultural Misunderstandings

• Punctuality
• Disrespectful
• Gum chewing
• Hands in pockets
• Eating while walking down the street
• Dress
• Formality of addressing a person
• Respect for holidays/vacations

27
Working the Room

• Tips to Move Around Gracefully

28
Reception and Networking

• Your entrance
• Appropriate dress
• Third party introductions
• Where do you go first?
• Best group to approach

29
Punctuality

• You arrive on time, but your host may not
• 15 to 60 minutes not a problem
• More important person may keep you waiting longer
• Later meetings 8 p.m./2000
• Time is flexible

30
Connecting

• Attitude
• Basic steps
• Homework
• Be organized
• (goals/missions)
• Social events and dining
• late by US standards (9 or 10 p.m. 2100
  2200)
• Lunch can be business, dinner social

31
Three ChallengesEating, Drinking and Talking

• Talking/Chit Chat
• Ten topics (food, travel, their country, sports,
  industry)
• Listen, move on

• Eating
• Dont come starving
• Plenty of food
• Drinking
• Free drinks
• Stay in control can be flowing in other cultures

32
Connecting

• Mingle, chit-chat and be seen
• Spread out and meet
• Group/table/meal
• Exit/Thank you

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Things to Remember

• The way we do things in the USA are not the
  customs in other countries
• Mistakes can be embarrassing and insulting
• Can damage a business relationship
• Some countries slurp, burp, pick, and spit as a
  custom, so we all have our pitfalls.

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Understand the Importance of Etiquette and
Protocol

• It could cost you a business deal.

35
Skills

• Develop your skills to be sensitive and
  comfortable so it comes naturally. You want to be
  constantly perfecting your cultural competence.

36
Phrases and Words

• Always try to learn and speak at least ten
  words/phrases

37
Lets Take A Quiz

• International Customs

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Quiz

• 1.Your elegant business card, which contains a
  great deal of red, draws peculiar looks from some
  international clients. This is because
• A. Buddhists write ones name in red
• when they are dead
• B. Some Mexicans find a name in red
• offensive
• C. Red is the color of mourning in parts
• of Africa
• D. All of the above

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Quiz

• 2. Marshmallows, corn on the cob,
• grits, pumpkin pie, crawfish, hot
• dogs.
• True or False Most Europeans
• love these munchies.

40
Quiz

• 3. Dinner reservations in Spain are
• generally for 800 p.m.?
• True or False?
• 4. Pesos are the accepted form of
• currency in Old San Juan, Puerto
• Rico?
• True or False?

41
Quiz

• 5. Sweden used to own Norway?
• True or False?
• 6. Saudi Arabians dont eat lobsters?
• True or False?

42
Quiz

• 7. In Japan, tapping ones finger
• repeatedly on the table signifies
• agreement and support of the
• speaker? True or False?
• 8. Before female executives travel to
• Brazil, they should be certain their
• nails are well-manicured?
• True or False?

43
Quiz

• 9. What province was voted to join
• Canada in 1949?
• A. Prince Edward Island
• B. Alberta
• C. Newfoundland
• D. British Columbia

44
Quiz

• 10. A British professor was a guest
• lecturer at an Islamic country
• university. During his address, he
• insulted the audience by
• displaying a part of his body.
• A. His teeth
• B. His left hand
• C. The sole of his foot

45
Toast
"??,?? (Gan Bei)" (Empty the cup/glass) (China)
Aish karo (Enjoy India)
Salute (To health) Or Cin cin (Italy)
"Cheers" (Thank you)
"Proost" (May it be good for you) (The
Netherlands)
"??" (????) (Kanpai) Japan
46
Resources

• www.colleenrickenbacher.com

47
Thank You

• Colleen A. Rickenbacher, CMP, CSEP, CPC, CTA
• Colleen Rickenbacher, Inc.
• 10747 Rose Creek Court Dallas, TX 75238
• 214.341.1677 360.323.0328 e-fax
• colleen_at_crspeaks.com
• www.colleenrickenbacher.com
• Author of
• Be On Your Best Business Behavior
• Be On Your Best Cultural Behavior
• The Big Book of People Skills Games
• Be On Your Best Teenage Behavior