Cultural Faux Pas That will Kill Your International Business Deal

1. International Business Travel
Cultural Faux Pas
You Should Never Make
Nothing will kill a business deal like cultural insensitivity and social
blunders. You traveled thousands of miles, spent thousands of
dollars just to insult your host,and kill your businesses relationship.
The following information was provided by frequent international
business travelers, expats and diplomatic personnel that hopefully
will help you avoid some common cultural landmines.

2. Business Mistakes: 11 Cultural Faux Pas You
Should Never Make in China –
Sure, you know a bit about Chinese culture, but do you know enough to NOT make a mistake that
could ruin your big business deal?
1. Accept and give business cards with both hands. Study the card first as it represents the
person you're meeting. Never write on it or put it in your wallet or pocket, instead use a small
card case.
2. When dining, do not start to eat or drink prior to your host.
3. Don't compliment anyone for speaking good English. Chances are, most decision makers
had extensive international exposure abroad. It may also be taken as a sign you cannot find
better things to compliment.
4. Personal contact must be avoided at all cost. It is highly inappropriate for a man to touch a
woman in public.
5. Stand up when others enter the room.
6. Avoid embarrassing topics, such as acknowledging Taiwan's independence, freeing Tibet
and Chinese human right issues when in the PRC.
7. When dining with a group and taking food from a common plate, use the implements
provided and not your own chopsticks or fork, and choose the items closest to you even if
you prefer something on the other side of the plate. As a cultural courtesy, you should taste
all the dishes you are offered, but do not eat all of your meal or they will assume you did not
receive enough food and are still hungry.
8. Show deference if someone appears to be senior to you.
9. Allow the Chinese to leave a meeting first.
10. Do not discuss business at meals.
11. If you are bringing gifts, clocks, storks, cranes, handkerchiefs and anything white, blue or
black are definite no-nos because of their association with death.

3. Business Mistakes: 6 Cultural Faux Pas You
Should Never Make in Russia (and former Soviet
Union countries)
Sure, you know a bit about Russian culture, but do you know enough to NOT make a mistake that
could ruin your big business deal?
1. Don't turn down a glass of vodka when it's offered by your host.
2. Don't perceive traditional Russian hospitality as an attempt to bribe you.
3. Don't shout at people—it's a sign of weakness.
4. Don't interpret lack of smiles in general crowd as an unwelcoming attitude. (In
fact, a smile in Russia is much more personal, says Alexander
Nepomniachtchi, director of Luxoft Delivery Organization, and you will see a
lot of smiles when you get closer to people.
5. Take your shoes off when entering someone's home.
6. Don't put your feet up on the table in front of someone. (Isn't that a major
gaffe in any country?)

4. Business Mistakes: 10 Cultural Faux Pas You
Should Never Make in India
Sure, you know a bit about Indian culture, but do you know enough to NOT make a mistake that
could ruin your big business deal?
1. Don't assume you can use a person's first name—in many parts of the
country it's considered rude.
2. Take off your shoes at people's homes, places of worship and even in some
shops and businesses. Rule of thumb: If you see shoes near the door,
assume you should take yours off too.
3. Don't eat beef.
4. Don't accept or give anything with your left hand. (For reasons that I'd rather
not go into here.)
5. Don't expect people to disagree. "Indians generally don't like to accept that
they don't know/understand something...and agree to all that we say" says
Pooja Shah. So make sure to dig deeper to make sure you're understood and
that what you're asking is doable.
6. Don't refuse hospitality.
7. Don't be offended by debate. "We really like to argue and debate every small
point in any topic/conversation, says Manish Mehta. "It's especially important
that people end the conversation feeling they made a few good points."
And when looking specifically at the business side, some cultural differences are critical:
1. Don't ignore hierarchy in the workplace.
2. Failure is not accepted as a part of trying to do something and learning in the
process, as a consequence, doing something or recommending something
out of the norm may often not go well.
3. Write down your instructions. Verbal communication is treated as uncertain.