Avoid Cultural Assumptions

Assumptions are the source of many cultural blunders.

If you enter international business with wrong assumptions, and you do not correct them, then you have little chance of success.

If you make a wrong assumption during an international sales call, you can lose the sale.

Wrong assumptions lead to poor cross-cultural communication.  They slow down your international sales process, and can even jeopardize your success.

The problem is that it is easy, almost natural, to make assumptions when you first begin international sales.  It takes time get to know different cultures and to adapt your sales process.  And before you learn to adapt your sales process, it is easy to make assumptions.

There are a few ways where assumptions seem to pop up more than others.

Lack Of Effort

If this is your first experience of international sales, you may not realize how important it is to get to know your new foreign markets.  You need to adapt your business tactics to different cultures.

A lack of effort in getting to know who your international clients are leads you into all sorts of wrong assumptions.  And your chances of making many international sales go slowly down the drain.

The difficulty is that we may not even know that our assumptions are misleading us.

False Perceptions

A more covert form of miscommunication pops up when we allow our own cultural perceptions to give reason to our assumptions.

When we base assumptions on our own perceptions meaningful communication is impossible.

The trouble starts here starts within ourselves. We perceive things, but interpret them wrongly.

Cultural Generalizations

Assumptions can also pop up due to accepted cultural generalizations.

We usually acquire these generalizations from our environment.

Avoid Cultural Assumptions

So, how can you avoid falling into the trap?

The easiest way to:

• First, refrain from reacting emotionally
• Then, get curious
• Turn to your international prospect, client or market
• Ask questions

More From Cindy

Interested in reading more on my personal opinions and experiences with cultural communication and international sales?

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This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 5 Connect With Your International Markets Be sure to check out the other useful tips to connect with your international markets.

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Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer and International Sales Specialist, with over 25 years field experience in international business development. Learn how you can get more international sales