How Can I Prepare For My First Cross-Cultural Negotiation?

Quick answers to…

Today’s question is:

What advice can you give me to prepare for my first cross cultural negotiation?

Of course, it is important to go into your negotiation with the right mindset.

• Open your own cultural responses up to meet another culture.

But do not be so focused on the cross-cultural aspect of your negotiation so much that you forget your basic preparation.

Like all negotiations, preparation is important.

You need to know exactly:

• Where you stand in your negotiation process,
• What your aims are,
• What exactly is on the table,
• …and what is not.

Prior preparation can also be critical if there are any cross-cultural communication differences.

When you know the extent to which you can negotiate and are fully prepared, you will be able to pace yourself if there are any differences.

So, how do you prepare for your first cross-cultural negotiation?

You need to prepare both the broad outlines and key details.

Most people remember to prepare for the key details. After all, these are important to the negotiation process.  You know what details you need.

You should also ask yourself if there are other details that might be important from another cultural perspective. But don’t get too caught up in this.  Blunders do not usually happen due to lack of preparation here.

They can happen if you forget to prepare..

Your broad outlines too.

This is where your own natural assumptions might lead you to miss something.

Here are a few questions to brainstorm:

• Why are you there in the first place?
• What is the one thing you want to get out of this negotiation?
• What are your limits?

Knowing your limits and the broad outlines will help you to navigate any cultural differences more effectively should you find that you are not on the same boat.

Winging it rarely works in cross-cultural negotiations. You must stay focused. Your basic preparation is essential.

With regards to other cross-cultural aspect, a few key questions to the right person prior to your meeting is all you need before the meeting.

You will also be interested in reading what to do during your meeting:

• Your Guideline For Successful First Time Cross Cultural Negotiations In Any Culture

This is part of the…

Cross-Cultural Negotiation Business Guide

Cross-Cultural Negotiation Guide • Would you like an easy guide to keep you away from the big first time blunders? You will find this and more, here.

Guide 7 - Run With Your International Sales Strategy • Do you need help setting up your international sales strategy? • Do you want to know what to say to your foreign prospects to get the sale? Read about how to create your international sales strategy.

Cross-Cultural Negotiation Guide

Last updated 24 September 2008

Good cross cultural communication are important for successful international business development. The good news is they are acquired through practice.

But sometimes your international business expansion gets ahead of your international negotiation skills.

Emergency Guideline For Your First Cross Cultural Negotiations

If you have not had the experience in cross cultural negotiation here is a good guideline to help you start:

Your Guideline For Successful First Time Cross Cultural Negotiations In Any Culture

Cross Cultural Negotiations

And here are a few other articles for beginners in international negotiation:

How Can I Prepare For My First Cross-Cultural Negotiation

r	The Right Mindset For International Negotiations

The Most Important Tip For International Sales Negotiations

Start Your International Negotiations With Identifying The Right Person

Non-Verbal Differences North American Women Need To Be Aware Of In European Negotiations

What Is The Biggest Barrier In Cross-Cultural Negotiations?

Phone Negotiations

When International Phone Negotiations Go Bad

Cross Cultural Communication

If you are interested in cross cultural negotiations, read the Get International Clients Business Guide on Cross Cultural Communication to improve your skills:

Cross Cultural Communication

More From Cindy

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Read The Whole Story

This is part of the Core Business Guide 6 Run Your International Sales Strategy Be sure to check out the other elements you need to run your international sales strategy

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• Core Business Guide 1 - Discover Your International Business

Simply click on one of the 8 different color coded boxes immediately below to access other core business guides.

The Right Mindset For International Negotiations

Entering international negotiations with the right mindset, or attitude, is almost just as important as being thoroughly prepared.

Sales people new to international negotiations often have the wrong definition for the right international mindset needed. They tend to identify the right mindset more with a superficial way of presenting themselves.

The Personal Reorientation Within

The right mindset involves a change on a deeper, more personal level. It means: Read more

The Most Important Tip For International Sales Negotiations

If you start looking for advice on international sales negotiations, you may end up getting more than you need. And you might not know which advice to follow.

There are people who call themselves multicultural or attribute themselves with an international expertise, without having the necessary experience to give you advice on cross cultural negotiations. There are also people who live in foreign countries for years without acquiring any real multicultural expertise at all. So called “bilingual” skills often represent wide variations in language skills.

Everyone has there own point of view, and success formulas based on their own experience. And when we are faced with several different bits of advice, we often chose the easiest option.

As a North American International Sales & Marketing professional in Europe for over 20 years I have had years of field experience in negotiation between North Americans and Europeans. And I’ve received my fair share of advice. I’d like to share with you the most important advice Read more

Non-Verbal Differences North American Women Need To Be Aware Of In European Negotiations

International sales negotiations need to be prepared. Cross cultural communication is mined with potential blunders. And if you are a woman, you need to pay attention to other details as well.

Here are a few more tips specifically for North American women in sales negotiations with Europeans: Read more

Your Guideline For Successful First Time Cross Cultural Negotiations In Any Culture

Do you have an international sales negotiation coming up? Are you nervous about how it will go?

Most people don’t give much thought to the actual cross cultural communication process prior to their first real cross cultural negotiation. They get obsessed with secondary details.

Cross Cultural Negotiation Skills

Imagine you are in a long line of people waiting for a taxi at the busy Paris airport. With people swarming everywhere. The noise of the street traffic competing with the noise from the airplanes in the background.

And then you hear such a large commotion, right up at the front of your taxi line. You think it is yet another bomb scare and crane your neck to get a closer look with your bags in your hands ready to move. But out of the confusion you hear laughter.

What happened? Read more