When International Phone Negotiations Go Bad

Cross-cultural communication blunders happen. They are part of doing international business. Fortunately it is easy to improve cross-cultural communication skills through practice.

And one of the first skills you will probably get to practice first is your international phone negotiation skills.

When a cross-cultural communication blunder happens, phones are often faster to reach for than an airplane.

Emails have their place.  But if you are handling a cross-cultural communication crisis don’t start with an email.  It is usually also best to avoid the one line email to schedule a phone call.

You just pick up the phone.

But, if you need to navigate through a crisis situation…

…and, even if it appears to small from your point of view…

Here are a few things you need to think through first, before you actually pick up that phone.

Prepare This Next Call

Get all the information you can on what happened.

Find out everything your company has communicated to your international prospect or client.

Everything.

You need to see what your international prospect went through.  You need to understand his point of view.  Why is there a problem or an issue? …from his point of view.

Set The Parameters

Then, just like you would do before any negotiation, you need to set the parameters for your call.

What You Want

• What do you want to get out of the call?
• what are your minimum requirements?
• What is your ideal outcome?
• What can you accept?

What They Want

• What does your prospect want?
• What does he really want?
• You need to find the key to your continued relationship.

The Real Reason Why You Are Blocked

• Is there one?
• Is there a real reason why your communication got blocked in the first place?
• Is there more than just cross-cultural communication difficulties?
• What could any communication difficulties be covering up?

Choose Your Speaker

Now, give a few minutes thought.

• Can the original player call back?
• Should he?
• Should someone else be called in to call back?

With experience and good team work you will find the right answers to these questions.

If the situation is very difficult the person you choose to have call back can both make or break the outcome of this call.

Now Call Back

Do not let too much time go by between the communication incident and your calling back.

Yes, some people need to cool down.

But in cross-cultural communication it is not always a good idea to let someone simmer in miscommunication.

Yes, you will need to call on all of your communication skills here.

Remember clarity and consistency?

Keep these two things in mind.  Be sure your communication throughout this call is always clear and consistent.

This is why you need to remain concentrated and focused on your conversation.

Here are some extra tips to keep in mind when calling back:

Smooth Navigation

You do need to address the incident that caused the crisis in the first place.  But you must quickly identify the reason behind the barrier.

Once you identify the reason for the communication crisis, you need to address it while moving forward.

Remember the parameters you outlined in your preparation?

Well you need to lay out these parameters as soon as you can during your call.

Give your prospect a reason to continue to build a relationship with you.

Most people will recognize their own part if there is an element of cross-cultural miscommunication.  Even if they may not admit to it.

Identify options

During your call you need to be mentally agile.

This is because during the call itself you will have to evaluate the best options for you and lead in that direction:

• Can this crisis be resolved in 2 or 3 more steps by phone and email by yourself or other team players?
• Does this crisis need a face-to-face meeting
• Who are the best players?

Nurture Good Relationships

One word about whether you should or should not call the same person involved in the original miscommunication.  Some people think they can resolve problems by contacting a person above.  For example, your boss calling his boss.  Wait a moment.  This can be too much, too soon.

The only situation where this might be an option, at this stage, is if the two people involved already have a personal relationship.  And if your company had such connections before, why didn’t you use them first?

In my experience it is always best to call the person involved if you think their may be an issue somewhere, and when you know there is one.

• Cultures react differently
• Your big crisis could be something minor on the other side.
• Your minor issue may be something huge the other side.

If you want to create good business relationships between two companies, it is best to cultivate good feelings throughout all relationships.

A simple phone call usually nurtures relationships.

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.

Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer and International Sales Specialist, with over 25 years field experience in international business development. Find out about how Cindy can help you get international clients