How international business is getting personal
In Hungary not too long ago, there was a travel conference for American travel bureau owners. At the breakfast table in a Budapest hotel a group of American business people were getting ready to order. The iron curtain had just fallen and this was one of the first conferences held in the former Eastern Block. The waitress, who had probably just learned English, was trying her best to hear and understand what her guests were ordering. Rather than helping her out, they openly mocked her and made fun of her poor English. Do you want to take a guess at how good their Hungarian was?
With my very unassuming Swedish name and my natural curiosity I write this from my catbird seat in Stockholm, Sweden where, as an American, I have been living and travelling in other cultures for the past 15 years. When I arrived here from Washington, D.C. in 1988, we Americans could do no wrong! Levis were selling at a hefty premium, the Dollar was King of the money pile and owning a McDonald’s franchise was better than owning a gold mine.
Even then, Americans seemed superficial to Europeans. People here had silently mocked our “have a nice day” smiles for a very long time. Until recently though, they put up with them, plus a healthy dose of loud, American arrogance because the US people and the US economy were the best game in town.
This relationship was built on a rock solid friendship and cooperation honed during the Second World War and which was rooted in generations of us Americans always being there to help.
For the last 30 years though, that rock solid platform has started to sway more and more. Recently, the dollar has lost over 30% of its value to the Euro and Swedish Crown (among others). From being the largest creditor, the US is now the largest debtor and roughly 30% of its debt and equity is owned by foreigners. To top it off, the recent streak of what are considered arrogant American foreign policy decisions have increased tensions not only in Europe, but also in much in the rest of the world. Trends are definitely shifting away from, not towards a USA that can still do no wrong. American authority is being openly questioned, the Dollar is being challenged and even American TV programs are losing European market share! Europeans seem more sceptical than I have ever seen them, to things American. Being American, this represents an opportunity!
American citizens really are a very benevolent and outgoing type of people who have had the good fortune to pretty much run the planet for the better part of the last fifty years. Unfortunately for us good hearted, well meaning American citizens, being at the top of the heap is not so educational. It is easy to get fat, happy and learn to hear only what you want to.
Recently, many of our government’s decisions have gone too far against the tide of popular European opinion. The average citizen here is starting to identify each of us with our government’s politics and policies that we citizens seem to have less and less to do with. For the first time in my experience abroad, I have been fielding more questions on politics, monetary and foreign policy than on subjects like sightseeing and the best shopping spots.
What I am observing now is people are second guessing this blind trust and are getting very tired of an arrogance that is more and more centred on military and economic might rather than freedom and cooperation. The dollar’s fall causes European goods to be harder to sell back to the USA. Environmental policy setbacks are taken seriously here and the argument that “concerns for the environment must take a back seat to making money” gets very little traction. Unlike us, Europeans still think longer term, but like us, they look to blame someone else for their woes. Can you guess who the prime candidates are? If one of your prime markets happens to be Europe or the rest of the world, this concerns you!
Like Americans, Europeans have a high regard for the Individual. Yet, there is a further distinction. Europeans also admire someone even more that works for the team. It’s still that socialism thing!
The idea of one American hero taking on everyone else and winning is very tough to swallow here, other than in a theatre playing a new Hollywood movie. Remember, this is still the "Old world" (the one many of our forefathers left from to start something new). Intelligence and “thinking after, before” are still highly prized human traits. The terms solidarity and value also come to mind.
As the tide seems to be shifting back to an older, more stable set of values, to continue to be successful in Europe is going to require more than a well thought out marketing launch and slick packaging. It is going to require heartfelt listening, commitment and the promise of consistency from real live individuals.
The days of Slick Power Point Presentations, E-Mail blitzes and smiling, talking heads are numbered, at best; and over, at worst. The days of informing first, listening second are over and the days of learning to relate have arrived. Faceless, nameless companies represent something that intelligent people everywhere are now openly second guessing and if there is one thing most Europeans are, it is intelligent!
Sure, for a while a cheaper dollar is going to make it easier to sell products abroad. Don’t forget though that most of the Asian countries have their currencies pegged to the dollar and evidence would suggest they are in no rush to let the Dollar fall lower than their own money. For a number of reasons they have much less to lose and much more to gain by beating U.S. monetary policy at its new chosen game. The bottom line is, to stay in business in the long run U.S. businesses are going to have to offer something more than price and volume.
What I am suggesting here is for all of you that are responsible for marketing and selling “stuff” on this side of the Atlantic, its time to dust off a different skill set; a skill set based on relationship tools, not sound bites. A skill set based upon curiosity and getting to know people in a way that allows you past their street face and into their heart. A skill set that values not just selling, but reaching “accord”. This does not mean the political or newspaper version of this word. I am talking about an authentic agreement sourced “from the heart” as its Latin roots imply.
Be prepared to master the following:
• Listening to what is said instead of what you hear
• Communicating authentically and with feeling, not theatrics
• Agreeing rather than just persuading or convincing.
• Transforming discussions or debates into dialogues at will
• Inviting rather than obligating
• Learning to cultivate loyalty and trust rather than capturing it
• Sensing the climate of the meeting and addressing that particular climate.
• Contributing to society without bragging about it
• And finally doing business with your heart first and your head second.
For more than the reasons described here, a United States of America passport is not the business tool it has been in the past. We Americans will be forced to rejoin the ROW (rest of the world) on more equal terms. It is time to relearn how to humbly invite people to do business with us rather than just demanding, expecting or capturing it.
The tide is changing. The world is now too integrated to dream of holding any technological lead for very long. Just ask any Hollywood producer ready to launch a blockbuster movie. Ask a foreign banker. Look at how India and China are transforming the IT and Telecoms business. Then, pay close attention to the prices they are charging!
Even if what is written above turns out to be totally off the mark, wouldn’t we all sleep just a little better and maybe be a little less stressed if we learned the difference between listening with our hearts and listening with our heads?
A 10 year student of "the body's language" combined with 20 years of international business experience provides for some unique ways of solving issues of better health, prosperity and communication.
Full Author Profile -->
PRINT THIS
