International Corner

Businesspeople in the United States are fortunate English is the common language of international business. However, even between common-language countries, hundreds of differences in the meanings of words and phrases exist. George Bernard Shaw said it best when he referred to the United States and Britain as "two great nations separated by a common language."

For example, for Americans, the verb "to table" means to delay further action. In Britain, the verb means to bring up for immediate action. Differences such as this make communicating effectively across cultures difficult.

Setting the stage

Americans hold a high regard for time and are known to get to the point and move on to new business. However, people from many other countries conduct business differently. They spend a greater amount of time preparing for a meeting and getting to know an individual. So be patient, and continue discussing general topics and socializing until your foreign counterpart initiates the business discussion.

Speaking and nonverbals

Americans often believe foreigners speak too fast. But foreigners say the same about Americans. When conversing, speak clearly and slowly. Use simple sentences, and avoid using idioms, slang and sarcasm. If you are saying something particularly important, be sure to phrase it in various ways so your audience understands. And contrary to what some Americans think, the loudness of a person's voice does not make it easier for foreigners to comprehend what is being said.

Listening is just as essential in communicating especially when nonverbal communication plays a role. For example, people's facial expressions may help you confirm whether they understand what you are trying to convey.

Interpreters

Confronting accents is part of international business, and heavy accents may make you want to hire an interpreter. But keep in mind that your business counterparts are trying their best to speak your language.

Before hiring a professional interpreter, opt for bringing someone from your firm or your counterpart's firm who speaks both languages to a meeting. Such a person will be better versed with your business' technical terms than any paid interpreter.

If you hire an interpreter, try to provide, in advance, a list of terms that are common to your business or are technical in nature. When speaking, pause after individual thoughts or no more than two sentences so the interpreter can recall what you said and translate with more precision.

Written communication

Many of the same principles of oral communication can be applied to written communication, such as using short, simple sentences and avoiding idioms and sarcasm. Written communication, however, cannot portray face-to-face expressions, such as smiles or friendly body language, so be polite in your writing. But do not confuse politeness with casualness.

Many people rely on e-mail for business and social communications. And they send e-mails to business colleagues that mimic a casual writing style. Be cautious of writing too loosely about business because many cultures will find such informality insulting.

In addition, proofread your work carefully—a typographical error could incorrectly convey thoughts. A common mistake occurs when conveying dates. When Americans write dates, they express the month, day and year in that order (April 12, 2002, is expressed as 4-13-02). Most other countries express dates differently; April 12, 2002, may be expressed as 12-4-02 or 12 April 02. So be cautious—a small misunderstanding, such as a misread date, could lead to a manufacturer missing a production deadline or contractor not completing a job on time.

In retrospect

If you are traveling abroad to any of the roofing industry's forthcoming events, such as Dach + Wand May 8-11 in Frankfurt, Germany, or China Roofing & Waterproofing 2002 July 31-Aug. 3 in Beijing, take some time to study these countries' cultures and be sensitive to them.

In addition, if you find yourself conversing with foreigners, do not take all their comments literally. For example, if someone from England tells you to "knock me up in the morning" or "give me a tinkle," do not be startled; this just is Britons' vernacular for "give me a call."

Olicia Hinojosa is NRCA's manager of international relations and work force programs.