Business Etiquette: Mind Your Manners

International business meetings become more frequent as global trade grows. Despite travel travails and the weak dollar, U.S. executives are traveling overseas more frequently all the time. However, there are rules to follow, and not everyone knows them. Business protocol varies from country to country, and knowing what it is could mean the difference between making or breaking the deal.

“This is extremely important for the American businessman to know,” said Margaret Burke, principal with Key Point Protocol, an online firm that promotes training in business communications and protocol. “Be sensitive to and be very cautious about everything from training on the cultures of the country to the food that they would be experiencing.”

In order not to offend meeting hosts in foreign countries, it is necessary to know the do's and don'ts, according to Lisa Grotts, founder of the AML Group and an etiquette consultant.

“We're completely different and have a different perspective than our counterparts are used to,” she added. “Failing to recognize it, I think, could spell disaster.”

One of the main differences involves the clothing worn during meetings. Americans, Grotts said, have a tendency to dress more casually than businesspeople in countries such as Japan or China.

“There's a lot of people here (in the United States) who would have meetings with the Japanese wearing khakis and a polo,” she added. “That's inappropriate. The Japanese are going to come in a three-piece suit. You should be in a suit as well.”

China is one country where the customs differ greatly from those in the U.S. Grotts, who specializes in Chinese, Japanese and British business etiquette, said one should dress more conservatively in China, avoiding loud colors and flashy jewelry.

“Also, the color of white is really a no-no,” she added. “White is the color of funerals in China, and you never want to wrap a package (in white) if you're giving a gift, because it means death.” Avoid red too, Grotts said, as it is reserved for brides.

One of the most important meeting etiquette rules to remember is associated with business cards, an important part of business meetings and something you should never leave home without.

“When you're overseas, you're going to have two passports,” Grotts said. “One the U.S., and the other, your business card.”

In China, she added, business cards are handed out using two hands, with one's thumbs on either corner and the name facing toward the person receiving the card. Grotts, who is the former director of protocol for the city and county of San Francisco, also said that when conducting meetings in foreign countries, it is best to have your information translated into the language of the country and printed on the back.

“When you present it,” she added, “you should present it on the (foreign) side. That way they can understand it.”

Gestures and body language can be troublesome in some countries, Burke said.

Elena Brouwer, director of the International Etiquette Centre, agreed, noting that in Argentina, businesspeople are much more “touchy-feely” than most Americans are used to. She said often after shaking hands, Argentinian men will greet colleagues by touching their shoulders even if they have established relationships only through phone or e-mail correspondence.

Asians on the other hand, she noted, use very little body language and few gestures when speaking to others.

“They aren't animated when they speak,” Brouwer said. “No matter where you are, you have to learn the protocol of the people that you're with, because manners is making other people feel comfortable.”

One way to make foreign hosts feel at ease, according to Grotts, is by partaking in their culture, something important in China, especially when it comes to dining. Grotts said, unlike in America, it is a sign of rudeness to eat everything on your plate as it signals your host that you want more. She added that cleaning one's plate is a nonverbal way of showing dissatisfication.

“You should always leave a little on your plate in China when you're eating,” Grotts said. “If you don't, they're going to keep giving you seconds, thirds and fourths. Oftentimes food is a way of showing them(selves) off and showing off their country, so for you not to partake in it is saying you don't want to partake in their culture.”