BUSINESS
Succeed in the UK with Cultural Know-How In Britain people are far less hierarchical than in Turkey and often have a greater level of responsibility and autonomy than you might expect. British people won’t share much of their private lives with you, so how do you get to know them? Culturel Chemistry gives tips about these.
And how do you build a relationship with someone? It’s worth remembering too that people develop business relationships in different ways. In ‘Anglo’ countries, good relationships follow on from the delivery of good service. In many Arab and Asian countries, however, a good relationship has to be established before you can be trusted with any of their business. And business is not always done around the meeting table, but often around the dining table, where knowledge of dining etiquette can make or break your relationship. In Turkey lots of business is done over a lunch or dinner table, but in Britain this is far less common.
How do you get to know them? Patti McCarthy Patti McCarthy
British people tend to use a lot of humour and irony and to understate things – all things that are quite challenging, especially when working in a second language. They are comfortable with risk and language is often non-specific, leaving you wondering “are they serious or not?”.
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So how do you get to know someone? In Britain f you plan to succeed in the competitive UK people are far less hierarchical than in Turkey and market, it’s important to recognise from the often have a greater level of responsibility and austart that there will be a number of cultural tonomy than you might expect. British people differences which you need to understand. Turwon’t share much of their private lives with you, key is arguably very Westernised, and you would so how do you get to know them? Is it appropribe forgiven for thinking that doing business in ate to ask them about their family and tell them the UK is not that different to business in Turkey. about yours? Everyone knows that people like to There are, however, a number of areas where do business with people they LIKE and whom becoming more ‘culturally intellithey feel comfortable with, so knowgent’ can help you to grow your ing how to make a good first impresbusiness. sion and to build rapport will get you Before going deeper, let’s claroff on the right foot. It may be met ify what cultural intelligence IS. I with embarrassed laughter when you see it as a combination of emooffer a hug and your client offers their tional intelligence and cultural hand, but it won’t make you or them knowledge and there is no doubt feel good. that being more CQ gives you a Higher CQ also helps boost prodreal advantage when it comes to uct innovation, which is great news working with people from other if you are wanting to sell into a differcultures, whether you are wantent market. Your big sellers in Turkey ing to communicate, to negotiate, may not prove at all popular in the to buy or sell, lead or follow. UK, but many big-selling brands are For a start, CQ boosts comadapted for local markets. Nestle’s munication. As soon as you start In ‘Anglo’ countries, Kit Kat was only ever a layered wafer thinking about it, you’ll start nogood relationships biscuit covered in milk chocolate unticing differences in the way that til someone thought to appeal to the follow on from the British and Turkish people comJapanese people’s liking for unusual delivery of good sermunicate, including differences in flavours. Many years later, there are the speed of speaking, the emo- vice. In Turkey lots of over 200 varieties of Kit Kat on sale tion demonstrated, the amount of business is done over in Japan, in flavours as diverse as eye contact and the use of body a lunch or dinner tab- Blueberry, Bubblegum and Banana. language. And of course, it’s not Seagram’s Gin now makes a blend just how they say it, it’s what they le, but in Britain this flavoured with Ginseng for the very is far less common. lucrative Chinese market and Ernst say too. British people tend to use a lot of humour and irony and to & Young have a range of audit and understate things – all things that consulting services to help clients manage their are quite challenging, especially when working in risk in countries where potential exposure to cora second language. They are comfortable with ruption and fraud is high. risk and language is often non-specific, leaving As well as product development, better CQ you wondering “are they serious or not?”. also boosts problem solving and specifically, find-
38 Turkish British Magazine I January - February 2020
