Know-How Exchange : Student Questions

Imagine yourself negotiating with a group of foreign language speaking business people.

You are trying to sell them on a $100M contract, and you have your supporting team sitting at the table with you.

Your prospect with whom you are negotiating is surrounded by his/her people.

Every aspect of the discussion is translated from your language into the language of your prospect.

You say one sentence, they translate, and appear to have a discussion about whatever the translator just said.

You have no idea what they are saying, because you and your team don't speak it - whatever language it is.

Believe me, it's tough, I have been there.

What do you think could be more advantageous?

Speaking the prospect's language in a negotiation?

Or not?

Think on it a while...

ChrisB

Hi

I agree with the proposition and from my experience of being responsible for International sales for 20 years, I think that most non-American business people would concur. They might not be so quick to see the status quo change though, as it gives them a massive advantage in negotiations! As alluded to by ChrisB, they often have the advantage of understanding every word you say – regardless of the presence translators. Despite this, they often have problems with the meaning of American sentences.

The ability to speak at least some of your customer’s language is essential – not to be able to understand the nuances of a complex negotiation, but to show good manners and good will. With an opening exchange, by the principals, in the customers language and occasional off the cuff references to the niceties of life, the world and their cuisine, in their own tongue, the ice is broken and translators apart, the negotiations are conducted in a better inter-personal (another American Import!) atmosphere.

The tables can however occasionally be turned – though I wouldn’t advise you to make a habit of this. There’s a lovely example of deploying linguistic dimness in David Lodge’s book Nice Works. An English Provincial businessman has a critical meeting with some German suppliers. He takes along a linguist from his local university who pretends to be a fashion obsessed, talkative secretary. Throught a business lunch meeting, conducted in English she talks about make-up, clothes and holidays.

At the crucial point where prices are being discussed, the Director makes an excuse to go to the loo. (That’s the Men’s room in American). The Germans immediately take the opportunity to discuss their negotiating strategy, their weaknesses in the deal and the reasons why they need to strike the price they want. On the boss’s return, she pulls him to one side, briefs him on the conversation and he makes a killing on the deal, to the astonishment of the Germans.

As they leave the restaurant, in German, she thanks the businessmen for their hospitality, tells them that she’s not “A thick, fit blond” as they so kindly put it, and that she’s available for translation work anytime they can afford her fees.

There is a second American linguistic disadvantage, in that whilst English is the lingua-franca of the international business world, American English is not. This even puts Americans at a disadvantage with British, Australian and any other business person from the Commonwealth.

I had a wonderful couple of years working for an American company as head of Marketing EMEA. I found the American business speak perplexing but understandable, forcing myself to translate on the spot into sentences which made sense. The use of adjectives and nouns as verbs was particularly amusing as was a paragraph long name for a business procedure where one English word would do.

Some of my colleagues used to try to imitate the verbiage, which was met with bemusement by our American Executives. It was “Pigeon American”! If the assorted VP’s had tried the same in UK English they would have sounded like a cross between William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer.

It cuts the other way though. When I left, I got a wonderful written reference from the VP of Global Sales. “Mr Alker produced and implemented programmes which delivered real and measurable impact on both our sales and profitability which will continue long after his departure. That he achieved this without the board understanding a goddamn thing that he said is a mark of his powers of persuasion in a foreign language”

Remember George Bernard Shaw. “America and England are two countries divided by a common language”

Steve Alker
Unimax Solutions