American business negotiation etiquette

With the development of economy, international business negotiation plays an increasingly important role in the process of business cooperation. Different roles have different ways in negotiation. In business dealings with the United States, as business leaders, negotiators should follow and understand American business negotiation etiquette, pay attention to appearance, pay attention to language art and observe etiquette.

Etiquette in American business negotiations

American business negotiation etiquette case

In successful business negotiations, observing negotiation etiquette is not necessarily the decisive condition for successful negotiations. If you violate the negotiation etiquette, it will cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. How important is etiquette in negotiation? Let me give an example here first.

During 1972, Sino-US ambassadorial talks were held 136 times, all of which ended without results. China and the United States have had long-term and repeated discussions and disputes on the Taiwan Strait issue, debt repayment, asset recovery, release of detainees, exchange of visits by journalists, and trade prospects. Even Kissinger humorously admitted that "the significance of the Sino-US talks seems to lie in its failure to achieve a major result. The longest talks. "

However, with his unique keen thinking and superb negotiation art, Zhou Enlai grasped the turning point endowed by history, arranged and successfully directed the world-renowned Sino-US diplomatic talks with his free and easy manner and charming laughter, and finally broke the deadlock of 137 in the conversation of 1972.

From the memoirs of former US President Nixon, we can see that his attitude towards Zhou Enlai's appearance shows great charm and grace. His appearance gives the impression that he is kind, straightforward, calm and very enthusiastic. During the negotiation, he never raised his voice, knocked on the table, or threatened to stop the negotiation to force the other side to make concessions.

The success of negotiation comes from many factors, such as negotiation principles, negotiation timing, negotiation strategies, negotiation art, etc. But Zhou Enlai's unparalleled personality has left a deep and vivid impression on people, and his best etiquette effect is undoubtedly one of the important factors for the success of negotiation.

What detailed negotiation etiquette and taboos should be paid attention to in business negotiations with the United States? In addition to your own image etiquette, you need to know some meeting etiquette, conversation etiquette and dining etiquette that Americans pay attention to.

American business negotiation etiquette-meeting etiquette

When you are with American businessmen, there is no need to shake hands and be too polite. Most of them are extroverted, straightforward and enthusiastic. Even strangers whom American businessmen have never met yesterday will immediately show the intimacy and first name as old friends for many years, and even fight on the same day.

American business negotiation etiquette-handshake etiquette

When American businessmen meet and leave, they all smile and shake hands with the people present. Greeting each other is more casual. In most cases, we can call them by their first names. For the elderly and people with high status, we use "Mr." and "Mrs." on formal occasions. For women with unknown marital status, we should not take the liberty to call them wives. There will be kisses or hugs between familiar women or between men and women.

American business negotiation etiquette-conversation etiquette

American businessmen are used to keeping a certain physical distance. When speaking, they stand about 0.9 meters apart and make eye contact every 2 to 3 seconds to express their interest, sincerity and true mental state. They have a strong sense of time. They need to make an appointment in advance and attend the meeting on time, but sometimes business negotiations will be delayed by 10 to 15 minutes.

American businessmen like to talk about business and travel, current events and world events, and like to talk about politics, but they don't like to hear their criticism of the United States, so it's best to listen more and talk less. In the United States, most people carry business cards with them, but their business cards are usually exchanged when people need to contact again. Therefore, when American businessmen accept other people's business cards, they often don't return them.

American business negotiation etiquette-catering etiquette

Hospitality is generally held in restaurants, and the tip is generally not included in the bill, which is generally 15%. When eating, the host and guests can talk about business. Napkins are usually placed on the knees, and the left hand is often placed on the legs. They think it is impolite to put your elbows on the dining table. Of course, many American businessmen don't mind.

American businessmen have different cultural backgrounds, which is also reflected in the rich food. For health reasons, they eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. At the same time, beef, pork and chicken are also popular meats. The popularity of fast food restaurants reflects the food preference and intense pace of life of American businessmen from another side.

American business negotiation etiquette-negotiation taboo

In business negotiations with the United States, no matter whether someone is present or not, don't talk to a lady about her personal problems, such as her marital status. If she says it herself, she can only ask a few simple questions.

American businessmen rest on Saturday and Sunday. In addition, public holidays include New Year's Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Columbus Day. It is inappropriate to talk to Americans at this time. American businessmen always enter negotiations with confidence. They just exchanged a few pleasantries and got down to business. The answer was clear and affirmative. Don't worry too much about your ability, lack of self-confidence will make the other person look down upon you.

In international business negotiation, if you don't know the negotiation etiquette of different countries, you may joke and misunderstand, which is rude to others and may lose many chances of successful negotiation. If you want to live up to your mission and win in business negotiations, you must be familiar with the different negotiation etiquette of businessmen in various countries and adopt flexible negotiation methods.