Personal connections are important in any business transaction, but more important in China. They want to meet you, in person, have lunch, and waste an entire hour on the operation. This time may seem wasted to a hurry-up Western businessman, but it is not really. I find that some of these connections and acquaintances can last years. Western businesspeople may be comfortable with a business relationship run by fax and email, with no personal contact, but that does not work so well in China IMHO. Anyone who takes a minimal interest in Chinese culture is more well-recieved. Make stumbling efforts at learning to speak the language. Eat the wierdest thing they ask you to eat. Learn to use chopsticks. I found them to have a new respect when I demonstrated that I could pick up three peanuts at once with chopsticks (it is a cheap trick - peanuts have a flat side, line them up flat to flat, and you can pick a stack of them up with chopsticks) I have the impression most businesspeople they meet could care less about the place. -- Lawrence Lile Rafael Fraga Sent by: pic microcontroller discussion list 03/11/2004 03:55 PM Please respond to pic microcontroller discussion list To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU cc: Subject: Re: [OT:] proper etiquette when dealing with Chinese company? Good advise. I cannot differentiate their faces. So I developed a trick: I remebered accesories, like "has a palmIII", "big watch", etc. Helped my mind. In my case, uniforms and ranks also helped a lot. I got a sense that they also have a hard time guessing who is who between us... Also talk sloooowly, and softly. Don4t demonstrate your great speaker skills. It will be hard to be understood clearly. Just plain english, without coloquial words. And without any of that four letter words!! Rafael Fraga ----- Original Message ----- From: rocky To: Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 2:12 AM Subject: Re: [PICLIST] [OT:] proper etiquette when dealing with Chinese company? > Be more on the humble side. Be a good listener. And try to remember their > names. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jonathan Johnson" > To: > Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 11:53 PM > Subject: [OT:] proper etiquette when dealing with Chinese company? > > > > G'day everyone, > > > > I am looking at getting some equipment made up in china and was wondering > if > > anybody onlist could enlighten me a bit about proper etiquette when > dealing > > with Chinese companies? > > > > TIA > > > > Jonathan > > > > -- > > http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! > > email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body > > > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList > mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu > > -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu