NCR @ EuroShop

Common International Mistakes: Awareness (Part 1 of 4)

You come from a unique background that shapes your view of the world. But what if your approach did more harm than good? What if you really didn’t understand your customers like you thought you did? And, what if your strategy was flawed?

Many companies who exhibit at international trade shows make these AWARENESS MISTAKES every day. The good news: there are ways to avoid these pitfalls! In this four-part series, we will identify these mistakes and help you understand how to avoid them.

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Persian Gulf Marina
Mexico Auto Show

Leave Your Cultural Assumptions at the Door

Picture an auto show in Mexico City. You’ve been to several of these fun shows in the U.S. and know what to expect…or so you think. But as you approach the door, you hear music that makes you think of parties. You enter the building and are immediately surrounded by bright colors, loud music and a throng of very attractive women in short, revealing dresses and spike heels, proffering drinks. It’s not unpleasant by any stretch of the imagination, but were you prepared for this? Probably not!

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Etihad Premium Lounge

Business Meal Basics for the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Here are some basics you MUST KNOW for business meals and entertaining in the Emirates.

When you are enjoying a meal in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, you want it to go smoothly and seamlessly – as if it were just another day in the life! So, I suggest you follow these guidelines to avoid an embarrassing or awkward situation for yourself, clients or business partners. Read More

Tabexpo Trade Show

Tips for Working With PRECISE TIME Cultures

How do you view time? In a loose, casual way, or in a more precise way? And why does it matter?

 

If you are participating in a trade show or event in a PRECISE TIME CULTURE, the concept of TIME will play an important role – and introduces differences which you should recognize. If you are from a more relaxed, or LOOSE TIME CULTURE, you may be surprised when your colleagues in the precise time culture are not as flexible as you would like them to be, if they seem frustrated if you do not arrive on time for a meeting, or fail to meet a deadline…  Read More

How Much Copy is Appropriate for Booth Graphics?

Your Graphics Probably Have Too Much Copy!

 

Companies generally use too much copy (verbiage) in their booth graphics – which most people simply DO NOT READ! With so many distractions on the show floor – along with language and cultural barriers – it is challenging to capture attention, and to garner focus. Excessive verbiage does neither of those!

 

There IS a better way!
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Exhibit at Anuga - Germany

How to Work with Germans – Part 1

Before the Meeting:

I learned much the hard way from my interactions with German businesses over the years. I’d like to share some surprising advice with you – things I consider as ESSENTIAL for interacting and negotiating with Germans…  Read More

Etihad Premium Lounge

They’ve Got All the Time in the World!

Have you been in those countries where time just seems to move at a much slower pace? Well, it really doesn’t. Time is the same for all of us – there are only ever 24 hours in a day. But, people PERCEIVE those hours in vastly different ways in different cultures.

 

Cultural experts tend to agree that countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and India (among many others) tend to have a more casual view of time than other countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and the USA.

 

What does that mean?

Time is not something that needs to be measured precisely. Time is yours to spend in doing what is important to you; don’t rush it all away. Enjoy the time that you have – and spend it doing what you love, with those you want to be with! Those cultures with a loose reckoning of time place the value of human relationships above that of the commodity of time.

 

How does that impact my trade show experience?

  • Expect little punctuality – and establish early deadlines for completion.
  • Go in with a more relaxed attitude and focus more on the relationships than on the specific business at hand.
  • Understand that locals may sometimes feel offended when appointments are cut short, due to the keeping of what is viewed as an arbitrary schedule.
  • Hold loose schedules for meetings, work and public transportation trips.
  • Try to view time as plentiful (but only after your exhibit is finished!).
  • Use time to invest in relationships.
  • See business dealings as more relational than transactional.

 

Here are more TIPS for working with those cultures with a loose reckoning of time.