Aligning businesses with different cultures

Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges

It is often the accumulation of small hurdles that slow down your international business development.

And when you let a series of these little hurdles pile up, you can waste a large amount of time. Delays are fairly common in international business expansion. You simply need a little time to learn how to do a few things you have not done before.

One of the small marketing hurdles is getting your computer to “read” foreign alphabets.

You know…

…the countries that use  something other than the “abc” or Latin alphabet.

The free translation tools can advance your international market research.

But…

If you have not set your computer to read these different alphabets, these free translation tools will not get you very far. [click to continue...]

In This Business Guide:

Frequently Asked Questions

• What Is International English Or Global English?
• How Is International English Different?
• Why Use International English?
• Are There Varying Degrees Of International English?
• How To Choose Your Website Communication?
• American Or British English?

More On How To Use International English

• 3 Types Of International Communication
• Why You Need To Internationalize Your Own Communication First To Avoid Cultural Blunders
• Adapt Your Own Communication For International Business Success Like The Professionals
• Easy Guidelines For Writing International English

More From Cindy
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Frequently Asked Questions

International English, also referred to as Global English, is simply English communication that is easier for non-native English speakers and a global audience.

Imagine meeting a non-native English speaking person in person.  Now imagine you have something you want to tell him or explain to him.  You would not speak to him as you would your colleague at work. You would naturally adjust your communication so that he could follow your conversation easily.

International English makes it easy for non-native English speakers to understand you.

To communicate well with a broad international audience, you need to eliminate:

• Culturally specific language and terminology
• Uncommon language and terminology
• Unusual grammar structures
• Long sentences
• Any inconsistencies
• All ambiguity

There are two reasons why you should consider writing content in international English.

• To appeal to one broad international audience including both native English and non-native English speakers.
• To facilitate translations in global expansion.

A Broad International Audience

Companies choose international English as a stepping stone towards further country specific target marketing.  This gives them the time to:

• Gain international market intelligence
• Evaluate foreign expansion opportunities
• Create a plan for website localization adapted to their needs
• Establish viability for the investment in website localization

Base For Translations

When your content has been written in an international English, it is easier and faster to translate.  There are two distinct advantages:

• Reduces the risk of cultural translation errors
• Can save you a substantial amount of money on translations

Remember: if you are committed to international business development, the trend is towards an increased number of languages.

• 5 languages used to be acceptable prior to the web.
• 10 languages was considered a good offering a short while ago.
• Today, it is common to find companies offering content in more than 20 languages.

Yes.  And the degree in which you use International English can be a strategic international marketing decision.

Generally, the better your English communication, the more your international audience will understand you.

There are two points you should also take into account:

• A very well written text in English will usually be fairly easy for an international audience to read.  But there may still be culturally specific language that may not be easy to understand for a  broad international audience.
• Generally a text in International English that is optimized for easy translation, will follow similar guidelines.  There are a few other elements that are important for easy translation, for example, punctuation.

If you are writing for an international website, the choice is obvious.  You should write for a broad international audience and favor International English.

If you are writing for both your domestic audience and an international audience, you can:

• Improve your English for optimum understanding in both audiences.
• Implement online web strategies to stop pushing your international visitors away.
• Research your international market potential to evaluate the feasibility of creating an international website and possible specific country targeted websites.

Spelling is a fairly easy decision.  It does not really matter whether you choose American English or British English to use as your base for your International English.

First think about your international audience.

If you are not an American company and have a large European audience, or a large audience from former British colonies, British spelling is a logical choice.

Then, choose either American spelling or British spelling and stick with it.

But, remember, British and American grammar differ too.

And this is where you need to think a little bit more strategically.

If you are going to use your International English as a base for translation, you should incorporate easy practices for translation into different languages.

These different languages also have different grammar rules and a simplified use of grammar will help both translation and general understanding.

We will be covering some guidelines for grammar soon.  For now, have a look at the Easy Guidelines For Writing International English below.

More On How To Use International English

The 3 Types Of International Communication For International Business Success Online • Do you want to develop your international business primarily through your website? • Do you know the different types of international communication? • Do you want to use the right communication for your international success? Learn when you need to use international English, multicultural communication and cross-cultural communication for more international sales

Why You Need To Internationalize Your Own Communication First To Avoid Cultural Blunders • Is your international communication blunder-free? • Would you like to improve your communication with internatinal clients? • What can you do to limit the cultural blunders drastically?

Adapt Your Own Communication For International Business Success Like The Professionals • How can you learn to communicate more effectively across cultures? • Do you need to adjust your communication for your international clients? • How do international sales professionals learn to communication with their foreign clients?

Easy Guidelines For Writing International English • Do you need to write for a broad international audience? • Do you know how to adapt your English for stronger international appeal? • Would you like a few easy tips?

More From Cindy

Do not miss these articles on International English and culture customized content.

CindyKing.biz Communication For International Sales

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This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 5 - Connect With Your International Markets This is where you can read more on how to connect with your international markets.

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International Web Marketing Mix

International business expansion can be expensive and laden with risks. Well this is true when companies limit themselves to only using traditional marketing methods in their international business development.

This can also be the case when companies use some internet marketing but rely heavily on traditional marketing methods.

Creating foreign language content for one internet marketing communication medium is a good way to start.

Traditional & Internet Marketing Mix

Today’s best marketing practices are based on implementing both internet marketing and traditional marketing campaigns. Companies rarely rely on both methods to the same extent. One marketing environment is often used more than the other.

The emphasis of either of these marketing methods depends on several factors including the company’s culture and history. It can be said that traditional, long standing companies now have to develop real internet marketing strategies, beyond the brochure website. And it is recognized that internet companies will get better results with some traditional marketing added to their marketing mix.

Internet Marketing Reduces Risk In International Expansion

When considering your international business expansion internet marketing reduces the risk in international expansion. But how can you really develop your business with internet methods? Some companies put up a website and think this opens their doors to international clients. Yes, it may. But the results will be very limited.

An interactive internet marketing campaign must be carried out in each and every foreign market you want to target. Simply having your website written in a way that communicates with you will not get you many international clients.

A Single Foreign Language Blog Can Start Your International Development

Today most businesses understand the value of having a blog. Instead of thinking with traditional marketing mindset, why not use today’s trend in social media and start off your international business expansion with a single communication tool specifically targeting one foreign country.

For example, Abercrombie & Fitch has a blog in French specifically targeting the French market. They are not physically present in France. It is getting recognition.

Creating foreign language content for one internet communication medium will greatly reduce your costs. It would be easier to keep control on from where you are now and reduce a large percentage of the risk involved with your international expansion.

Companies seeking international business development should look at how they can use this to their advantage. Internet marketing can be used as the sole marketing strategy when targeting a foreign market in the beginning.

A Dynamic Foreign Lead Generation System

Once you get some feedback from your foreign market you would be in a position to adjust your offer to fit better with your foreign market and develop your first foreign client base using only internet marketing strategies. Your first clients could finance further foreign language communication to create a more dynamic internet marketing lead generation system.

An effective internet marketing campaign will give your company the knowledge you need to make the international business decisions. You will then be able to choose which traditional marketing you should use to further your expansion. As your international business you will then move towards localized websites in all of your foreign markets. This is how to become a truly international company.

If you follow these tips your web site will be friendlier for all of your international visitors.

Here are a few more International Web Marketing Mix articles:
- Web Marketing For International Sales
- What Set Of Marketing Methods Do You Need For International Success
- How To Give Turbo Power To Your Multicultural Internet Marketing To Actually Get International Clients
- Use A Multicultural Internet Marketing Strategy To Develop Your International Business
- Choice Of Internet Marketing Methods

Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges

I have two teenage kids I’m trying to bring up to be ready for the working world.

They are French. I’m not. Or at least I’m only partly so. And I have the part with North American service expectations.

Culture shock.

I won’t talk to you about my service experiences when I take them to McDonalds in France. I want to talk to you about something I was not really expecting.

This is a topic I’m often confronted with. I’m North American. I have always worked up to North American levels of quality of service. Even if I’ve lived in Europe all of my professional life.

But I’ve live in France for 20 years or so: Culture shock.

I chose my bank because they were the most expensive. They charge for service. I want a decent level of service. Nothing fancy. Just the normal stuff. But I want it to run smoothly at all times. I don’t like having to run to the bank every time someone somewhere sneezes or changes jobs.

I have been with the same bank for over 20 years, two different branches, but the same bank. No problems….until I started my company two months ago.

It first started when the bank staff did not understand the difference in international practices of changing credit card numbers with the companies I had automatic debits set up on my credit card. I live 40 kilometers south of Paris. My local bank assumed all companies everywhere would operate just like in France. I was told to bugger off and left with a mess to sort out by myself right over Christmas.

The bank took my money for my business bank account at the end of January and said they had set up my business account. But I couldn’t do anything with my account until I had the means to do it: check book and credit card. Those arrived at the very end of February - over 4 weeks later. So they were late. You would expect the card to work, right? Wrong. I could not get the card to work even though my bank’s computer system said it should work.

There begins all the fun with the differences in what I expect in a service I’m paying for and what my bank staff feels is giving their maximum service.

Our definitions of service and our service expectations are very different.

• I expected my bank to help me. I needed my bank card to work to do any online business.
• My bank thought they had done everything they could because their computer system told them everything was fine. They gave me a card. They upheld their part of the service.

It took several weeks and several phone calls to every possible contact in my bank.

The result is that according to my bank, there is nothing wrong with the credit card they gave me. They do not know why my credit does not work. But its not their fault. It’s the other guys fault. Their hands are washed.

Not once did I get any form of an apology that my credit card and check book took so long to get to me. And when faced with the problem, the only reaction was to “prove” it’s not their fault.

Not one employee at my French bank would even think to ask: “How can I help you?” and actually follow through. That kind of service is not included in their line of duty.

I’m still left with the problem this card doesn’t work for me. My bank is situated in a major town 40 miles south of Paris. The competition in Paris is greater. I could expect a slightly better level of service in Paris. The temptation to change banks is great. But I’ve been with this bank for over 20 years.

When I changed house a few years ago I did a wide survey of the other local banks. I actually opened bank accounts in three other banks because I wanted a second account in a different bank. But I closed all three accounts because it just wasn’t what I expected from a bank.

Solution: Change branch? Travel into Paris every time something comes up?

My experience was linked to a clash in differences of expectations. I expect a certain service from my bank. For example, I expected my bank to at least be interested in why the credit card they gave me was not working.

But in France they don’t feel it the same way. They offer a certain service. It’s up to me if I want to buy it or not. I can’t question it.

The service I’m expecting as a North American and what they are offering, as a French company, are two different things.

This is easy to see at McDonalds in France if you open your eyes and listen up. McDonalds uses the same system worldwide. It works. But here they employ French staff. In Paris you may or may not notice the difference due to the large number of clients they have to serve and the number of foreign students doing the job. But 40 miles south of Paris, a North American, who understands French, picks up the cultural difference in attitudes towards service.

Service is just different in different cultures.

Don’t miss this guide on Get International Clients:
- Web Tools For Cultural Communication

Here are some articles on Cross-Cultural Communication Differences:
- Free Courses, Content And Culture Scams
- Different Countries = Different Rules
- Different Eye Tracking For Different Cultures
- Music In Cultural Differences

Read more on Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges here:
- Small Businesses Learn From Intercultural Communication Difficulties To Grow Their International Business

International Content Creation

Marketing tips on why a monthly foreign language newsletter is a great investment for a small business as a strategy for getting more international clients.

For optimum international client development a small business needs to set up a communication strategy where you “communicate” with your client regularly in their language. Clients from different cultures do business in different ways. A monthly newsletter in the language of the market you are targeting will ensure you “touch” your clients at least once a month.

As a small business wanting to market products internationally you need to have an international communication plan in place providing regular communication with your international market. A newsletter gives you a way to nurture your client relationships.

A two page monthly newsletter in your prospects language is a great platform to begin your integrated international marketing plan. It should be part of your overall international business strategy. If you incorporate appropriate appealing incentives to get your international clients to communicate with you, your international business will grow. You will get valuable feedback from your international market, giving you the tools you need to develop a stronger international presence.

If you invest in a two page newsletter in a foreign language, you can use this as a platform for an integrated multi-channel marketing plan. You can easily leverage the same content in online and offline marketing in the chosen foreign languages.

A well planned 2-page newsletter with 4 articles will keep the time and money invested in foreign language content creation to a minimum. It will also give you a maximum amount of exposure through re-purposing your newsletter content into different formats.

This is an excellent tool to help small businesses develop their international markets.
How have you adapted your international business strategy to multicultural markets?

I would like to offer you a mini-poster “An Integrated International Marketing Plan”. Go http://askcindyking.com, fill in the biggest question that you have about developing your business internationally and I will mail you the mini-poster.

Here are a few more International Content Creation articles:
- Who Do You Need To Write Your Foreign Content
- Web Content Conference In French
- Third Transition To A Global Market Internet Business
- An International Development Template
- Foreign Language Communication Simplified
- Easy Small Business Strategy Strengthens International Client Relationships
- Best Small Business Tool For Building Trust In International Clients

You might also like to read the Translation Tool articles:
- How To Use Online Translation Tools
- Translation Widgets - A Small Step Towards Website Globalization
- Online Translations Tools Write Bad Sales Copy

Download this free cross-cultural communication tool on Get International Clients - Translation Widget

Mind-Set In Cross-Cultural Communication

Cross-cultural communication is not an exact science. When you begin a cross-cultural business conversation for the first time, you cannot be sure where it will end.

Within cultures, people are different. Within the same cultural group:

• There are different ways of saying hello
• There are different ways of being polite
• There are different ways of being respectful

Most people do not fully understand the way in which differences in cultures, and even within cultures, impact communication. Let’s look at how people approach cross-cultural communication.

Different Approaches In Developing Cross-Cultural Skills

On one end of the scale, some people enter a cross-cultural conversation without making any concessions. Some go as far as behaving as if everyone is from their own hometown.

This does not help you pick up good cross-cultural communication skills quickly.

On the other end of the scale, some people are excessively studious and read up on specific local habits. They want standardized answers on what to bring if you are invited to dinner, how to dress, when to arrive, what to say. They look for exact literal translations into their own cultural habits and language.

This also does not help you pick up good cross-cultural communication skills quickly.

Reformat Your Approach

Although both of these methods have their downfalls, practice often gets everyone to pick up good cross-cultural skills.

If you want an easier place to start, you can find a better place to start developing your international mind-set.

The best way to go into your first cross-cultural communication is use a whole brain approach

With your right brain learn to relax.

• Be confident
• Be yourself
• Become aware of your own communication

Then, with your left brain let yourself open to meeting this different culture.

• Recognize your own different personal feelings and beliefs
• Consciously put them to the side

A whole brain approach leads to a positive meeting.

Right Brain

Allow your right brain to become in tune with the other person’s emotions.

• Can you pick up any emotional signals?
• Does your communication appear to be in the same place?

Open yourself up to communication with this other person. Adapt your response to his. Let your right brain open your communication.

Left Brain

With your left brain, look at the scene from a different perspective.

• Is this an interactive dialog?
• Are you in the same dialog?

If something seems out of place in your conversation, ask your left brain if there is something you can do to improve communication. Do not go overboard. Let your left brain keep control of your actions.

A Whole Brain Approach

Appearing warm and communicative, ready to open conversation and taking suitable actions ensures great communication.

Remember, respectful and polite communication works well in all cultures.

The trick is know how to adjust your own definition of respectful and polite to fit in well with other cultures. A whole brain approach will guide you to do this.

Don’t miss this guide on Get International Clients:
- The Secret Of Successful Intercultural Communication

Here are some articles on Mindset In Cross-Cultural Communication:
- Cross Cultural Vision Is More Important Than Learning International Habits
- Communication Across Cultures Is Better With A Whole Brain Approach
- How To Acquire The Right Mindset For International Sales
- The Right Mindset For International Negotiations
- Boost Your Company Way Out Of Your Local Recession Field

Here are some articles on Cross-Cultural Communication Differences:
- Free Courses, Content And Culture Scams
- Different Countries = Different Rules
- Different Eye Tracking For Different Cultures
- Music In Cultural Differences

Read more on Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges in this article:
- Small Businesses Learn From Intercultural Communication Difficulties To Grow Their International Business

And read even more in the…
Get International Clients International Sales Road Map

Guide 5 - Connect With Your International Markets • How can you connect with your international clients?• What communication do you need to connect with international markets? Read about how to create your international marketing strategy.

Guide To Cultural Web Tools • How can you tweak your web site to improve your cross-cultural communication? Lots of tools here.

International Market Research

Marketing to different cultures can be frustrating. Sometimes the response you expect just doesn’t come. Instead of chalking your lose down to culture, why not re-examine all of the foreign demographic factors.

Personality

– there have been several studies done providing guidelines on how to identify cultural differences with personality types. Most people know this and attempt to address this in their marketing. The world has changed though.

Don’t get bogged down in old-fashioned cultural prejudices. Many of the characterizations of 20 years ago are just that: old characterizations. Internet and the global economy have flattened many markets. Are you sure this has not happened to your target market? [click to continue...]

Are you ready to create stronger relationships with your international audiences? Then maybe you are experiencing a common problem.

When small companies set out to create stronger relationships within their foreign markets they feel confronted with two conflicting challenges:

* One of the challenges is how to keep foreign content creation manageable and affordable.
* The other challenge is to create a multichannel marketing to leverage more.

There is no easy answer to this.

You Need Communication

You will always need to initiate contact with your foreign prospects if you want to develop these markets.

You cannot sit back, do nothing and hope foreign clients find your products. If you want to make sales in different cultures you need to communicate with these cultures.

* The better you connect with a specific foreign culture the deeper relationships you create.
* The more you understand your foreign markets, the better your offer will be for that particular culture.
* The more relevant your international offer, the more international sales you will make.

So, how can you get the most value out of your foreign language content?

You Need The Right Communication

First, you must carefully select the ways you touch and make contact with your foreign markets.

Is this the content you need to connect with this particular foreign market?

It is not always easy to find the right communication format for each of the countries you are selling to.

You Need Telephone Marketing

In todays world, you need to get the most out of internet based communication. But before looking into web marketing, remember :

• Do not forget telephone marketing!

Telephone marketing is not expensive today. There is no excuse not to include some telephone marketing in your international marketing strategy. Telephone marketing is the ideal way to keep your finger on the live wire of how your international marketing needs to be focused.

The most valuable information you will get from your international markets will probably come from your telephone contacts.

Telephone marketing does not need to take up much of your time.

• One phone call every couple of days, consistently over time can move your business into an international business.
• If you have a slow month where you are able to be on the phone for an hour every day, this time can put your international business development on the right track.

What is important is to keep a regularly in touch with your foreign markets over the phone.

Start with using the phone for your international market research. This will get you in the habit of grabbing for the phone.

Continue to grab for the phone as often as you can throughout all of your international marketing.

You Need Value Communication

Your international communication is easy to deliver over the web. But you still need to create targeted communication.

Creating communication targeted to a specific culture requires a little effort. This is complicated by the fact that when you first start, you will not know how you need to target your communication.

If you are making the effort to create targeted communication and want to learn more about your international markets, it makes good sense to use the best web marketing tools to help you.

• Choose your communication strategically.
• Use your communication strategically within a multichannel strategy
• Use web statistics to help you monitor results and give you the information you need to adapt your aim to improve your communication.

This is how you will learn to create valuable communication for each of your international markets

You Need To Get More Out Of Your Communication

If you are just beginning to develop your international markets, you will need to test which communication methods work best in your foreign markets. Different cultures respond differently.

• Do not make any assumptions.
• Take things one step at a time.
• Test different communication formats on a small scale.
• Adjust and adapt your international communication to your foreign markets.

Connecting with foreign markets through targeted foreign content is information marketing. One of the fundamental principals of information marketing is to re-purpose your content.

You can easily use the basics of re-purposing your foreign language content to leverage your investment and test different communication formats.

Example With A Culture Customized 2 Page Newsletter

For example, one of the easiest ways is to start with creating a short 2 page newsletter, with 4 short articles, targeted to one country.

• The 4 short articles can easily be re-purposed into 4 emails, 4 blog posts and 4 articles on your website under a country sub domain.
• The 2 page newsletter can easily be printed on one piece of paper and mailed or handed out at an event.
• You can include a different call to action on each communication format, and track results. For example, surveys, games or special report download.
• You can include links to your other marketing activities to integrate your international prospects into a wider sphere if this is appropriate, a general product information event for example.

Of course you should aim to write your culture customized content in the appropriate foreign language.

But do not let this stop or delay your international marketing for months.

The feedback you can get is often worth it and delays do not bring you anything of value.

If most of your foreign prospects usually speak English well enough to read in English, start your newsletter in English. Be proactive in cultivating feedback.  Begin the process of learning about your foreign markets.  Then you will know how to create a foreign language newsletter much better when you are ready to do it.

Your Other Options

The benefits of writing a monthly newsletter targeted to one country audience are important in cross-cultural communication:

• A monthly newsletter provides consistency, essential in building trust across cultures.

It also provides a good multichannel marketing element.

As you can see from the example above:

• A little thought and strategy into your foreign content creation can give you real international marketing tools.
• A little monitoring and analysis helps you to find the right communication for your markets.

A culture customized 2 page newsletter is not the only option for beginners. A country targeted blog is also a good starting point for some businesses.

How you integrate your first culture customized communication tool into your international marketing strategy is more important than your first choice. Where you start is simply your starting point.

Yes, it is better to identify your best communication tool right from the start, but not if this means you delay starting your communication for months or never get started.

Remember: your first priority is to stimulate foreign market feedback so you can learn more about your market and adapt your communication for more effective results.

The right communication will connect you with your international clients.

When you travel it is easy to notice a lot of differences in the places you travel through compared to what you are used to back at home. All of your senses are involved. Even music sounds different.

You may not notice it immediately. From the taxi, to the hotel, you may have heard a more international “pop” music. It might not be your favorite kind of music. But it might not sound “foreign”.

If you have the time to turn the television in your hotel room onto the local channels, that’s where it starts to sound different. And if you happen to turn the television on when the older local generation are watching for entertainment, any music will definitely give you a cultural shock. [click to continue...]