Write more effective emails when working with German speakers

Here are some useful tips we´d like to share from a professional who has worked for many years with German speaking and English speaking cultures.

“I can only speak from my experience with English- vs. German-speaking
cultures.

For example, if I write an email to somebody in the US or another English
speaking country, I will address the person and add a sentence of small talk
(how are you and the family, how is the weather etc.). However, if I send a
business email to somebody in a German speaking country, this would be
considered inappropriate and by some even as rude. Private comments or
questions do not belong in business conversation (verbal or written) unless
you know the person very well.

In German speaking countries it is very important to greet the person by
name at the beginning of the email and have a salutation and your name or
signature at the end.

The way you word your email is done the same way you would speak to the
person you are writing to. So if you are formal with the person in a
conversation you would write your email just as formal. If you send an email
to a group, you would always write the email as formal as you would talk to
the person you know the least of the group.

In German speaking regions it is quite common to get right to the point,
which some expats from the US/UK view as rude or harsh.

However, the way we use small talk (even in emails) in the U.S .is viewed as a
waste of time or fishing for private information. This is something a German
speaking coworker would not appreciate”.

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Read our blog post about Write Effective Emails

See our Intercultural Skills for Business courses.   Read more about The Practice Office Group.

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Write Effective Emails

Do people read your emails and respond?
Do people read your emails and act on them or do something?
Do people think your emails are professional and effective?

 

Here are some quick points to help you write effective emails.

1. Subject Lines are Headlines (1 to 5 words)
2. Make One Key Point per Email (focus on one email objective)
3. Specify the Response You Want (email objective: do you want information, do you want to persuade, etc)
4. Use End of Message Headlines (repeat at end of email)
5. Internal Emails shouldn’t be too Informal (they can be easily forwarded)
6. Short Sentences (less than 15 words) and Short Paragraphs (5 lines maximum)
7. CSC – Check that sentences are CSC (clear, simple and concise)
8. Culture – Direct or Indirect Communication (Some cultures favour direct communication and speed while other cultures perceive that to be rude and prefer a more indirect style)
9. Culture – Task Orientated or Relationship Orientated (Some cultures focus on building relationships between people first before they can work effectively together – Relationship Orientated. While other cultures put more emphasis on the task than the relationship – Task Orientated)

 

Read our blog post about How to write effective emails when working with German Speakers

See our Communication Skills courses.  Read more about The Practice Office Group.

 

El Negociador español: confianza, improvisación, jerarquía, personalización y factor tiempo

Para negociar con personas de otros países y culturas tenemos que comprender las características de nuestra cultura y las de otras culturas.

Dos estudios, el Proyecto INES y el Informe Proyecto Marca España, mostraron que las características de los negociadores españoles son: confianza, improvisación, jerarquía, personalización, el factor tiempo, la flexibilidad y la intuición.

1. La confianza. Se ha de generar un clima de confianza con el interlocutor. Las negociaciones con españoles se desarrollan más emocionalmente que objetivamente. Se da preferencia al acuerdo oral, mientras que los acuerdos escritos no tienen el mismo carácter obligatorio.
2. La improvisación. La forma de negociar se caracteriza por una aparente falta de preparación de la negociación y de planificación de su trabajo, sin embargo tienen una capacidad grande para improvisar, para salir de un punto muerto, para crear alternativas y ofrecer soluciones rápidas.  Refleja la orientación policrónica de hacer muchas cosas a la vez.
3. La jerarquía conlleva que el español tenga escaso poder de decisión a la hora de cerrar negocios, teniendo que terminar consultándolo todo con el superior. En España, a diferencia del resto de países europeos, existen mayores niveles jerárquicos dentro de la empresa.
4. La personalización puede ser un obstáculo para alcanzar el éxito en la negociación. El español se involucra de tal manera emocionalmente, que cuando negocia cualquier comentario “ofensivo” puede amenazar el proceso negociador. Según los dos estudios consideran que “para un negociador español es difícil aislarse, abstraerse personalmente de lo que está hablando, comentando, discutiendo o negociando. El español se implica mucho en todo lo que hace y, por tanto también en el proceso negociador.
5. El factor tiempo hace que la agenda de un ejecutivo español nunca sea decisiva pero sí sea orientativa. La interpretación del tiempo en el ámbito laboral tiene consecuencias inmediatas que repercuten en la puntualidad, en el cumplimiento de los plazos preestablecidos y el trato de los asuntos del día. Las reuniones se alargan y el orden del día no se suele respetar y al igual que la impuntualidad, reflejan la orientación policrónica del tiempo al representar una visión fluida, circular y relajada del tiempo. En el trabajo las cosas se planifican a corto plazo, en donde se pueden tratar varios asuntos al mismo tiempo, practicando la improvisación y en donde las interrupciones, solapamientos de turnos de palabra no ocasionan ningún problema.
6. La Flexibilidad en cuanto a la adaptación a otras culturas. Los españoles cuentan con una especial facilidad para la adaptación y el desarrollo de relaciones personales con otras personas de otras culturas. Esta habilidad es especialmente importante ya que el que exista una buena relación personal es condición imprescindible para realizar el negocio.
7. La Intuición: el español cuando negocia en otros mercados, aunque no conozca bien los aspectos culturales, sí que sabe percibir bien los mensajes que le dan. Y aunque no hable bien el idioma, entiende lo que le dicen.

Los comportamientos menos eficaces de estas características pero vista desde otra óptica distinta son:

1. La falta de preparación y de planificación de la negociación. A los empresarios les cuesta mucho esfuerzo el dedicar tiempo a esta tarea tan importante que es la de informarse sobre el país, la cultura, el sector, la empresa y las personas con las que se va a negociar, así como analizar cuáles son sus objetivos y los de la contraparte. El poder de negociación de ambas partes, quien debe realizar la primera oferta, que propuestas/concesiones y en qué contexto y a qué ritmo ponerlas encima de la mesa, en qué orden negociar los asuntos más o los menos conflictivos.
2. La falta de “precisión en las conversaciones”. A veces, en las reuniones nadie sabía cuál es el resultado de una reunión, ni está claro quién tenía que hacer qué. Las consecuencias son: fallos en el trabajo, encontrar a la persona que tenía la responsabilidad, más palabras, las problemas se multiplicaban.
3. El orgullo hace que los españoles se aferren a sus posiciones iniciales, aunque la situación haya cambiando mucho a lo largo de una negociación. Lo importante es siempre alcanzar el objetivo y no centrarse en las posiciones. En línea con el orgullo español tampoco encajan con “deportividad” las críticas y objeciones.  En general a los españoles les cuesta mucho separar lo personal de lo profesional, tomándoselo todo personalmente porque también se implican personalmente en todo lo que hacen.

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Leer más sobre nuestros cursos de Habilidades Interculturales para los Negocios de The Practice Offiice Group.

Fuente: The Practice Office Group y Ana García Merinero (leer artículo completo)

How to prepare for an International Presentation

Why are international presentations different?

Because cultural factors influence the way we communicate, receive communication and interpret communication when working with people from different cultures.

Here are three areas to take into consideration:

1. Audience expectations

What are the key areas of difference between audience expectations?

Some audiences think it is important for a presentation be entertaining and show flair. So rhetoric and anecdote are very important. Latin countries tend to value this.

Other countries demand detail and lots of technical information, such as Germany, Japan and Finland.

Other countries insist on presentation features and benefits so they can make up their own mind, such as the UK.

Other countries want a clear statement of what the presentation can do for them, such as the US and India.

2. Presentation Styles vary between countries

Time

In the US, presentations are short, around 15 to 30 minutes, which is not surprising because “time” is very important to Americans.

Western Europe is a little bit longer with both the UK and Germans being used to listening to presentations of 30 to 60 minutes.

Best to ask colleagues or people from that country/culture or to research what is the norm.

Questions

Is it acceptable to interrupt a presentation to ask questions? Or should we leave time at the end of our presentations for questions? Depends.

In some countries you can interrupt a presentation to ask questions, particularly to clarify information, as in Germany because it is seen as a sign of interest not rudeness.

While in other countries questions may be asked at the end, so it’s important to plan and tell the audience they’ll be time at the end for questions.

In South East Asia, questions are often not asked at all, as it is seen as impolite! So you need to leave time at the end for people to approach you individually and ask you personally.

Style

Dynamic, traditional or personal presentation style?

In many countries without using a personal communication style you won’t connect with your audience. The audience is not interested in an impressive Powerpoint presentation; they want to feel your personal sincerity and you need to tell stories and show the kind of person you are to really connect with the audience.

In other countries a traditional formal style is acceptable with the presenter standing behind a lectern and reading the presentation.

While a dynamic style involves moving around, interacting with the audience and entertaining them, a popular style in the US.

3. Signalling it, Saying it and Summarising it

If you and your audience are not native English speakers, it´s easy for an audience to get lost and stop paying attention to you. How can we stop this happening?

It’s important that you tell your audience:

- what key points/ideas you’re going to say

- when you’re saying key points/ideas

- when you’ve finished saying key points/ideas

It may sound repetitive, but your audience will be grateful for helping them follow your presentation.

Signalling it

“I´m going to talk about three areas…”

“My first point will be…. “

Saying it

“XXX is my first point

At the end you say “That was my first point.”

Summarising it

“To summarise , I have made three points about presentations”

“ To resume, my three key points were…”

 

Read more about The Practice Office Group´s Intercultural Training Programs.

 

 

Source: The Practice Office Group and Barry Tomalin

Cómo negociar y cómo no negociar con chinos

En este siguiente vídeo hay un excelente ejemplo de la importancia de desarrollar las habilidades interculturales y la inteligencia cultural para preparar una negociación con chinos. No debes subestimar el factor cultural para entender las motivaciones de un negociador Chino.

El ejemplo está extraído de la película Wall Street 2 que dar un ejemplo de cómo negociar con chinos (Negociador no.2) y otro de no cómo negociar con chinos (Negociadora no.1). En este caso y en muchos casos a nivel internacional, el factor cultural es la diferencia entre llevar a buen puerto la negociación o no.

¿Cuáles lecciones positivas y negativas de negociación con chinos podemos extraer del video? Las respuestas están abajo.

Caso de negociación con Chinos. http://vimeo.com/20148299

 

Leer más sobre nuestros cursos de Habilidades Interculturales para los Negocios de The Practice Office Group.

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Algunas lecciones del caso:

• La cultura china valora tanto los modales como los negocios.
• Relaciones cercanas y de confianza son elementos fundamentales en la sociedad china por eso el rol de los Guanxi en los negocios es esencial para desarrollar relaciones de confianza y de mutuo beneficio
• Aprender ciertas frases clave en mandarín o cantonees demuestra un interés sincero por establecer una relación de largo plazo
• Las cosas buenas toman tiempo – el negociador 2 usa este refrán chino para crear empatía en la contraparte y alinearse a sus expectativas de rentabilidad a largo plazo.
• China es un continente y por eso las expectativas varían mucho entre personas de regiones diferentes del país. En el caso del vídeo Beijing es el origen de los inversores chinos en el caso, y por eso ellos pueden tener expectativas totalmente diferentes a los chinos de otras regiones del país como Guangzhou.

Leer más sobre nuestros cursos de Habilidades Interculturales para los Negocios de The Practice Office Group.

 

Más globalización, más formación en Gestión y Comunicación Intercultural según Accenture

Mientras el contexto global es cada vez más veloz y agresivo, no hay tiempo para las malas interpretaciones y confusiones generadas por la falta de reconocimiento y comprensión de los valores por los cuales se rigen las personas.

En una encuesta de 200 ejecutivos de negocios estadounidenses conducida en 2006 por Accenture, más de la mitad (53%) de los ejecutivos trabajando a nivel global, afirmaron que los diferentes enfoques para completar las tareas causaban problemas entre empleados de 2 diferentes países, y el 44% se refirió a diferentes actitudes hacia el conflicto y los estilos de toma de decisiones entre los grupos. Los resultados de la encuesta demostraron que los individuos creen que tomar un programa de formación en comunicación intercultural podría incrementar la productividad en un promedio de 26%.

Sin embargo, muchas compañías aún se encuentran esperando que el sistema de “prueba y error” solucione sus problemas.

¿Cómo saber si mi empresa necesita formación intercultural

Leer más sobre nuestros cursos de Habilidades Interculturales para los Negocios

Leer más sobre nuestra empresa The Practice Office Group.

Conference Call Tips

1.  INTRODUCE & GREET PEOPLE.
Many people never introduce themselves. Always greet everyone at the virtual meeting table and check name, job title, location and why they are on the call. If you intervene, identify yourself, e.g. ‘José-Maria speaking’ and if others don’t, don’t be afraid to ask. ‘Who is speaking, please?’ This is really important in helping you to identify other people´s voices and for you to get used to others people´s voices and vice-versa.

2.  MAKE A GOOD START.
If you are running the meeting, make sure that you define the topics, duration, people and maybe the outcomes you hope to reach.

3.   A CONFERENCE CALL ISN´T A FACE-TO-FACE MEETING.
A good conference call needs to be well structured with a meeting agenda, properly controlled and professionally led by someone (a meeting chair).

4.   TIME
Having a timer, a person who controls time, helps each agenda point to have a clear beginning and conclusion as well as an action point or follow-up.

5.   MEETING AGENDA
Before the conference call, participants and the meeting chair/leader need to check the agenda and the minutes of the last meeting to see what needs followup or is completed.

6.  MINUTES
This is a useful technique.  Most UK/US conference calls follow a structure of:
TOPIC
ACTION
BY WHOM?
BY WHEN?

7.  POSITIVE PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS
Positive meetings are more productive. Say what you AGREE with before saying what you DISAGREE with to have a positive productive meeting.

8.  USE THE MUTE
To avoid background noise, your breathing, coughing etc. distracting people use the mute when you´re not speaking.

9.  USEFUL INTERRUPTION PHRASES.
“Can I just come in here?” and “Can I add something quickly?” “I´d just like to add something” Just and quickly – tells everyone you will be brief. If someone interrupts you say ‘Just let me finish.’ or “Can I quickly finish”

10.  CSC, POLITE, FRIENDLY, CONCISE
CSC –  Be clear, simple and concise when you make your points or give opinions. .
POLITE – Be polite it works better than being aggressive.
FRIENDLY – Be friendly and approachable to create a good impression. Don’t be too intense or serious.
CONCISE – Be concise and don’t waste your and others´ time.

11. INTERCULTURAL FACTORS
Monochronic vs. Polychronic Cultures. People from monochronic cultures only feel comfortable doing one thing at a time and prefer the structure and logic of following meeting agendas. Polychronic cultures prefer to do several things at once and are less interested in a fixed structure or following an agenda.

One solution if you have many cultures participating in a conference call, is to ask people to propose meeting rules and then as a group agree on them before starting.

Read more about The Practice Office Group´s training courses.

 

Intercultural Tips / Consejos Interculturales: Brasil

  (Sao Paulo, Brasil)

Nuestros tips/consejos interculturales para interactuar con brasileros son:

1. Los brasileños ven el tiempo como algo fuera de su control
2. Las exigencias de las relaciones interpersonales tienen prioridad sobre la adhesión a una agenda o plan de actividades.
3. Aunque puede ser un buen iniciador de una conversación, nunca hables negativamente sobre el futbol brasilero es algo que une muchos dentro del país.
4. Las apariencias son importantes tanto en la vida laboral como en la vida cotidiana
5. Los brasileros prefieren saber con quién están haciendo negocios, por lo que debes dedicar cierto tiempo a desarrollar una relación interpersonal sólida
6. Las conversaciones en Brasil son rápidas y animadas con interrupciones frecuentes.
7. Un alto grado de contacto físico es normal.
8. Jerarquía en la toma decisiones. Ten en cuenta que las decisiones por lo general son tomadas entre las personas de  más alto nivel
9. Utiliza un estilo de comunicación informal.
10. Siéntete libre para expresar sus opiniones de forma abierta pero con respeto.

Leer sobre nuestros cursos de habilidades interculturales.

 

What´s the aim of your email?

What´s the aim of your email? (MP3/podcast)

INFORMATION, ACTION, HELP & APOLOGISE

To save ourselves time, before writing an email, ask yourself the important question; what’s the aim of my email?  There are 4 main email aims: INFORMATION, ACTION, HELP & APOLOGISE

These are used to request information, action, and help or to apologise to somebody.

In English, indirect questions are frequently used when requesting action or information in place of the imperative or direct orders. Using them is a good way to make your email more formal.

Here is the professional English needed to use this practical communication technique.

Information:

Can you let me know your availability?

Could you send me more information about the TCT project?

I’d like to know how many people will be attending the meeting.

Action

Would you mind sending me the report as soon as you can?

Do you think you could bring your presentation to the meeting?

Please make sure you leave the BAC file with Jane before you go to Murcia.

Help

Shall we organise the meeting for next month?

Why don’t you call him and postpone the meeting to give us more time.

Can I ask you to confirm your attendance at the earliest convenience?

Apologise

I am writing in relation to your recent complaint.

I was very concerned to learn about your delayed order.

I would like to apologise for the inconvenience you have suffered.

Can you leave this matter with me and I’ll get back to you today.

Connectors – keep your audience’s attention

Whether we are writing a report or giving a presentation, our objective is to communicate our key ideas clearly and to do this we need to keep our audience´s attention.

One of the ways we can do that is by using connectors (connecting words). Connectors are used to start a sentence and to connect ideas and clauses within one sentence.

They are the signposts of your roadmap, which the audience and reader need to follow your ideas.

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Type of Connector	Starting a Sentence	Starting a clause within a sentence
Comparing & Contrasting	However, Nevertheless, Alternatively, Instead, After all, In contrast	although, however, though, while, yet, whereas, even though
Causes, Reasons, Purposes & Results	Therefore, Consequently, Hence, As a consequence, Thus, As a result, So	because, since, as, so, in order to, so that
Adding Ideas	In addition, Furthermore, As well, Similarly, Moreover, Also, What’s more	n/a
Time: 2 events at same time	Meanwhile, At the same time, At that time	while, as, when, whenever
Time: 1 event before another	Then, Soon, Afterwards, After that, Before, Subsequently	after, before, as soon as, since

How to give useful feedback – the 3 be´s

1) Be specific

I thought your presentation was boring. = BAD EXAMPLE

I felt you spent too long talking about the graphs. = GOOD EXAMPLE

I think your main arguments need more evidence. = GOOD EXAMPLE

2) Be constructive

I liked the way you…,

I was impressed with…

Next time, try…

I think the presentation’s purpose would have been clearer if…

3) Be motivating

Maybe you could…

I suggest that you…

Have you thought about…

 

 

 

 

Model the best

Sounds obvious, but one of the quickest ways to learn is to model the best. In order to model the best we need to understand what makes them the best. This is where evaluation comes in.  

Choosing specific evaluation criteria helps you to identify the communication strengths of that person. Then watch them in action and evaluate them.

 

After that it’s a question of adapting their communication strengths to fit your own personal communication style, practice and the feedback of others.

 

Let’s take the example of modelling the presentation skills of a presenter. Use Peak Performer’s evaluation criteria to evaluate and model one of our favourite business speakers, Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple. Watch this video and use the evaluation criteria.

 

 

Evaluation Criteria

 

1.      What’s your first impression of the presenter?

2.      Effectiveness (achieve objectives, precision, maximise their time)

3.      Speech Value for the audience (issues treated, ideas, logic).

4.      Speech Development (structure, organization, support material).

5.      Use of voice (volume, flexibility, intonation, speed).

6.      Physical (appearance, body language, speaking area).

7.      Manner (directness, assurance, enthusiasm).

8.      Professional English (Correct vocabulary, appropriate use).

 

 

 

Describing graphs – help your audience remember

 Research has shown that people remember best when they simultaneously see and hear. So when we want people to focus on a key idea and remember it, we need to describe and show it simultaneously, either as a visual graph or image.

Now to avoid boring your audience by repeating “up” and “down” 10 times, try to use plenty of descriptive verbs, it’ll maintain their interest longer, we promise.

Describing: to go up quickly	to surge (e.g. Prices surged in April 2006) to soar to shoot up
Describing: to go up slowly	to rise slowly / steadily / gradually (e.g. Costs rose slowly in May) to increase slowly / steadily / gradually to go up slowly / steadily / gradually
Describing: to go down quickly	to slump (e.g. Share prices slumped in June.) to plummet to plunge
Describing: to go down slowly	to slide (e.g. Market share slide during June 2006) to decrease slowly / steadily / gradually to go down slowly / steadily / gradually

 

How to explain a technical concept

Many professionals who are technical experts have problems explaining concepts to non-technical people.

It’s a simple problem to solve, but it requires changing your way of speaking.

You spend most of your day working in a highly specialized world that remains a mystery to others.

You communicate with other experts using technical vocabulary specific to your area. But how can you communicate with non-technical professionals?

The key is to be clear, concise and simple.

A company that does just that is Common Craft. For this reason, they now have Google, Linkedin and Microsoft as clients.

What elements do they use to explain what Linkedin is? (answers below).

 

Answers

1. Start with a rhetorical question to involve the audience. This makes them think about the technical concept from the beginning; e.g. What is Linkedin?

2. Use simple examples that everybody can immediately understand.

3. Use visual images to explain a concept quickly.

4. Use Simple English. Avoid technical vocabulary and jargon.

 

 

How to make conference calls easier

Why do native speakers always have to speak so quickly in conference calls?

The answer is simpler than you think.

It´s because most native English speakers don´t have to work in another language, like Chinese or French.

So they don´t realise they´re the only ones working at “native speed”. 

Here are some practical tips to make them realise they´re the only people working at “native speed”.  

• Suggest that each speaker says hello and introduces themselves. This will help you identify the speaker and will be easier to take notes during the conference.

Hi everybody, I´d like to suggest we all take turns to say hello and introduce ourselves. What does everybody think?

• Suggestion. Ask that you all respect each person´s turn when speaking.

I´d like to suggest that we all respect each other´s turn speaking and keep interruptions to a minimum. What does everybody think?

• You set the speed of the conference call in the beginning, but don´t overuse these phrases.

Sorry Sarah, the connection is bad, can you repeat that slower and louder please. 

Sorry Alex I didn´t catch that, can you explain that again please.

Sorry Ryan, I´m not sure I really understood, what exactly do you mean by…?

             

Learn business expressions in 3 steps

Understanding and using business expressions can be a real advantage in international meetings. Here we found a simple 3 step way of helping you learn business expressions.

Step 1: Many business expressions usually have 2 or 3 key words:

E.g   Go to the wall / Went to the wall. 

“Go” and “wall” are the key words to remember. Without them there is no business expression.

Step 2:  Then you need to see the expression in context so the meaning is clear.

 E.g   ATA went bankrupt (went to the wall) in November of this year.

Step 3: Finally the hard part, remembering the business expression so you can use it. This requires you to personalise it and make it your own business expression, so your brain can then remember it easily. 

E.g Can you think of a company that went to the wall? Maybe a friend or family member has worked for a company that went to the wall. Why did it go to the wall?

For example “My friend Tom was working for Enron in the US when it went to the wall in 2001. The Directors lied about the value of the company´s assets“.

 

Managing a crisis – the “5 Whys” technique

 

 

 

How to use the tool

Start at the end result, for example your client is unhappy, and then work backwards towards the root cause of the problem, continually asking: “Why?” until the root cause of the problem becomes apparent. Ask simple, clear and direct questions to get the best results. If the problem is complex use another technique.

 

Example:

1.      Why is our client, INDITECH, unhappy?

  = Because we did not deliver our services on time.  

2.      Why were we unable to meet the agreed-upon timeline or schedule for delivery?

= The job took much longer than we thought it would.

3.      Why did it take so much longer?

= Because we underestimated the complexity of the job.

4.      Why did we underestimate the complexity of the job?

= Because we made a quick estimate of the time needed to complete it, and did not list the individual stages needed to complete the project.

5.      Why didn’t we do this?

= Because we were running behind on other projects. We clearly need to review our time estimation and specification procedures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copy and paste

Copy and paste is not a new technique but it is to improve your Business Writing in English. It always surprises us how many busy people and departments don´t keep copies of good emails, reports, complaints, sales proposals that clients and suppliers have emailed or sent them.

Let us explain. In your work you receive thousands of emails every year in English from colleagues, suppliers and clients. Now all you have to do is to save the ones you think our excellent and organise them into useful categories. The key is how you name and order your categories for easy and quick access.

For example:

• Complaints
• Proposals
• Asking for help
• Reports 

Next time save time and unblock your business writing in English by copying and pasting other people´s good business writing.  It´ll save you 20 minutes of work each day, 2 hours each week and 2 days each month!

 

Write effective Business Reports

Here are some tips for writing effective, well-organized reports:

1) Understand your objectives: Before you begin answer these questions; Why am I writing this report? Who will read it?

2) Write concisely, clearly and simply. Make it easy for the reader to understand. Remember it´s not Shakespeare!

3) Keep it concise: Time is money. Sentences should be 15 words or less and paragraphs should be 6 lines or less.

4) Use statistics and list reference sources. People trust numbers more than subjective opinions.

5) Organize by using headings and subheadings. It allows people to find relevant information quickly. See post about business report format.

6) In each and every section of the report start with the most important information. Help your reader quickly find what they need to know as quickly as possible.

7) Two drafts: The first draft is to think of good arguments and to receive feedback from a colleague (high English level). The second draft is for refining and polishing the way you’ve expressed these arguments.

 

what we can learn from actors

How do actors transmit passion and energy?

They practice their material in complete sentences and speak them out loud with feeling. They picture themselves in the scene, and imagine the feelings of the character.  They know it is easier to remember their lines and connect to the audience when feelings are involved.  Feelings are powerful for our memory.

In a business presentation in English we need to transmit ideas to our audience. This is more effectively done with energy and feelings such as passion and excitement. But how do we get excited or passionate about a financial report? 

Even if the topic is boring we can convince our mind to be passionate and excited. All we need to do is associate a topic with something we feel passionate or excited about. And then remember that before we practice or give the presentation.  

For example you have to explain the monthly financial report. It´s not been a good month but you think things will improve in the next 6 months. You can associate your presentation with your child who for  three months received bad marks at school and then improved greatly with help and support.  How did you feel? You probably had feelings of hope, pride and satisfaction. Well if you practice giving your presentation thinking of your child that´s what you´ll transmit in your presentation. And best of all knowbody will know how you did it.

The power of story telling

I´m a big fan of Carlos Salas and read his sunday El Mundo column “Agítese antes de leer”. Salas has the rare ability to make you laugh and think at the same time. See his blog for more evidence http://capitansnorkel.blogspot.com/ 

In the issue of 15th March he has again highlighted the importance of using images and stories when communicating. An idea well explained by Antonio Núñez´s book ¡Será mejor que lo cuentes.com! 

This is especially relevant when working in international business situations. 

Imagine you have to give a sales presentation to an international audience of Chinese and Indian executives. Does everybody have the same level of English? What do they know about my company? Will they remember my company´s product/service?

Select powerful common images and tell a simple story of how your product/service solved a problem faced by their business. Their brain will remember your product/service in images and simple words 10 times longer than just words(Harvard).

Here are some story telling phrases to get you started:

• It was a cold winter´s day when GHT´s problem first appeared.
• Imagine the following situation, GHT´s email was not working and everybody was panicking.
• So what did they do? Did they start shouting and complaining at their IT support? Did they attack their computers in rage?
• No they didn’t have to. Within 30 seconds our “Early Warning” Email System had diagnosed the problem and had activated the backup email system.
• Meanwhile “Early Warning” worked quietly on a solution.
• Everybody lived happily ever after, knowing that their email was safe and well…

Summarising in international meetings

A recent survey of European companies reported that 60% of all decisions taken in international meetings are not acted upon.

Surprisingly, the main reason was because people just didn’t understand and felt embarrased to ask questions. 

In international meetings it´s a very good idea to summarise at regular intervals. It involves 3 skills:

1. Listen attentively. Listen especially to the words people emphasis and their intentions. Take notes then check these intentions when you summarise:  “So when you say you disagree, is it because you feel it doesn’t exactly meet all your needs, is that right?
2. Check understanding. When people work and communicate in a 2nd language they often choose inappropriate words, that can confuse their real intention: “Jurgen , you said one of the problems we need to discuss is over production. Do you see this as a serious question or simply a practical question to be dealt with.
3. CSC summary. When summarising be clear, simple and concise. That way if you miss anything its easy for the other participants to notice it and add it to your summary. 

7 magic ways to summarise

1. To confirm exactly what has been decided: “So to summarise, we´ve agreed that Sara will email the X67 report by May 2nd”
2. To check your own understanding: “If I´ve understood you correctly, you´re saying the project has been delayed due to the contractors, is that right?”
3. To check the understanding of the participants: “I´ll just quickly summarise so we are all clear. First,..”
4. To signal the end of one part of a discussion: “What we´ve discussed so far is that we have two possible solutions.”
5. To measure the degree of agreement: “So do we have a consensus for choosing option A?” 
6. To signal that a participant has spoken too long: “Maria, sorry if I could interrupt you here, we don´t have long to discuss every point. So, any comments from anyone else?”
7. To help the meeting note-taker.”Point 3 on the meeting agenda. It was agreed that Sara will email the X67 report by May 2nd”

 

learn by being evaluated

You don´t evaluate yourself? Well perhaps you should, unless you´re perfect or a super heroe.

How you will next evaluate yourself,? i.e. what criteria will you use. See our blog post for ideas.http://peakperformer.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/model-the-best/

Where can you next evaluate yourself? Don´t laugh but actors practice in front of the mirror. Record yourself on a web camera to see how you look and sound when you present.

Or even better try it in front of a mentor, partner, friend or family member. Ask them the following; “What do you remember?”, “What was my objective?”, “What was my main message?”.

Select a short-list of 5 points for your criteria. Ask the evaluator to identify strengths and areas to impove in these 5 points. 

 

Bargaining – offers and conditions

“Win-win” is a popular expression in business schools. It basically means that relationships work best in business when both groups feel they have won something. Here is a practical use of “win-win”when bargaining in negotiations:

Linking an offer to a condition:                                                         

You will agree to do one thing if they agree to do something. This involves linking a condition to an offer. It´s better to state the condition then the offer. This avoids interruption and makes sure the other person listens, because the other person will want to hear both the offer and condition before deciding how to react.

If you order more than 10,000 units (condition) then we will give you a 7% discount (offer).

If you would be prepared to supply the product now (condition), we will be able to increase our offer by 5% (offer).

If you guarantee the work for 5 years (condition), we are prepared to accept the proposal (offer).  

 

bargaining – hypothetical questions

Bargaining is often a game of reactions. A hypothetical question is used to test the reaction of the other person to an offer. If they make a counter-offer it shows both people are open to bargaining.

Then you can use hypothetical questions to find their bargaining limits,i.e the lowest and the highest the other person will accept.    

Hypothetical Questions:

What if I were to order more than 15,000 units?

What would you say if I were to increase our offer by 5%?

What if I could guarantee the work for 3 years?

 

International smalltalk provided by the CIA

For facts:

One of the best sites for purely factual information about specific countries is kindly provided by the CIA. It’s known as the World Factbook.

For general information:

Some providers of intercultural training are using their websites to give useful tips on how to do business with other cultures.

Remember generalizations about behaviour are only the starting point you also need to take into account the situation you are in. However these sites are still very useful.

www.kwintessential.co.uk

www.executiveplanet.com

www.cyborlink.com

Finally although the internet is a useful resource, nothing beats experience. So ask colleagues who have been to these countries or call your consulate in that country.

 

Are International presentations always the same?

At a multinational company’s annual meeting, four managers from four different countries were asked to make ten-minute presentations on the situation in their particular regions.

They were given a standard Power Point template in corporate layout and asked to restrict their presentations to five slides. The four countries were China, Germany, Mexico and the US. Before reading below, answer these 6 questions?

1. Which was clearly structured?
2. Which used pictures of people?
3. Which had more facts and figures?
4. Which used more than 5 slides?
5. Which used moving images?
6. Which was the most difficult to understand?

Here are the results:

• The Mexican manager managed to fill the same templates with pictures not of products but of people: smiling customers and barbecues with family members to celebrate successful projects; much to the dismay of the representative from corporate communications, he had even added a sombrero to the group’s logo.

• The German manager began with a clearly structured, detailed and informative presentation strictly according to the principles known in Germany as “ZDF”, Zahlen, Daten und Fakten (numbers, data and facts); he read from a script.

• A representative from China packed her slides with moving icons.

• An executive from the US refused to reduce her 25 slides to five, arguing: “That’s OK, I’ll keep to the time limit — I’ll just talk more quickly,” and she did. However her presentation was the most difficult to understand as she used many idioms from American Sport and TV. She said next time she would adapt her presentation for an international audience (without so many idioms)

And your international presentation?

 

Making a proposal

In meetings and presentations, what makes a proposal effective?

Use these 6 steps to make an effective proposal:

1. Describe the current situation
2. Describe any negative problems of current situation
3. What do you want to achieve
4. List the benefits
5. State your proposal
6. Introduce the details of your proposal.

Here is an example from a supplier offering an IT solution for sharing know-how and information in the whole company.

1. As you know, the custom service department regularly deals with complex client problems.
2. Due to a lack of sharing of know-how in the company most of the customer service team can only solve 45% of these problems.
3. We want to solve 100% of these problems by greatly increasing know-how sharing in the whole company.
4. The benefits of this will be solving 95% of client problems instead of 45% and reducing the monthly loss of clients from 13% to 1%.
5. I´d like to propose that we implement the IT solution for know-how sharing for the entire company. 
6. What will this involve? How much will it cost? Let me explain in more detail.

 

How to prevent native speakers dominating in international meetings

Native English speakers often dominate international meetings because they have a linguistic advantage. So what can you do to prevent this happening? 

1. Ask them to explain expressions. Most people often don´t realise their dominating a meeting until someone points it out to them.  If you don´t understand a business expression, ask them to explain, “Sorry Paul, what does making headway mean? If you ask more than once they will probably speak simpler.
2. Ask them to repeat something. If they speak too quickly, ask them to repeat things, ”Sorry Sarah, I didn´t catch that, can you repeat it please?”. Try to do this two times and the other person will soon realise that they´re not helping communication.
3. Learn business expressions. Some business expressions are universal because they´re taught during MBAs..try to practice using a few for your work  http://www.businessdictionary.com/ 
4. Have self-confidence. If you have been invited to a meeting, it´s for a reason. People will be listening to your knowledge, know-how and experience and NOT your grammar mistakes. Clear communication of your ideas is key. Remember nobody ever left an international meeting saying “her english grammar skills really helped solve our problem!!”     

Really bad powerpoint presentations

 

Here at Peak Performers we are massive fans of Seth Godin, a practical thinker of marketing and communication. Here are his five rules you need to remember to create amazing Powerpoint presentations:

1. No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken.
2. No bad images. Use professional stock photo images.
3. No slide effects such as dissolves, spins or other transitions.
4. Sound effects can be used a few times per presentation, but never use the sound effects that are built in to the program. Instead, take sounds and music from CDs and leverage the effect this can have. If people start bouncing up and down to the Grateful Dead, you’ve kept them from falling asleep, and you’ve reminded them that this isn’t a typical meeting you’re running.
5. Don’t give print-outs of your slides. They don’t work without you there.

The home run is easy to describe: You put up a slide. It triggers an emotional reaction in the audience. They sit up and want to know what you’re going to say that fits in with that image. Then, if you do it right, every time they think of what you said, they’ll see the image (and vice versa). Why? We remember the combination of images and words 5 times longer than just words.

Sure, this is different from the way everyone else does it. But everyone else is busy defending the status quo (which is easy) and you’re busy championing brave new innovations, which is difficult.

Read more about http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/01/really_bad_powe.html

International meetings – before, during and after

Get the most out of international meetings and view them as a three part process.

1. Before – clarify objectives

Save time by exchanging emails before the meeting with meeting participants. Get to know each other, clarify meeting objectives and intended outcomes (results). Arriving to meetings not knowing leads to misunderstandings.

2. After – ensure implementation

Often we agree actions in meetings that are never completed or not completed on-time. Phone participants after the meeting to clarify their level of understanding of agreed actions and test their commitment to what was agreed in the meeting.

3. During – meeting type

People enter a meeting with very different expectations. They may know the objective but not what type of meeting it is. Clarify in the beginning of the meeting if the meeting is for…

…structured and polite discussion?

…for creative and challenging discussion?

…for top-down briefing or bottom-up brainstorming?

…analysis or action?

…taking fixed decisions or a preliminary discussion?

Top tips for international socialising

 

1. Be proactive – break the ice

Ask most non-native speakers of English how they feel about socialising and starting a conversation (breaking the ice) and the answer will be nervous and unconfident.

The only way we can overcome that is practice. The more we practice being proactive and breaking the ice (starting conversation) the more relaxed and confident we will feel. We suggest preparing simple questions you can ask.

How are you enjoying the event?

Is this your first time to…?

Do you work for…?

What did you think of…?

2. What to talk about – safe conversation topics

This is all about talking and asking questions about 5 safe conversation topics.

- weather (What´s the weather like where you come from?)

- jobs and responsibilities (So what do you do exactly?)

- travel ( How was your flight? )( Have you ever been to….?)

- business (How’s business at the moment?)

- interests (So what are you interested in?)

3. Focus on them – not you

Focus on the other person in social situations, even if this means talking for an hour about something which you personally find boring. It´s a good way to find things you have in common to talk about as well as their interests.

4. Active listening – give positive feedback

Show and tell people you´re listening, nod your head and say “ah-hum/ ok/ i agree/ i know what you mean”. Also use positive body language such as smiling, making eye contact and keeping your arms open and not crossed.  It may seem obvious but listening styles differ greatly across cultures and across personalities.

5. Inspire others

As a speaker we should try to ‘inspire’ people listening to us so that when they walked away they would be thinking positive thoughts like That was a really interesting conversation. / He’s a really nice guy. / That was fun. etc.  If we can achieve this people will remember us and the law of reciprocity means they might even want to help us because we gave them something.

6 Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm in a conversation means being open and enthusiastic about what you say and what the other person says. For example you can practice this by changing your responses from ‘It was fine” to ‘It was excellent.‘, from ‘It was quite interesting.’ to ‘It was amazing.’

The power of grouping things in 3

What do Aristotle, Plato and Obama have in common?

They understand the art of persuasion and they understand the power of grouping things in 3.

Why do they group things in 3?

Simply put it´s because it sticks in our brains, it is easier to remember and it has a more powerful impact than 1,2 or 4 things.

Research shows that International audiences remember between 5-7% of presentations and speeches. “Groups of 3” was in that 5-7%. 

Let´s look at Obama´s speech to congress in early 2009.

If you have not been affected personally by this recession, probably you know someone who has: a friend, a neighbour, a member of your family.

We will rebuild, recover and America will come out stronger than before.

I don´t speak French and history was not my best subject at school.

So when I visited Paris and went to the “Place de la Bastille”, what did I remember from History classes?

Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité

Making small talk in a negotiation

Making “small talk” before starting a negotiation helps create a positive and friendly atmosphere. But what can we talk about? Depends on the country.

General topics of conversation.

• The weather
• Travel
• History
• People you both know
• Sport

United Arab Emirates

Your host will set the conversation and expect you to contribute intelligently with interesting ideas and opinions.  The key is to contribute to enlightenment so both learn.

You don´t need to always agree but be polite and respectful. Don´t interrupt.

China

Before you go read a little about Chinese culture, history, and geography. Your hosts will appreciate your initiative.

Negative replies are considered impolite. Instead of saying ‘no’, answer ‘maybe’, ‘I’ll think about it’, or ‘we’ll see’. Your hosts will expect this and you can talk details later.

India

Indians enjoy to talk about politics, cricket, films, economics, history and family.

However be careful Indian politics can be very complex and often very regional in nature. Avoid talking about Pakistan.

India is a rich and ancient civilization and most Indians are proud of this.

To read more go to www.executiveplanet.com

saving face in negotiations

Often in a negotiation people will continue to say no to a proposal, even if its a good one, simply because they want to save face.

Saving face refers to maintaining our “image” or “reputation”.

Maintaining a positive face is vital to all of us.  When it’s under threat we feel the need to defend it.  Hence the expression “saving face”.

Now if we can help people “save face”,  they´re more likely to help us.  Why? The law of reciprocity.

Under threat

1) “I don’t understand how that paragraph got in the report”
2) “I gave this to Javier to check – he must have misunderstood the instruction.”
3) “Well, you see, those figures were technically correct when viewed in that context…”

Creative solutions

1) “No problem i know the deadline was too tight. Next time we´ll have at least two people working on it”.

2) “Sometimes it happens. I´ll ask Javier if he needs more training.”

3)”Market uncertainty was unusually high in 2009. Perhaps we need to review our financial models”.

A Stressful Interview – 10 questions and 10 answers

The top ten most difficult questions and their suggested answers.

1. Tell me about yourself.

“I’m a committed and results driven marketer. My main strength is my ability to mix creativity with logic – combine the left and right side of the brain. For example….”

2. Why should I hire you?

“I realize that there are probably a few other candidates who also have the ability to do this job. Yet I bring an additional quality that makes me the best person for the job; my passion for excellence and results. For example . . .”

3. What is your long-range objective?

“Within five years, I would like to become one of the best accountants in the company. I want to work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And prepare myself to take on greater responsibilities. For example, to prepare myself for this I´m…” . . .

4. How has your education prepared you for your career?

“My education has focused not only on the academic but also on the practical. For example, I was involved in…”.

5. Are you a team player?

“Yes, I’m very much a team player. In fact, I’ve had opportunities in my work, and with sports to develop my skills as a team player. For example, on a recent project . . .”

6. Have you ever had a conflict with a manager? How was it resolved?

“Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but there have been disagreements that needed to be resolved. I find it helps to firstly understand both perspectives. So I take time to listen to their point of view, then we work together towards a collaborative solution. For example . . .”

7. What is your greatest weakness?

“I have had trouble in the past with planning and prioritising. However, I’ve taken some project management courses and also started using a pocket planner. This has helped me when….”

8. If I were to ask your colleagues or managers to describe you, what would they say?

“I believe she would say I’m a very energetic person, that I’m results oriented and have a good set of values. May I show you one of my letters of recommendation?”

9. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?

“In my opinion, the key quality in a successful manager should be leadership–the ability to communicate clearly a vision and how to carry it out. The person who can set the course and direction for their team. Let me give you an example of a leader I admire….”

10. If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?

“Overall I’m very happy with my life and its direction. One aspect I would have changed would have been to have had more divergent experiences in the beginning of my career. Experience is a great teacher and it helps us to quickly understand and empathise with other people and departments.”

Quickly check my Business Writing

Sometimes we read a company´s marketing material (website, brochure, presentation, report) and think who wrote this rubbish and why does it make no sense.

Is it the fault of the translator or the writer?

Usually both.  When we say somebody writes well, it´s because they can use language to make something interesting or clear or both.

In another language this requires even more skill. It requires that they also know how to write well in English, for example.

How can you quickly solve this problem?

1) Use native English speakers in your office or another office.

2) Use translators who are also good writers in English.

3) Use professional copy editors. Copy editors quickly check and rewrite your writing so it makes sense and reads well.

We found this company in Denmark who are quick and great value for money. Yes i know they´re not native but all their copy editors have worked in the US and UK as copy-editors for top magazines.

www.wordy.com

Videoconferencing – top 5 tips

As teams become more virtual so do meetings. Hence the popularity of video conferencing. Add these good practices to your business skills.

Here are 5 top  tips for good video-conferencing.

1. Good eye contact. Trust comes from making good eye contact but not staring all the time. With videoconferencing we need to switch naturally between looking at the camera (making eye contact) and the screen.  Don´t be afraid to ask colleagues for feedback.
2. Passport Picture.  We suggest you show only your head and shoulders to the other person as if taking a passport photo. It focuses their attention only on what you say.
3. More than one person. We suggest you sit side by side as a team. It may feel unnatural in a meeting room but it looks good on camera.
4. Emphasising key messages/points. Move forward in your seat and look directly at the camera as you say your key message / point. It’s a trick TV presenters and actors use to “come out of the camera”. Use infrequently for maximum effect.
5. Practice with a colleague. Practice makes perfect. Practice videoconferencing with a colleague. Brainstorm a list of 5 criteria to evaluate each other and give feedback. For example: communication, natural, appearance, overall impression,  eye contact.  

Videoconferencing – top 5 tips – part 2

I read an interesting article of how a training company solved videoconferencing problems for Barclays. Here is some of the problems they had when videoconferencing between international teams:

1. How long will this last?
2. Are you talking to me – I can’t quite see?
3. Are you really interested in what I have to say?
4. Is this topic on the meeting agenda?

So they practised a videoconference meeting between two rooms in the central office. They focused on 6 key areas:

• Getting familiar with the technology and what it can do
• Staying in control of the camera and thus how people were being seen
• Controlling volume
• Preparing effectively
• Body language
• Tone of voice

So what was the important lesson they learnt during the training.

The body language of the listeners in a videoconference can be crucial; something as simple as a smile can make an enormous difference to how a message is received.

What we say is important but equally so is how we say it.

Business storytelling – The 3I´s

In an age of information overload, how can we get people to remember what we say?

Easy, we need to think and act like our ancestors. They used storytelling to help the tribe remember customs.

Here are three techniques (3 I´s) to improve your business storytelling abilities.

• Invitation – We need to stimulate people´s curiosity. We can do this by asking them to share an exciting experience with you. We need to invite them to share something exciting with us.For example:

“We are going to explore…..”

“Do you want your customers to have a bad experience, or do you want them to have the an experience they will tell their friends about?” 

• Imagination – Our imaginations are more powerful than power point or flash. When we use our imagination we remember for longer. We just need to help people access their imagination. For example: 

“Picture this….”

“Imagine you´re working on ….when….happens. How would you feel?”

• Impact – The audience wants impact they want to be entertained to know what they are listening to do is important. For this we need impact.  To create impact we need a human connection. Human connections can be achieved using sounds, images, unusual facts or famous quotes. For example:  

“Change is diffcult but progress happens with the first step. As Neil Amstrong said. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.  

The Art of Videoconferencing – part 1

Is videoconferencing that different to normal meetings? Well the answer is yes and no. Over 500 managers from different multinationals were asked to give their best tips.

1. Have a realistic agenda: Managers suggested organising agenda points into “Priority” and “Optional”. And putting a time limit for each agenda point.  
2. Start positively: Give all participants the opportunity to introduce themselves and their role in the project or company.
3. Smile and make good eye contact: Again sounds obvious but smiling helps to make a good first impression and relaxes people. Good eye contact helps build trust….but don´t stare! 
4. Agree meeting rules together: If all the participants agree on 3 basic rules before you start, your international meetings will run more effectively. For example…how to interrupt, the role of the moderator or meeting chair, how to participate, how to follow the agenda and what to do if an argument occurs.
5. Monitor progress: When preparing a meeting agenda, time limits for each agenda point need to be estimated. This helps monitor the progress of the meeting.      

The art of videoconferencing – part 2

Is videoconferencing that different to normal meetings? Well the answer is yes and no. Over 500 managers from different multinationals were asked to give their best tips.

1. Take notes: Take notes during the meeting enables you to contribute better at the appropriate time. Especially when the meeting is conducted in English.
2. Use your voice: Vary your voice( volume, tone, speed) helps to make you more interesting to listen to. Monotonous voices are the quickest way to make other participants switch off (stop listening).
3. Visual aids: Images and pictures communicate key messages quicker and are retained for longer…so use them!!  Use internet tools like “slideshare” or email your presentation before the meeting. Nothing is worse than seeing PowerPoint full of text with no visuals, graphs, images or pictures.
4. Know when to finish: Who has time to waste at work? Nobody, so respect people´s time and keep to time limits. Participants should always ask the question if a point should be discussed now or in a later meeting. 
5. Summarise: At the end of the meeting, the meeting moderator summarises key points and concludes. This helps us to feel we used time well and what we all need to do next.   

Business writing –save time

Most of us are not professional writers so inevitably we find it challenging when we have to write a business report or email. Especially in another language.

To save time frame your ideas and context. We can do this by answering 3 key questions:

1. Why are you writing? (main objective)
2. Who are you writing for? (audience)
3. What are you telling them? (how)

Why are you writing?

What is your main objective? Are you trying to persuade, inform, entertain or impress. Choose only one main objective for maximum impact, otherwise you confuse the reader by giving them a choice of objectives.

Who are you writing for?

Who is your intended reader or readers?
What are their expectations, concerns and issues?
What is their existing knowledge of the subject?

This enables you to pitch at the right level. For example, formal or informal, concise or more detailed and light or a serious tone.

What are you telling them?

This is really the how to tell them question. Once you answer questions 1) and 2) you will be able to choose what to include, what to edit and what to remove. Also the style (formal or informal) It´s essential you only include what you need to answer questions 1) and 2). If not remove it. It´s not Shakespeare.

Final check. If it´s important ask a colleague to read it and answer the 3 questions, Why, Who and What.

5 ways to convert needs into sales questions

Selling is about providing solutions. To provide solutions we need to understand needs and until we perfect mind reading we need to ask questions.  Lets focus on needs based questions.

First we need to identify 5 needs our services / products satisfy. For example:

Here are 5 needs for an Air-Conditioning Repair and Check-up Service for offices:

1. To keep equipment operating efficiently
2. To maintain value of equipment
3. To keep your office cooled
4. To keep objects cooled in the office
5. To guarantee visitors feel comfortable

Before reading the examples below practice converting these 5 needs into 5 Sales Questions (1 question per need).  Write one question per need. Make your questions clear, simple and concise.

Here are our 5 questions.

1. What experience have you had with Air-Conditioning equipment that is not well maintained?
2. In this area how does good air-conditioning equipment affect office prices?
3. How often do you or your colleagues find your office uncomfortable?
4. What objects in your office need to be kept at 20C or below?
5. How much of a role does efficient Air-Conditioning equipment play in making your visitors feel comfortable?

How to present yourself and your company in 1 minute

Most people are not good at presenting themselves or their company in a concise, simple and clear way. They want to tell you everything. This becomes even harder when working in English at an International Trade Fair.

The 1 minute Script is concise and impacting.  Here are the 5 steps to develop your own 1 minute script.

1. “We work with….”
2. “Who have a problem with…”
3. “What we do is…”
4. “So that…”
5. “Which means…”

We work with: Be specific about your target market (Type of business, location etc)

Who have a problem with: Focus on what hurts for them, their main problem that gives them headaches. People pay attention and respond more to negatives.

What we do is: Explain how your product/service solves their problem. Be clear, simple and concise and write one sentence of 15 words or less.

So that: Explain the function the client that the customer receives. For example, Blackberry enables you to instantly receive and send emails from anywhere in the world.

Which means: List the Top 3 benefits.

Here is an example of a Management Consultant who works with Directors of SMEs.

“We work with the managing directors of fast-growing SMEs. Who have a problem with the pains of managing fast growth. What we do is we use our 15-20 years experience as directors of fast growing SMEs to work with them to develop practical solutions. So that you get practical and quick-to-implement business solutions. Which means that you can exceed your targets and have the business and lifestyle that you want.

See below the video blog post.

telephone tips – get a meeting

So you have just come back from an international trade fair / event and you want to set up some meetings. What do you say? Here is script to help you in 3 situations.

Situation 1

Receptionist: Hello Ms.Diwani´s office. This is Isha how can I help you?

You: Good morning Isha. I recently met Ms.Diwani at (event) and she asked me to give her a call. Is she there?

Receptionist: I´ll put you through.

You: Hello is that Ms.Diwani. Hi this is (your name). We met recently at (event). You suggested i call you to talk about (their main problem). Do you have a few minutes to talk now?

—————————————————————————–

Situation 2

Receptionist: Hello Ms.Diwani´s office. This is Isha how can I help you?

You: Good morning Isha. I recently met Ms.Diwani at (event) and she asked me to give her a call. Is she there?

Receptionist: No she´s in a meeting.

You: When would be the best time to speak to Ms.Diwani?

Receptionist: I´d suggest calling at 0930am tomorrow.

————————————————————————-

Situation 3

Receptionist: Hello Ms.Diwani´s office. This is Isha how can I help you?

You: Good morning Isha. I recently met Ms.Diwani at (event) and she asked me to give her a call. Is she there?

Receptionist: I´m not sure. What is it referring to?

You: Ms.Diwani. told me about (their main problem) and we talked about how our we solved this problem for (important client). She suggested meeting to discuss (their main problem) in more detail. Does Ms.Diwani have a few minutes to quickly talk now?

The art of persuasion in 5 steps

You´re in a meeting and you need to persuade a colleague, a client or a supplier. What technique do you use?

Monroe´s Motivated Sequence (MMS) is a simple and highly effective technique to logically order your ideas to persuade. There are 5 steps.

1) Get their attention – ask a question or use an usual fact.

Have you ever wondered why…?

What if…? If I told you we could…, would you be interested?

It’s hard to believe but…    Did you know that…

2) Explain the other person´s need

The problem is due to…

The problem is because of…

The problem is caused by…

3) Solution

Doing (solution)….will give us… (benefit).

(Solution)…. ensures we can… (benefit).

(Solution)…. will help us to do…(benefit).

4) Visualise benefits – positive

Under this plan, we could see as much as a 35% increase in…

Imagine this, with a…

By implementing this plan immediately the company will see…

4) Visualise benefits  – negative

Without quick action the situation could…

If we don’t do anything the situation is going to…

If we don’t adopt this proposal there’s no telling what could happen.

5) Take action

We need quick action and we need it now. I recommend that we…

I need your help to implement a winning solution for all of us.

The first thing we need to do is….

Questions to see your business though your customers´ eyes

The key to offering good customer service is to look through your customers´ eyes.  One way to do this is to ask good questions and answer them honestly as a team.  Try it at your next meeting about customer service. 

Who are our customers and what do they want?

Why do customers buy from us and not from competitors?

What customer problems do we think we solve?

What customer problems do we actually solve?

What is our customer promise? (price, service, quality, creativity, etc)

How well do we deliver our customer promise?

What do we want our customers to think of us?

What are we really selling? What are customers really buying?

What could we do to improve the customer experience?

Which points of contact with the customer could we improve?

For what reasons would our customers recommend us to their customers/suppliers?

Communicate value added first then price

If you don´t want to compete only on price then you need to communicate value added first.

The easiest way to do this is to develop a Direct Value Statement (DVS).

This is a statement that clearly, simply and concisely explains:

• why your organization exists
• what makes your product/service special

DVS include two sentences:

1. We assist our clients in…(Why…?)
2. We do this by… (What…?)

3 Examples:

1. We assist our clients/customers in the interior design industry to provide their clients with stylish Italian floors. We do this by…
2. We assist our clients in the real estate business to train their sales teams to provide friendly and helpful customer service. We do this by…
3. We assist our clients in the Energy sector to reduce their Carbon emissions and increase their solar energy production. We do this by…

How to motivate people to participate in meetings

Normally when we brainstorm ideas about problems in a meeting we limit our own thinking and that of our teammates because we´re influenced by…

• what we know
• the existing status quo
• using our emotions or instinct.

However we just end up repeating old idea and thinking as well as stopping people contributing new ideas and thinking. Now let´s use Seth Godin´s “theory of the case”.

A is true.

B is true.

If we do C, then A and B should permit us to get D.

Why? This method puts your assumptions to one side. As it describes your actions and possible results while allowing teammates or colleagues to supply facts that might change your analysis.

Wait, A isn’t true.

Wait, we’re not capable of doing C.

Wait, if we did C, it’s not clear we would get D. Tell us how that would work…

By making your assumptions and logic clear, you allow a more productive conversation to take place with your teammates who feel included and motivated to contribute different ideas..

Too often, people fixate on a result they want and presume that if they just try really hard (with good intent) then maybe it’ll happen.

How many times have you been in a meeting and thought why can´t we explore a new direction..

Read the full blog post here..

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/07/the-theory-of-the-case.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fsethsmainblog+%28Seth%27s+Blog%29

How to evaluate and give feedback to motivate people

Objectives

- To motivate people to improve.

- To learn from other people.

How to evaluate and give feedback

Evaluation and feedback are an essential part of learning and development in all jobs. Without evaluation and feedback the process of learning and development is slow. This is a practical guide about how to evaluate and give feedback to motivate people.

Main points to remember

1. Preparation

Your evaluation needs to be specific and constructive to be useful. However this can only happen if you understand the evaluation criteria.

2. Be objective, not subjective

Objective feedback helps people to improve; subjective feedback destroys confidence.

3. Evaluate to motivate

The role of the evaluator is to motivate not to judge. It’s essential that the evaluator only describes their reactions to the presentation and SHOULD NOT PASS JUDGEMENT. Use “In my opinion…”, “I felt…”, “From my point of view…” AVOID the use of “You should have…” If I was you I would…” and “why didn’t you?”

4. Hamburger feedback technique

Two positive aspects (bread)

Two areas to improve (meat)

Two positive aspects (bread)

To motivate people to improve they need to respect and trust you. Most people will trust you if you start with the positive aspects. They will not respect you unless you explain specific areas where they can improve. You will motivate them to progress and improve if you finish with positive aspects.

5. Delivery

Your feedback ideas should be clear and concise.

Make good eye contact.

Use a positive tone of voice.

Set up a meeting with a new contact

Imagine the scenario, you have just come back from an international trade fair or event and you want to set up a meeting with a new contact you made there.

Here is a business script to help you: For more business scripts go to this section of our website: www.thepracticeoffice.com/The_Practice_Office/Herramientas.html

Assistant: “Hello this is Priya Arya´s (Indian woman) office. This is Renu how can i help you?”

YOU: “Good morning Renu. My name is (YOU). I met Ms.Arya at XYZ trade fair last week. She asked me to call to set up a meeting. Could you put me through to her?”

Contact: “Hi this Priya Arya. May i help you?”

YOU: “Hello Ms.Arya. This is (YOU). We met at XYZ trade fair last week. As we discussed i said i would call to set up a meeting with you. Do you have a few minutes to talk now?”

3 SITUATIONS

—————————–

Contact: “No. I´m busy”.

YOU: “Ok. When would be the best time to call you?”

—————————–

Contact: “Yes”

YOU: “Good. As you recall, I´m with (COMPANY) we work with companies from the (CONTACT¨S SECTOR). We solve (MAIN CLIENT PROBLEM) by (SOLUTION). When would be the best time to meet for you?”

—————————–

Contact: “I´m not sure”

YOU: (Ask 2-3 questions about typical problems your clients have. If they answer yes continue below)

YOU: “As you may recall, I´m with (COMPANY) we work with companies from the (CONTACT¨S SECTOR). We solve (MAIN CLIENT PROBLEM) by (SOLUTION). When would be the best time to meet for you?”

For more business scripts go to http://www.thepracticeoffice.com/The_Practice_Office/Herramientas.html

the art of good conversation

Good diplomats often say that, “the true spirit of conversation consists in building on another person´s observation, not overturning it”

To become a better conversationalist try these tips:

1) Show real or sincere interest in the other person

Try to learn a little about the person before you start a conversation. Find out what you have in common. Prepare a few question or comments to show your interest.

“I see you like….”

“What do you think of…?”

“Did you see….What did you think of it?”

“Have you read…What did you think of it?”

2) Ask good questions.

If we ask yes or no questions it´s difficult for conversation to flow naturally. Try to ask open questions and interesting questions about topics, events, things in common or news. Open questions usually start with (What, how, when, where, why)

“What do you think about….?”

“How do you feel about…?”

“Would you recommend it and why?”

3) Active listening

We all do it, we´re think we´re listening and then we start thinking about something completely differently while somebody is talking. The other person catches us doing it and thinks we are not interested. End of conversation.

A key part of good conversation is responding appropriately to comments and questions at the right time.

“I see what you mean”

“I know what you mean”

“That´s true”

“I can understand you´re point of view”

Read more about active listening in this post.

http://peakperformer.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/5-top-tips-for-international-socialising/

4) Keep up to date on current affairs (current events and issues)

Remember boring conversations we´ve had. It´s usually with monotonous people, usually experts, because they talked about the same topic or issue for the whole conversation.  For good conversation, it is often better to know something about many topics than to know a lot about only one topic.

Conversation is like tango; without a dancing partner you´re just practising steps alone.

converting business trips into productive time

Business trips have advantages and disadvantages. On one side they enable us to manage face to face meetings with key clients and suppliers. However they rob us of time we could be spending with family and friends. As we usually still have work to complete when we get back from business trips.

One way of gaining time is to convert the dead time (waiting for planes or on planes) of a business trip into productive time.

Many of our clients who do a lot of business trips ask us for material to practice their Business English.  We recommend listening to the podcasts of Business English Pod www.businessenglishpod.com. Listen to Business English being used by 2-3 people in real international business situations, such as teleconferences, negotiations, meetings, presentations and interviews. It´s divided into sections of Business Skills and intermediate and advanced levels.

You can download the mp3 files and listen for free, but you pay for the transcripts. It´s great practice. Try the free trial before buying.

The Practice Office. Una inmersión trabajando en Inglés en España. www.thepracticeoffice.com

Why sorry is a difficult word

¿No sabes las diferencias entre cómo pedir disculpas en inglés por email o por teléfono?

¿Te cuesta utilizar las estructuras correctas o el registro correcto cuando contestas a una queja de un cliente en inglés?

En inglés se puede pedir disculpas de muchas maneras, pero hay diferencias sutiles de registro cuando contestas a una queja de un cliente en inglés por email o por teléfono.

Cuando contestas una queja por email, te aconsejo que uses un registro más formal y que seas siempre educado, claro y conciso.

Cuando contestas una queja por teléfono puedes ser un poco menos formal para transmitir una sensación de profesionalidad y cercanía al cliente. El buen trato siempre es bienvenido y en eso los españoles tienen una ventaja.

Por email

· We regret that your order has been delayed for 2 days, due to a logistics error.

Usamos regret that para pedir disculpas por algo que hemos hecho.

· We regret to inform you that your order has been delayed for 2 days, due to a logistics error.

Usamos regret to + infinitivo para pedir disculpas por algo que vamos a hacer o decir.

Para una situación más grave puedes añadir very much a ambos casos. Por ejemplo:

· We very much regret that your order…

· We very much regret to inform you that your order…

Por teléfono

· We apologise for the 2 day delay, it was due to a logistics error.

Usamos apologise + for para pedir disculpas por algo que hemos hecho.

· First of all, let me apologise for the delay, it was due to a logistics error.

Añadimos first of all, let me para enfatizar la importancia de tratar la disculpa primero.

· Please accept our apologies for the delay, it was due to a logistics error.

Usamos el sustantivo apologies para pedir disculpas por algo que hemos hecho.

Ojo no puedes añadir very much a apologise for o a apologies porque no se requieren.

Aquí he puesto un link a un video en lo que se explica cómo redactar un business email que lo recomendamos a todo nuestros clientes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kks0xvNXx9w&feature=fvsr

Mándanos ejemplos por email a info@thepracticeoffice.com y te daremos feedback.

 

The Practice Office

Una inmersión trabajando en inglés en España

www.thepracticeoffice.com

How to end a phone call quickly and professionally

¿No sabes cómo terminar una llamada telefónica en inglés para quedar bien con un cliente o proveedor internacional?

¿Te cuesta terminar una llamada telefónica en inglés sin ser abrupto?

A veces una llamada telefónica en inglés nos pilla en el peor momento y la tenemos que atender porque es alguien de la oficina central, un cliente internacional o un proveedor internacional. El estrés que esta llamada nos provoca es nuestro peor enemigo.

Te ofrezco 4 frases claves para terminar bien la llamada y quedar bien con tu interlocutor.

1. – Pausa – “Sorry Mr.Chen, I can’t talk now, as I have an important meeting right now. Can I call you on Wednesday at 4:00pm?”

2. – Pausa – “I´m sorry Mr.Watson, I can’t talk now, because I have a client waiting for me. Can I call you on Thursday at 09:00am?”

3. – Pausa – “Sorry Ms.Shah, I can’t take your call now, because I have an urgent matter to attend to. Can I call you on Tuesday at 10:00am or 11:00am?”

4. – Pausa – “I´m sorry Ms. Sousa, I can’t take your call now, as I have a client lunch. Can I call you tomorrow at 5:00pm?”

• Primero, mantén la calma y busca la primera pausa para interrumpir.
• Segundo, pide disculpas. Utiliza Sorry XX o I´m sorry XX.
• Tercero, dile que no puedes atenderle ahora y explícale el motivo. Utiliza I can’t take your call now, because… o I can’t talk now, as…
• Cuarto, dale otro horario cuando le vas a atender. Utiliza Can I call you tomorrow at 5:00pm?”

Mándanos tus ejemplos por email a info@thepracticeoffice.com y te daremos feedback.

The Practice Office sale en Aprendemas

The Practice Office sale hoy en la página web Aprendemas.

Puedes leer todo el artículo aquí.

http://www.aprendemas.com/Noticias/DetalleNoticia.asp?Noticia=7796

Why it pays to copy other people’s emails?

¿No sabes las formas adecuadas cuando escribes emails en inglés?

¿Te cuesta diferenciar entre las formas formales e informales cuando escribes emails en inglés?

Cuando escribes en tu propio idioma en el trabajo, no siempre te percatas de todas las sutilezas que se requieren para redactar bien. Con el tiempo la experiencia te aporta la perspicacia para saber redactar bien en la mayoría de las situaciones de negocios. Por ejemplo, los abogados son expertos en este campo.

Cuando escribes en inglés podrías esperar la llegada de este nivel de perspicacia que la experiencia te aporta, o podrías usar la experiencia de otros (nativos o profesionales con un alto nivel de inglés).

Te aconsejo que guardes copias de los emails que recibas y que las ordenes en archivos con los siguientes nombres, por ejemplo: contestaciones, quejas, información, urgencias, o lo que sea lo más apropiado para tu trabajo.

Así cuando tengas que escribir un email podrás usar las formas formales que otros han utilizado para transmitir un mensaje determinado.

Aquí te doy algunos ejemplos que nos dieron algunos participantes de uno de nuestros programas de redacción empresarial en inglés.

1) Acuse de recibo se puede traducir al inglés de forma formal o informal como:

Ejemplo 1: Formal

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 6 September.

Ejemplo 2: Informal

Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your email of 6 September.

2) Con respeto a se puede traducir al inglés formal como:

Ejemplo 1:

Dear Sir/Madam,

In reference to your email from March 11th, I apologise for the delay in the delivery of your Apple Mac 4567 this was due to a logistics error.

3) Espero su pronta respuesta / Quedo a la espera de su respuesta se puede traducir al inglés como:

Ejemplo 1:

Dear Sir/Madam,

In reference to your email from March 11th, I apologise for the delay in the delivery of your Apple Mac 4567 this was due to a logistics error. We would like to offer you a free voucher of €20 as compensation for your inconvenience.

I look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Regards,

Mándanos tus ejemplos por email a info@thepracticeoffice.com y te daremos feedback.

 

How to use “Regarding/Respecto a” in an email

The easiest way to translate respecto a in to English is to use one word: ‘regarding‘. Look at the following formal example in Spanish and English. Can you can see the similarities between Spanish and English?

Estimado Lydia:
Respecto a su correo de ayer, le indico que el informe se enviará el proximo lunes primera hora.

Dear Simon,
Regarding your email yesterday, I can inform you that the report will be sent first thing next Monday morning.

Writing formal emails is a question of practice and being brave enough to use new expressions such as, regarding. The more you use different expressions the easier it becomes.

top 3 email phrases at work

Actualmente se puede decir que la gran mayoría de la comunicación semanal en inglés de los profesionales españoles se realiza a través del email – y va creciendo.

¿Pero sabes cuáles son las frases en inglés más habituales en el ámbito profesional?

Según una encuesta de una revista de negocios norte americana las frases de tal y como acordamos, respecto a y estamos interesados en son las más utilizadas por los empleados de las grandes multinacionales hoy en día.

Estas frases son claves para empezar o conectar ideas cuando escribas un email en inglés en el trabajo. También son frases que comuniquen un cierto tono de profesionalidad.

Atrévete a usar las 3 frases en un solo día en tu puesto de trabajo.

Aquí te doy un ejemplo de cada uno en inglés con su traducción al español.

—————-

Dear Mr.Shah,
As we agreed, I enclose the documentation I mentioned in our phone conversation on Wednesday. It needs to be read and signed as soon as possible.

 

Estimado Señor Shah,

Tal y como acordamos, le adjunto la documentación que le comentaba durante nuestra conversación mantenida por teléfono el miércoles. Hace falta leerlo y firmarlo lo antes posible.

—————–

Dear Sara,

Regarding your email yesterday, I can inform you that the report will be sent first thing next Tuesday morning.

 

Estimado Sara:
Respecto a su correo de ayer, le indico que el informe se enviará el próximo martes primera hora.

—————–

Dear Sir/Madam,

I’m the purchasing manager of TPK and we’re interested in purchasing some ASUS laptops from your online shop. Would you mind sending me some details relating to bulk volume discounts and postage and packaging charges? Many thanks.

Best regards,

Jaques Custini

 

Estimado Sr/a:

Soy el responsable de compras de TPK y estamos interesados en comprar algunos portátiles de ASUS de su tienda online.¿Le importaría enviarme unos detalles sobre los descuentos para pedidos de volumen y los costes de transporte correspondientes? Muchas gracias.

Reciba un cordial saludo,
Jaques Custini

 

Mándanos tus ejemplos por email a info@thepracticeoffice.com y te daremos feedback.

Saber desenvolverse en inglés, clave para encontrar un empleo, según Cincodias.

Según Cincodias, saber desenvolverse en inglés ya es un requisito imprescindible en más de un 74% de las ofertas de empleo cualificado. Pero saber hablar en inglés no significa saber desenvolverse en inglés por eso la práctica de Business English con Business Skills en situaciones y simulaciones del trabajo son tan importantes.

http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/economia/idiomas-claves-encontrar-empleo/20100908cdscdseco_13/

Business video: China – Red Capitalism

Aprende sobre las últimas tendencias en el mundo empresarial a través de vídeos.

China Red Capitalism 14-01-2010

Vea el vídeo y contesta las preguntas. Una entrevista con el autor del libro “Red Capitalism” Fraser Howie, en lo que el autor explica las oportunidades y los peligros que le enfrenta a la economía China en el corto-medio plazo.

Listening Questions

1. As China reforms its state-run companies, what are the biggest changes we are likely to see? (0:27)

2. Was private sector growth planned? (0:49)

3. Who are not very good allocators of capital? (1:25)

4. What was thought about Japan 20 years ago? (1:45)

5. What did China do after the global economic crisis started in 2008? (2:38)

6. Will there be a big problem of non-performing loans (préstamos en peligro de no recuperarse) in China in 2011? (3:07)

7. What effect will the bad loans have on the economy? (3:35)

8. What is the “Big Red Flag” (el peligro) that investors should be aware of in China? (3:58)

Answers

1. The domination of the state will continue. Private sector growth was a secondary event.

2. No it wasn’t planned, it was a secondary event.

3. The State (The Government).

4. That Japan was going to take over the world with Japanese bureaucrats managing this (and managing capital efficiently).

5. Chinese banks started lending a lot of money (gave a lot of loans) to keep growth going.

6. No, but maybe after 2012.

7. They will slow economic growth in the future.

8. Don’t believe a lot of the headlines and propaganda. There is too much focus on output and not on the inputs needed to achieve that output.

Business videos: luxury brands look to asia

Aprende sobre las últimas tendencias en el mundo empresarial a través de vídeos.

Luxury Brands look to Asia 21-01-2010

Vea el video y contesta las preguntas. El reportaje se trata de las marcas de lujo más internacionales de la moda que están más interesados que nunca en el mercado Asiático y sobretodo China.

Listening Questions

1. What is a first for Louis Vuitton´s advertising campaigns? (0:20)

2. Who is Rupert Sanderson´s newest design specifically tailored to (customised) ? (0:28)

3. How long has Barney Cheung been designing for? (0:53)

4. Where is Barney Cheung based? (1:04)

5. How much is 50,000 Hong Kong? (1:12)

6. What do Chinese, Malaysian and Indonesians and Japanese clients like? (1:52)

7. When the designer first went to Paris to buy fabrics why didn’t the fabric suppliers let him into their stalls? (1:52)

8. Why is it good to be Chinese now? (2:41)

Answers

1. To feature an Asian model in their advertising campaigns.

2. Asian feet

3. 18 years.

4. Hong Kong

5. $6000 (US Dollars).

6. Chinese like Lace, Malaysian and Indonesians like handiwork and Japanese like very understated things.

7. The fabric suppliers thought the Chinese would copy their designs.

8. Suppliers now fly to visit him in Hong Kong and all eyes are on Asia.

El fin de las presentaciones aburridas

Han sido demasiados años desde que arrancó con fuerza PowerPoint. Aunque lo que empezó como una herramienta muy útil ha sido poco a poco utilizado más para inundarnos con datos, cifras y viñetas. Al final PowerPoint ha dejado de servir como una herramienta para hacer llegar a la audiencia las ideas de forma interesante y amena.

Te recomiendo una nueva solución  http://prezi.com/ y si te falta inspiración puedes aprender de los expertos en los discursos de TED www.ted.com.

Business Videos: Recipes for success – Dr. Jonas RidderstrAle

Aprende sobre las últimas tendencias en el mundo empresarial a través de vídeos.

Vea el video y contesta las preguntas. Se trata de una presentación de Dr. Jonas Ridderstråle en Malasia en mayo de 2010. El Dr. Jonas Ridderstråle está a la vanguardia de la nueva generación de gurús europeos. Su vehemente e imaginativo estilo, decididamente contemporáneo, y “en la onda“, le han convertido en uno de los ponentes más solicitados de la actualidad.

Listening Questions

1. What is Dr. Jonas Ridderstråle´s 1st recipe?

2. How did ex- General Electric CEO Jack Welch describe hierarchical

3. What is EBTS?

4. What is the 2nd recipe?

5. What did he say we (business) should focus all our energy on?

6. What is his definition of management?

7. What do managers spend 80% of their time doing?

8. What is the 3rd recipe?

 

 

Answers

1. Companies need to move beyond centralised solutions.

2. Companies show their face towards the CEO and show their ass to clients.

3. Expected time between surprises.

4. Don’t plan or try to predict, try instead to adapt to changes.

5. Focus on being the surprise / Focus on being the change.

6. The art and the science of stamping out (eradicating) deviance or deviants.

7. Managers spend 80% of their time dealing with 20% of products, people and businesses that perform the worst.

8. Look at the changes that are currently happening / Follow the evolution.

Nuevo curso intensivo de The Practice Office:

Preparación de entrevistas en inglés (con un descuento del 20%).

Leer más http://www.thepracticeoffice.com/The_Practice_Office/Practica.html

Simuladores de entrevistas de trabajo a nivel internacional (en inglés)

La práctica hace al maestro (Practice makes perfect).

Antes de ir una entrevista de trabajo la preparación de buenas respuestas y la práctica de ellas son claves. Y más todavía si tenéis que hace la entrevista de trabajo en otro idioma.

Os recomiendo que eches un vistazo a las recomendaciones de los simuladores de entrevistas de trabajo que este bloguero ha encontrado en http://www.sindinero.org/blog/archives/2156

Si preferís o queréis hacer simulaciones de entrevistas de trabajo en persona con un consultor experimentado de The Practice Office, podéis leer más sobre nuestro programa, Preparación de entrevistas en inglés, aquí en http://www.thepracticeoffice.com/The_Practice_Office/Practica.html

Business Videos: Creative capitalism_Bill Gates and Warren Buffet

Aprende sobre las últimas tendencias en el mundo empresarial a través de vídeos.

Vea el video y contesta las preguntas. Se trata de una entrevista a Bill Gates en la que el da su opinión sobre la crisis económica y cómo podemos cambiar la dirección del capitalismo actual para beneficiar las necesidades de los pobres.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA1ioym5OYA

 

Questions

1. What is “Creative Capitalism”? (0:20)

2. What two primal human impulses does “Creative Capitalism” mix? (1:16)

3. Why does the market failure exist when he talks about Malaria and Baldness? (1:55)

4. When you look at the needs of these poorer consumers, what two things might you discover? (2:20)

5. What is the change that Bill sees with young people today and what they want to think about their company? (3:09)

6. Why would Bill gates rank companies? (3:45)

7. What is the overall balance of capitalism for Bill Gates?

8. How many more people are now working in Clean Energy compared to 10 years ago? (4:22)

Answers

1. Creative Capitalism is about using the innovation power and resources of large companies to focus on the needs of the poorest.

2. Self interest and the desire to help others

3. Because those consumers interested in baldness products speak have a louder economic voice than those consumers interested in malaria.

4. Cost breakthroughs and higher volume markets.

5. Young people want to work for companies who are socially responsible and are a positive agent for change.

6. So talented young people are more attracted to socially responsible companies.

7. The overall balance of capitalism has been good in terms of total employment and innovation but it has problems of imbalances.

8. 20 times more people.

Los profesionales Chinos: Cómo trabajan con otras culturales y nacionalidades

Buenísima presentación sobre los profesionales chinos y cómo trabajan con otras culturales y nacionalidades!

Harmonizing Differences – How Chinese Professional dealing with Cultural Diversity http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/5236955

View more presentations from Hora Tjitra

Habilidades comunicativas (en inglés) para los ingenieros que quieren moverse por ámbitos internacionales

Excelente post sobre la manera de trabajar de ingenieros en ámbitos internacionales hoy en día un seminario práctico por Javier Sanz-Blasco en la Universidad Europea de Madrid. Leer más abajo…

http://comunidad.uem.es/quiero-ser-ingeniero-de-telecomunicacion/2010/3/12/habilidades-comunicacion-los-jovenes-ingenieros

Business Process Management & Outsourcing

Hola a todos. Queremos que veáis este video y que contestéis estas preguntas sobre un tema de Management muy importante hoy en día.

What is Business Process Management and Outsourcing ?

How does it work?

What are the benefits for a company?

Can you think of any disadvantages for companies and employees?

Cómo los emprendedores chinos e indios están cambiando el mundo

¿Cuáles son las diferencias principales entre los emprendedores chinos e indios y los emprendedores españoles?  Este video de Google TechTalks nos explica cómo los emprendedores chinos e indios están cambiando el mundo y cómo podemos adaptarnos.

Las mejores presentaciones del mundo 2008

Somos lectores fieles del blog de Guy Kawasaki quien es uno de los emprendedores más conocidos en Silicon Valley. Coincidimos en lo que dijo Guy en este blog post sobre la importancia de hacer hincapié en las imágenes grandes, gráficos, y un texto minimalista para hacer una presentación impactante.

Es una pena que la gran mayoría siga haciendo lo opuesto. Puedes ver las mejores presentaciones de 2008 abajo para inspirarte…    

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2008/09/winners-of-worl.html#axzz1NNPNbrdc

Consejos interculturales para redactar emails a nivel internacional para triunfar afuera de España

Redactar bien a nivel global no solo es una cuestión de tener un buen nivel de inglés sino que al mismo tiempo saber usar habilidades directivas en entornos internacionales.

Es decir saber usar habilidades directivas, habilidades interculturales y inglés de negocios al mismo tiempo para redactar emails en inglés a clientes o proveedores internacionales de países diferentes.

Por ejemplo no es lo mismo redactar emails a clientes americanos como a clientes de países del medio oriente tales como Arabia Saudí o los emiratos árabes (Dubái).

Aquí Martin Varsavsky nos da algunas lecciones de las experiencias de los empleados de su empresa FON cuando redactan emails en inglés a clientes y proveedores internacionales.

http://spanish.martinvarsavsky.net/general/el-trato-corriente-en-espana-cae-mal-en-el-extranjero.html

Cómo hacer una presentación en inglés frente a un público internacional

Es posible que la mayoría de las personas que lean este post pensarán que para hacer una presentación en inglés frente a un publico internacional solo requieren tener un buen nivel de inglés.

Pero la habilidad para hacer una presentación en inglés a nivel internacional contienen no solo el idioma pero otros aspectos importantes.

Por ejemplo el gran desafió para los angloparlantes es usar un inglés que no contiene expresiones o juerga local que no tienen sentido en otros países. Es decir usar un inglés estándar.  ¡Que no es tan fácil si no lo practica con mucha frecuencia y con el feedback de no nativos!

Segundo, hay factores culturales. Un publico alemán, escandinavo o japonés quiere escuchar información en mucho detalle,  basada en argumentos lógicos con buen documentación argumentos emotivos. Mientras en otros países asiáticos el público quiere una mezcla de lógica y emoción. Los estadounidenses preferían que mantuvieras un buen ritmo y que fueras al grano en las presentaciones.

A los chinos, el factor “Mianxi” o no perder prestigio en la presencia de otras personas es muy importantes y cuando les preguntas si entendieron un mensaje o una pauta en inglés te van a decir que “sí claro” por el factor “Mianxi”.  O incluso al final de tu presentación no te van a preguntar casi nada por respeto al ponente.

¿Qué puedo hacer?

La clave está en la preparación, la práctica y la habilidad de localizar la presentación en el contexto local de la audiencia.

Algunos pequeños detalles sobre su cultura o el protocolo en su país te facilitarán tu trabajo de hacer una presentación en inglés de éxito en un entorno internacional. Puedes pedir consejos a tus compañeros, clientes, proveedores que han estado en aquello país y preguntarles qué es lo que funcionó y qué es lo que no funcionó.  Puedes aprender mucho a través de la experiencia de otros.

CHINA: La importancia de Los “Guanxi” y el “Mianzi”

Me acuerdo hace poco tuve una conversación con un par de mandos intermedios en una multinacional de ingeniería que estaban a punto de trabajar en un proyecto grande de su empresa en China.

Les pregunté, cómo os lleváis el tema cultural y la importancia de los “Guanxi” y el “Mianzi”. Me miraron con caras de qué esta hablando este inglés sobre los chinos.

Dos semanas después uno me mando un email preguntándome por más información sobre este tema porque ella había preguntado un contacto que había trabajado 4 años en China y le confirmó a ella la importancia de estos dos temas para hacer negocios en China.

Los GUANXI son su red de contactos. En China tener una buena relación con la administración y una red de contactos (GUANXI) para conseguir los socios, proveedores o clientes adecuados es fundamental. Son tu aval en un país donde los contratos son más de palabra que por escrito y es fundamental que alguien te presente a aquellos socios, proveedores o clientes adecuados para conseguir su confianza. En cualquier relación la reciprocidad es clave y quizás tendrás que dar antes de recibir.

El MIANZI. Es la importancia de preservar el prestigio (Saving face en inglés) de las personas que colaboran contigo que sean clientes, proveedores o empleados. Llamarle la atención frente de otras personas es una ofensa difícil de superar para un chino. Por eso cuando las personas hacen presentaciones frente una audiencia chino ellos no suelen preguntar casi nada al ponente o presentador por respeto y por el efecto de MIANZI.

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Leer más sobre nuestros cursos de Habilidades Interculturales para los Negocios de The Practice Offiice Group.

Fuente: The Practice Office Group

Why use presi instead of powerpoint?

Intercultural Tips: INDIA

India es la democracia más grande del mundo y el segundo país más poblado. Es cuna de una de las civilizaciones más antiguas del mundo.

India presume una de las industrias tecnológicas, de programación de software y de servicios de outsourcing y call centers más grandes del mundo, dado que los indios educados comprenden y hablan fluidamente el inglés.

Sus principales industrias incluyen: Textiles, químicos, procesamiento de comida, acero, cemento, minería, petróleo, maquinaria, cinematográfica, software y desarrollo tecnológico, servicios de outsourcing y call centrers.

Algunos de los valores empresariales claves en India son:

• Una cultura que enfatiza las relaciones jerárquicas establecidas
• Respeto por los mayores y autoridades
• La confianza es muy importante
• Preferencia para trabajar colaborativamente
• Las obligaciones familiares pueden tener prioridad sobre el trabajo
• Preferencia a no dar ni recibir malas noticias o respuestas negativas
• Renuencia a tomar iniciativas sin dirección

“En términos de lecciones para gerentes de otros países, uno de las más importantes cosas es que los líderes indios lideran con un sentido de propósito social”, dice Peter Cappelli, profesor de Management de la Wharton University of Pennsylvania.

Leer más sobre cómo ven el mundo a los líderes empresariales en India en este  artículo del la CNN

Intercultural Tips: China

 

China se ve a sí mismo como el “Reino medio”, el centro del universo.

China presume de ser el país más poblado del planeta y la civilización más antigua del planeta, formada hace más de 5000 años.

Aquí explicamos cuatros ejes sobre lo que gira su sociedad para entender mejor cómo hacer negocios en China:

Confucianismo

Las enseñanzas de Confucio describen la posición del individuo en la sociedad China.

Los principios se basan en 5 relaciones: gobernante – súbdito, marido – mujer, padre – hijo, hermano mayor – hermano menor y amigo – amigo.

Mientras que la autoridad de los superiores no puede ser cuestionada, sus responsabilidades también son obligatorias. El confucianismo remarca el deber, la lealtad, el amor filial, el respeto por la edad y los mayores; y la sinceridad. Estos atributos se encuentran tan arraigados en la cultura china, que aún en pleno proceso globalizador, todavía se aprecian.

Pertenencia Grupal y competencia por el logro individual

En la cultura china coexisten dos realidades, conciencia del grupo y competencia por el logro individual, coexisten.

La cultura china ha sido definida por grupos de alianzas, lealtad a la familia, a la comunidad y por último, al reino.

Una de las principales implicaciones prácticas de esto fue que los deseos del individuo se encontraban subordinados a las necesidades del grupo. Donde los individuos se subordinaban al grupo y el auto-sacrificio para el bien del grupo, son altamente valoradas.

Los chinos siempre han sido emprendedores y pueden ser bastante competitivos debido a muchos factores pero en particular la competencia por los puestos gubernamentales (basados en habilidades educativas) fue una de las maneras para moverse hacia arriba en la escala jerárquica.

Comunicación de varios niveles

Los chinos se comunican en varios niveles dependiendo de la relación, el estatus y la perspectiva generacional del individuo. Pueden ser bastante directos (incluso intrusivos) si ya existe una relación establecida y si el estatus del hablante es más alto.

Sin embargo, también pueden ser bastante indirectos en su comunicación. Ellos prefieren mantener la armonía entre las partes y evitar un conflicto directo o una potencial pérdida de “cara”.

Por esta razón es importante no sólo interpretar cuidadosamente lo que está siendo dicho sino también cómo está siendo transmitido. También examinar con cuidado lo que se está diciendo y cómo podría ser mal interpretado.

El concepto de “cara” / Mianzi y Guanxi

Leer más en nuestro blog post http://bit.ly/oLORKn

Making Presentations to International Audiences

Many factors influence audience behaviour e.g., culture, profession, gender, age, reason for being in the audience, state of mind, time of day and year and a person’s mood. Here are 10 tips to make life easier for you:

1. Clear goal: Have a clear and simple goal for your presentation. For example to inform, to persuade. And the goal is easy to understand for people outside of your organization or company. One clear goal is better than 3 unclear ones.

2. Audience, Audience, Audience: All human beings like to be treated well and to get something for being there. Make your audience feel you’ve thought about them and their culture with a small detail about their country or culture. They will appreciate your efforts and be more receptive to your message.

3. Prepare, Practice, Perfect: Test your presentation with somebody not from your culture to see how they interpret your key messages. Or ask colleagues who have been in those countries to give you feedback from a cultural perspective.

4. Avoid Cultural Stereotypes: Be extremely careful to avoid cultural stereotypes. Globalization, world travel and internet have diluted cultural stereotypes.

5. Language barrier: International audiences will be formed of people with different levels of English. Focus on having very clear, simple and concise messages and avoid too much jargon or culturally specific expressions or sayings.

6. Cultural specific references: Avoid using images, colours or symbols that are culturally specific. For example a symbol of an Owl represents wisdom in the US but in some parts of Asia it represents stupidity.

7. How audiences receive information: US audiences want presentations to be entertaining and dynamic while some Asian and German audiences want formal presentations with few interruptions.

8. Presentation style: Scandinavian, German and Japanese audiences prefer to receive information in detail, with lots of supporting documentation. They want their presenters to be systematic and build to a clear point within their presentation. The Japanese business audiences, where senior managers are more likely to hold technical or management degrees are very similar. American and Canadian audiences, on the other hand, like a faster pace. Many Asian and Latin cultures prefer presentations with emotional appeal.

9. Questions: Not all audiences will ask questions even if they don’t understand. The Chinese are very sensitive about “Mianxi”, not losing face. When a Chinese person doesn’t understand something due to language problems, they still say, “Yes, yes it is clear.” People from a western background often have difficulties understanding this.

10. Personal anecdotes: If relevant and used briefly, personal anecdotes are a powerful tool to connect the speaker to the audience. However use too many and some audiences may see the speaker as self-centred and boring.

Cómo generar una buena primera impresión en tu primer encuentro con asiáticos

Las culturas asiáticas se caracterizan por usar comportamientos protocolos verbales y no verbales en una reunión formal. Es casi una ritual a los cuales se los atribuye un significado e interpretación diferente dependiendo del país asiático.

Una de las claves es el arte de intercambiar tarjetas de presentación.

¿Cuál es el significado de intercambiar tarjetas de presentación?

Intercambiar las tarjetas de presentación con las dos manos es un símbolo de respeto y muestra que estás recibiendo algo valioso. Para los asiáticos las tarjetas constituyen una representación de la persona en sí, por lo que se espera que las trates con respeto y que prestes atención y admiración a la información allí contenida.

Ofrecemos los siguientes consejos generales para generar una buena primera impresión:

• Verifica que tus tarjetas estén en el idioma del país que vas a visitar.
• Ponte de pie al hacer el intercambio de tarjetas.
• Es bien visto hacer una leve inclinación o un movimiento de cabeza con cada persona, antes o después de intercambiar sus tarjetas.
• Inicia el protocolo de intercambio de tarjetas con la persona de mayor rango o posición, luego con el  siguiente de más alto nivel, y así sucesivamente.
• Entrega y recibe las tarjetas con ambas manos.
• Una vez que recibas una tarjeta de presentación, debes tomarte un tiempo para leer y reconocer el nombre de la persona, posición y estatus.
• Es bueno que preguntes el apellido de la persona, ya que es fácil confundirse entre nombres y apellidos asiáticos.
• Evita escribir en las tarjetas.
• En las reuniones formales, dirígete a las personas por su apellido, los nombres suelen usarse sólo entre amigos cercanos.
• Puedes poner las tarjetas sobre la mesa frente a ti en forma ordenada o mantenerlas en tu porta tarjetas. No las apiles sobre la mesa ni las guardes en el bolsillo del pantalón.

No olvides que estos consejos son generales y es mejor que consultes con un experto sobre los valores y simbolismos relevantes de un país determinado antes de ir a un recibir visitas de profesionales asiáticos de aquello país.

Fuentes de información: Iceberg Consulting y Etiquette coach Syndi Seid.

Cómo hacer smalltalk y mantener una conversación en cualquier lugar del mundo

A diferencia de la forma “occidental” de hacer negocios, muchas culturas se enfocan en la importancia de las relaciones en lugar de quién tiene la oferta más baja o las condiciones del contrato.

Para mejorar las habilidades de comunicación con tus compañeros, clientes, proveedores de otras culturas, te sugiero 6 consejos generales que pueden aplicar donde sea, cuando sea, más allá del origen cultural de tus compañeros.

1. Considera los 3 tabúes tradicionales: Sexo, religión y política para no ser tocados durante la mayoría de las ocasiones sociales. Dependiendo de las culturas involucradas, estos tabúes pueden referirse con mayor o menor frecuencia. Cuando esto ocurra, adopta la posición del maestro o del estudiante.
2. Cuando se te pregunte (o te atrevas a comentar) sobre tus pensamientos y sentimientos sobre el país de tu compañero extranjero, no opines. En cambio, pregunta y busca información sobre lo que no comprendas completamente. La mayoría de las personas estarán más que felices por compartir sus pensamientos sobre su país y tú puedes aprovechar para aprender mucho sobre ellos. Muy pocos aprecian a “extranjeros” juzgando su país.
3. Cuando otros comenten sus ideas y preguntas sobre tu país, sé un maestro. Habla en general (no sobre ti mismo, sino sobre el país). Ten en cuenta que en algunas culturas, la interrogación puede incluir preguntas que podrían considerarse intrusivas o incómodas. De nuevo, quizás la mejor manera de responder a estas preguntas es mantenerse en lo general con respuestas ambiguas.
4. No hables sobre negocios durante situaciones sociales a menos que “ellos” lo pongan en la mesa. Hablar sobre la familia por lo general está bien.
5. Sé cuidadoso sobre la admiración de cosas personales o personas. Aunque a veces puede que comenten a cerca de ti y tus posesiones, no dejes que esto te disturbe. Es usualmente una señal que tus anfitriones se encuentran lo suficientemente cómodos para pasar a lo “personal”.
6. Muchas culturas tienden a hablar sobre lo que hacen. Sin embargo, muchas otras culturas quieren saber más sobre quién eres tú. Evita enfocarte exclusivamente en afirmaciones y preguntas sobre sus trabajos. En cambio busca aprender más sobre la personalidad, los antecedentes e intereses de tus asociados extranjeros y de revelar tus propios.

Write more effective emails when working with a particular culture (colleagues, clients, Providers, etc)

Here are some tips and tips and strategies for writing more effective e-mails when working with a particular culture (colleagues, clietes, providers, etc).

These tips are provided by the experiences of professionals who work in international environments.

“Beware humour. Irony, self deprecation, etc. are good for cultures that do that, as they break the ice, but can at best leave your recipient cold if they do not come from the same background”.

“Title them by all their names. You do not know their marital status, sex, their appetitite for informality, whether they have done the Haj, or very often even the correct order; so just use all names”.

“Sports references are good but make sure you know what you are dealing with.
Don’t talk basketball in Europe; football in America; or American football
anywhere outside the U.S”.

“Japanese e-mail writers, when writing in English, tend to write one sentence, and then use a new paragraph for each next sentence”.

“Relationship-focused cultures (like Latin America or the Arab world) need some opening and closing statement that reinforces and maintains the all-important personal relationship (“How is the family”, “How did the local football team do last night?” etc.). The substantive business issues should be in the body of the e-mail, but do not fail to include these kinds of personal comments in every communication.”

Vídeos de entrevistas de trabajo en inglés para modelar

  

La preparación de entrevistas de trabajo en inglés es fundamental.

Si no puedes practicar la entrevista con un profesional o con alguien estos videos de entrevistas de trabajo de Zoom Interviews te darán las respuestas más efectivas en inglés a las preguntas más difíciles en una entrevista de trabajo.

http://job.zoominterviews.com/

En The Practice Office siempre repetimos la misma idea “La práctica real con feedback hace al maestro”.

Así que te aconsejo que grabes tus respuestas a las preguntas con el webcam de tu ordenador o portátil para ver tu progreso y que pidas feedback de alguien.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIWpFNYcym8

Negotiating with professionales from the Middle East

Negotiating with professionales from the Middle East. An example….

Lets say you have to prepare for a negotiation with a counterpart who is highly driven by an honour / shame culture (Middle East), but you come from an innocence / guilt driven culture (Northern Europe).

What would drive you is wanting to know the exact details of the deal, the sequence of events, the finer contractual points and the specifications of products or service that are to be discussed, which is what you concentrate on these during the meeting.

Your counterpart however will be evaluating the situation from an honour / shame perspective and will therefore want to know how selling the service to his company can bring him and his company honour and how it can be beneficial to him.  He will also want to know how to sell this to his boss.  So whilst you’re discussing the finer details of the product, your counterpart is likely to be agreeing with you but will still be trying to find the answers to his questions.

And there are likely to be further misalignments. As an individual from a northern European country you are likely to have been given full authority to negotiate on behalf of the organisation.  More than likely you will also have been given range of possible outcomes that you are allowed to make decisions on.

But your counterpart is likely to be from a community accountability culture, where his role is to reflect the interest of his tribe, subgroup or section of his organisation.   So he will not have individual decision-making power, he will be expected to bring back the ideas to the group so that they can be discussed and a group decision can be made.

The likely outcome of this type of encounter is a false positive.

You may think that the meeting has gone well because your counterpart will be very agreeable and is unlikely to want to offend by sharing any concerns, but in reality the decision will be made behind closed doors and you will not be involved.  The reality is that sales in community accountability driven cultures take much longer and require more meetings so expecting an outcome at the first meeting is somewhat unrealistic.

When high level negotiations fall over it is often because the negotiators have neglected to research the people involved, where their alliances lie, what motivates them and whom they are accountable to.

But these aren’t the only cultural dimensions you need to be aware of.  Communication is also a critical component.    There are plenty of examples where direct and indirect communication styles have caused clashes and where cultural communication styles weren’t respected.

Is your own culture closer to Middle East or Northern Europe?

See our training program “Effective Intercultural Negotiations”

 

Once pasos sobre cómo hacer presentaciones internacionales sin sufrir

Once pasos a seguir para hacer presentaciones internacionales para que triunfes y no sufras.

1. ¿Cuál es tu objetivo? – debes tener solo un objetivo por ejemplo, informar, persuadir, etc..
2. La parte intercultural – Busca información online o pregunta compañeros, o clientes o proveedores sobre cómo son las presentaciones en un país determinado. ¿Cuáles son las expectativas de las audiencias de este país? ¿Cuáles son las expectativas de las audiencias de este sector en este país?
3. Organiza tu discurso – lo más fácil para ti u tu audiencia es organizarlo en tres partes.
4. Un mensaje clave – debes tener un mensaje clave sobre todo, por ejemplo “La venta consultativa es el camino para poner el cliente siempre primero”.
5.  Un buen comienzo y un buen fin – muchos estudios e informes han demostrado que una audiencia capta y recuerda solo entre 5-7% del contenido de tu presentación.
6. Conecta las ideas – si no eres capaz de conectar tus ideas de forma clara, concisa y sencilla no esperas que la audiencia haga tu trabajo.
7. Ayudas visuales – una imagen vale mil palabras.
8. Cuentacuentos – fíjate cómo los Cuentacuentos usan su voz para captar la atención de su audiencia y comunicar los mensajes claves. Hay mil ejemplos en Youtube para ver.
9. Sé un experto – las formas son importantes pero sin el dominio del contenido simplemente no te van a escuchar más de 2 minutos.
10. Usa la lógica y la emoción para convencer –  el celebro humano está divido en dos entre la lógica y la emoción, por eso tiene mucha más eficacia si diriges tus mensajes y argumentos a los dos partes.
11. La práctica hace al maestro – la manera más rápida para ganar confianza y efectividad. Usa tu webcam o un amigo, quien sea solo te aconsejas que los pidas feedback según el criterio escrito arriba y/o tu propio criterio.

Intercultural tips: Singapore

Relationships – Being heavily influenced by Asian philosophies, Singapore places emphasis on the importance of creating good relationships with others before doing business with them. This is often an unrushed process as Singaporeans are cautious and like to make sure they are doing business with someone they can trust. When doing business in Singapore remember that investing time in creating trust and strong bonds initially is likely to benefit you in the long run.

Harmony – Somewhat tied into Singaporean concepts of relationships, harmony refers to a value promoting the good of the group over that of the individual. At the core of this focus is the family, which is held in high regard in Singapore. Although the concept of harmony is quite a collectivist sentiment, Singapore is quite unique in the fact that it can also be quite individualistic in some ways, for example in its competitive nature.

Contradictions and “East meets West” – A relatively young country, Singapore draws influences from both East and West and is positioned well to do business equally successfully with both. The most developed country in Southeast Asia, it seamlessly strikes a balance between traditional and modern, Eastern philosophy and Western technology. Similarly, Singapore is quite unique in the way it embodies both collectivist and individualistic sentiments. It is at the same time deeply respectful of ancestors and fiercely competitive, direct in some ways, indirect in others.

No common identity – Singapore’s diverse population is one of its strengths. Singaporeans are predominantly of Chinese, Malay or Indian ethnicity and due to an open immigration policy, one in three people living in Singapore have come from abroad. However, to be successful when doing business in Singapore, it is important to fully appreciate and understand the many different customs and traditions which impact Singaporean business culture and etiquette.

Face – When communicating with Singaporeans, it is wise to pay attention to the protection of “face.” Face is closely linked with personal pride and forms the basis of an individual’s social status and reputation. In order to avoid losing face, Singaporeans control their behaviour and emotions in public and do not criticise directly. When doing business in Singapore, it is wise to remember that damaging face through overt confrontation or criticism can be destructive to hierarchy and disastrous for business relationships.

La toma de decisiones en equipos globales

Tomar decisiones realistas y duraderas es una de las áreas más difíciles del trabajo en equipo a través de las culturas.

Varios aspectos culturales juegan su rol durante el proceso. Por ejemplo, aquellas personas de sociedades con valores más igualitarios (E.g. Canadá, Países Nórdicos) asumen que tendrán la posibilidad de hablar y expresar sus opiniones abiertamente, mientras que otras personas de sociedades más jerárquicas esperarán las decisiones del liderazgo, a pesar de haberse involucrado o no activamente en la discusión (E.g. India, México).

Otro aspecto cultural que impacta directamente en el proceso de toma de decisiones es el grado por el cual la cultura prioriza los intereses del grupo por sobre los del individuo o viceversa. Las sociedades más individualistas (Ej: Estados Unidos) valoran a los tomadores de decisiones independientes: personas que tienen la habilidad para evaluar el riesgo y la información y tomar decisiones rápidas. Aún cuando una decisión no puede ser tomada individualmente, estas culturas están felices de ir con lo que prefiera la mayoría, aún cuando exista una minoría que no esté de acuerdo. Por otro lado, las sociedades más grupales manejan el proceso de una manera totalmente diferente (Ej: China). Las personas involucradas en las decisiones esperan ser consultadas. Ningún empresario o gerente responsable tomaría una decisión de amplio impacto sin consultar a otros y obtener el acuerdo de todas las partes involucradas.

¿Cómo puede lograr un gerente que un equipo global tome decisiones efectivas? Un vicepresidente senior de una multinacional cuenta sobre una astuta gerente que se encontraba implementando un nuevo proceso con un calendario muy ambicioso: “Ella aprovechó la oportunidad de hacer sentir al grupo de que eran realmente un único equipo consolidado y lo alcanzó de una variedad de maneras”:

• Asignó mucho tiempo para que los miembros desarrollaran confianza entre sí y crearan una cómoda familiaridad.
• Incluyó eventos sociales durante los procesos empresariales. Cenas grupales luego de reuniones de trabajo se mantenían con regularidad.
• Obtuvo el compromiso y la aceptación de los miembros del equipo, donde todos los integrantes estuvieron de acuerdo con la importancia estratégica y táctica del nuevo proceso.
• Solicitó opiniones de los miembros del grupo menos locuaces tanto en forma pública como privada.
• Aún luego de anunciar el desafiante cronograma para el proyecto, promovió que los miembros del equipo se expresaran, cuestionaran, desafiaran y perfeccionaran el plan.
• Con el objetivo de incluir a los miembros que necesitaban mayor contención, se crearon grupos de reflexión con responsables de tomar nota e informar a todo el equipo sus preocupaciones y conclusiones.

En una gran medida, el proceso de la toma de decisiones de un equipo global es un desafío sumamente importante que requiere conocer varios aspectos interculturales que intervienen y donde la posibilidad de frustraciones entre los miembros del equipo está a una decisión de distancia.

Ver nuestros cursos de habilidades interculturales

Cómo trabajar con éxito en equipos virtuales y globales

De una u otra manera, si te encuentras en una organización multinacional, ya estás en un equipo global, aunque quizás no te hayas percatado. Puedes estar pensando sobre los integrantes de tu equipo como Ralph en Texas, Maite en Buenos Aires y Vinod en India, pero si trabajas en un proyecto a corto plazo o en un grupo permanente con personas de otros países, estás en un equipo global y dependiendo de la cantidad de miembros y la variedad de nacionalidades, tendrás más o menos dificultades.

El concepto de virtual implica interfaces y límites permeables, equipos de proyectos que rápidamente se forman, organizan y disuelven, e individuos ubicados a lo largo del tiempo, espacio y culturas. La virtualidad promete flexibilidad, respuesta, bajos costos y una mejor utilización de recursos para alcanzar los objetivos de un ambiente global cada vez más dinámico y turbulento. Sin embargo, a las resonantes promesas, también se unen una serie de desafíos que necesitan enfrentarse para maximizar los resultados positivos de la comunicación virtual. Si has trabajado alguna vez en uno, conoces cuán difícil es para un equipo de este tipo ser realmente productivo. Con la complejidad que implica trabajar con personas que viven en diferentes países, provienen de varias culturas, tienen diferentes nociones de colaboración y del uso de la tecnología para comunicarse, no es para sorprenderse que la tasa de fracaso sea muy alta.

Los equipos globales virtuales se han vuelto indispensables. Si no logran alcanzar sus objetivos, el resultado son altos costos incluyendo la pérdida del costo de oportunidad. Las investigaciones sobre equipos globales virtuales revela que:

• enfrentan obstáculos significativamente mayores que los equipos localizados en el mismo sitio;
• más del 50% de tales equipos fracasan en lograr sus objetivos;
• problemas de comunicación intercultural y falta de confianza son los principales problemas;
• las limitaciones en la comunicación virtual ayuda a crear estos problemas;
• un equipo virtual global funciona mejor cuando sus miembros se enfocan conscientemente no solamente en sus tareas, pero también en sus relaciones.

Podemos sacar 3 conclusiones del gráfico

o:

1. Los Equipos enfocados en la Tarea tienen una mayor productividad en el inicio, pero las relaciones y los conflictos culturales distraen a los miembros y bajan la confianza entre ellos.
2. Los Equipos enfocados en la Tarea y las Relaciones, habiendo abordado cuestiones interpersonales y culturales en un comienzo, eventualmente sobrepasan en productividad a los equipos enfocados en la tarea.
3. Las intervenciones en los equipos que fallan son difíciles porque el conflicto y la desconfianza causaron mucha negatividad, que debe ser superada.

La experiencia de The Practice Office Group trabajando con Equipos Globales y Virtuales muestra que las razones principales de fracaso son:

1. Las dificultades para crear relaciones positivas y de confianza a través de 3 barreras: Distancia, zonas horarias y diferencias culturales
2. Las complicaciones derivadas del uso constante de los medios electrónicos de comunicación, que los líderes del equipo y sus miembros creen erróneamente que elimina las tres barreras.

 

Cómo hacer una presentación internacional efectiva

Cuando se trata de presentar en un escenario global, la inteligencia cultural importa. Si te tomas el tiempo para personalizar el contenido y tu enfoque a la cultura de la audiencia vas a presentar con más impacto, efectividad y éxito ante audiencias internacionales.

Conocer las expectativas que las personas de otras culturas tienen sobre comunicación, relaciones, conflicto y otros aspectos de la gestión empresarial, y sabe cómo utilizar este conocimiento para ajustar el contenido y el enfoque de su presentación para amoldarse a su audiencia son las claves para triunfar.

Las claves para hacer una presentación internacional:

1. Enfoca la información a la cultura de la audiencia: Utiliza ejemplos, casos de estudio y escenarios que sean relevantes a la región geográfica y cultura de tu audiencia. Compartir un caso de éxito de una empresa española puede no ser relevante o creíble para una audiencia china. Encuentra un ejemplo local que te permita hacer comprender tu punto.
2. Modifica tu comunicación no verbal: Algunas culturas son muy animadas y aprecian los gestos y los movimientos de las manos y una presentación enérgica, mientras que otras esperan que el presentador permanezca en calma. Por ejemplo, algunas culturas como la estadounidense, la alemana y la austríaca consideran al contacto visual prolongado y directo cómo un signo de sinceridad y confianza. Otras, incluida la japonesa y la latina, pueden considerarlo agresiva o invasiva del espacio personal.
3. Haz pausas, para tu audiencia y para ti mismo: Cuando hables con personas de diferente lengua nativa, es importante hacer pausas para darles tiempo de absorber (y posiblemente traducir) lo que has dicho. Hacer pausas también te da tiempo para pensar lo que quieres decir, seleccionar las palabras correctas y pronunciarlas claramente.
4. Utiliza metáforas, analogías y temáticas específicas a la cultura: Si quieres utilizar una analogía de deportes en India; cricket es más relevante que fútbol. Cuando tienes un mezcla de culturas en tu audiencia, piensa en temas más generales que todos puedan relacionar.
5. Provee el contenido de la presentación a la audiencia por adelantado: Esto les ofrece tiempo de revisar el contenido antes de la presentación, lo cual es importante cuando necesitan comprender conceptos complejos o información detallada.
6. Ajusta tu estilo de interacción con la audiencia: Las audiencias participan de manera diferente dependiendo de la cultura. Algunas se involucran mucho, participan en los ejercicios y bombardean con preguntas, mientras que otras son más reservadas. Proporciona alternativas para el diálogo y el feedback, ya que hablar frente al público puede no encajar con todas las culturas. No te sorprenda si algunas audiencias de países asiáticos no te pregunta nada y las personas prefieren acercarte después para preguntarte algo.
7. Conéctate con tu audiencia antes y después de la presentación: En varias culturas, mucho de la discusión y la toma de decisiones ocurre fuera de la presentación formal. Por lo tanto, asigna algo de tiempo luego de la presentación para responder preguntas en forma privada.

Leer más sobre nuestros programas de formación

 

“The Presentation Secrets Of Steve Jobs” – slideshare presentation

“The Presentation Secrets Of Steve Jobs” – slideshare presentation

<div style=”width:425px” id=”__ss_2814996″> <strong style=”display:block;margin:12px 0 4px”><a href=”http://www.slideshare.net/prwalker/the-presentation-secrets-of-steve-jobs-2814996″ title=”The Presentation Secrets Of Steve Jobs” target=”_blank”>The Presentation Secrets Of Steve Jobs</a></strong> <div style=”padding:5px 0 12px”> View more <a href=”http://www.slideshare.net/” target=”_blank”>presentations</a> from <a href=”http://www.slideshare.net/prwalker” target=”_blank”>Peter Walker</a> </div> </div>

¿Cómo se negocia en Estados Unidos?

Hace poco asistimos un evento en la escuela de negocios, el Instituto de Empresa de Madrid (IE) sobre “La Internacionalización de la PYME española en EEUU”.

Por nuestra experiencia con clientes impartiendo cursos como Effective Intercultural Negotiation (habilidades de negociación con habilidades interculturales) y por la experiencia trabajando en EEUU de algunos de nuestros consultores-formadores, coincidimos con muchos de los consejos del profesor de IE, Enrique Ogliastri en su ponencia “Cómo se negocia en EEUU?”. Queríamos compartirlos con nuestros clientes y lectores de blog.

¿Cuáles son algunos de sus comportamientos típicos en una negociación?

1. Culturas de Alto Contexto (Japón, Corea, España, Italia, etc.) y Culturas de Bajo Contexto (Anglosajona). En las Culturas de Alto Contexto la relación es más importante que la tarea. En las Culturas de Bajo Contexto la tarea es más importante que la relación.
2. Se negocia una cosa a la vez. No les gusta negociar las cosas en paquetes o muchas cosas a la vez.
3. Presionados por el tiempo.“Time is money”.
4. Informal, pero impersonal. No quiere saber de cosas personales.
5. Contratos legales y rígidos. La importancia del aspecto legal es fundamental por eso los abogado valen su peso en oro en EEUU.
6. Limitada zona de regateo. Son más abiertos y pragmáticos a la hora de decir lo que buscan y por eso la zona de regateo es menos si no quieres generar desconfianza.
7. Análisis coste-beneficio. Muchas veces es lo que pesa más en su toma de decisiones que la relación salvo en casos de que buscan relaciones de larga duración.

The Practice Office ofrece un curso de Effective Intercultural Negotiation en lo que se puede desarrollar y practicar habilidades de negociación con habilidades interculturales.

Working effectively with Japanese professionals

1.     TRUST
The key to success in a Japanese company  (indeed any company) is building trust. Trust comes from two things, hard work, (this often means making sure you are available when needed) and loyalty, (making sure your boss looks good.) Trust takes time and it is not automatic.

2.     TRUST TAKES TIME
Build trust slowly. Make sure your boss has your mobile (cell phone) number and can call you outside the office if something is needed. Accept the constant checking and re-checking of information as they make sure their reports are right for head office. After a couple of years or sooner trust will come and you can operate much more independently.

3.     SENPAI-KOHAI
The SENPAI (mentor), KOHAI (Mentee) relationship is one of the most honoured in Japanese business. Senior managers train junior managers in how to work best in the company. If you can build good relations with a Japanese manager and colleague it will be priceless and will persist after they have been transferred back to HQ or other posts.

4.     SHINYO – CONSISTENCY
Japanese managers may be uncertain of their English and find it necessary to check and recheck information. Help them by keeping your information consistent, same phrases, same terminology.

5.     BULLET POINT SUMMARIES
Bullet point summaries are probably the best way to support your manager.
If you are providing reports, summarise the key points on the top page in bullet points and present the rest of the report as supporting data. Your Japanese manager will appreciate it.

6.     ISHI DENSHIN – ANTICIPATE
‘Ishi denshin’ means ‘intelligent anticipation of another’s needs’. A good Japanese manager thinks, ‘What does my boss need?’ and then does what is necessary to provide it  – often in his/her own time and even at his/her own expense.

7.     NEMAWASHI – DISCUSSION
One of the most important principles of Japanese management is collective decision-making. It’s called Nemawashi (literally – binding the rice roots to make them stronger). It means everyone ‘in the loop’ needs to be involved in the discussion and the process takes time. Even more time-consuming can be the process of RINGI-SHO. Everyone has to sign off the decision. However, the Japanese prefer to prepare slowly and have everyone in agreement so as to implement fast.

8.     GOT IT WRONG? APOLOGISE – NO EXCUSES
One Japanese complaint about Western managers is that ‘They never apologise, only make excuses.’ This means that they give reasons why things go wrong and avoid taking the blame and the shame. For a Japanese, simply apologise, say you will get it right in future and keep trying until you get it right. The process of continuous improvement is known as KAIZEN and Kaizen sessions are common in Japanese management.

9.     TEAM PLAYERS
Another Japanese complaint about non-Japanese colleagues as that ‘They are poor team players.’ In other words, they don’t go out with their teams.
Socialising after work in a coffee shop or sometimes in a Karaoke bar is an important part of Japanese team bonding. If you are working with Japanese colleagues and the invitation is there, make sure you join in. Be a good team player.

10.  TATEMAE  (outer voice) and HONNE (true voice)
Probably the most important concept in this top ten. We all have one face for work and another for home but the Japanese have words for it. Tatemae is the diplomatic face, the poker face you wear in public. It avoids confrontation and plays by company rules. Honne is when you voice your true feelings and that comes out in the coffee shop, the bar and in private conversations outside the office. Another reason why you should go out with your team.

Source: Barry Tomalin

Read more about The Practice Office´s Training Programs.

 

 

How to write a powerful elevator pitch in English

There are hundreds of web pages and sources about the elevator pitch. But when you don´t have time you need an expert to guide you and help you practice.

One of the most useful and practical “Elevator Pitch Models” that we´ve found and we use as part of our “Elevator Pitch” training program for Spanish Internet Entreprenuers wanting to pitch to European Investors in London and Berlin and to American Investors in Silicon Valley is K.Stone´s model.

Essential Elements of a Powerful Elevator Pitch

1. Concise. Your pitch should take no longer than 30-60 seconds.
2. Clear. Use language that everyone understands. Don’t use fancy words thinking it will make you sound smarter. Your listener won’t understand you and you’ll have lost your opportunity to hook them.
3. Powerful. Use words that are powerful and strong. Deliver the “Sis-Boom-Bang” to grab their attention!
4. Visual. Use words that create a visual image in your listeners mind. This will make your message memorable.
5. Tell a Story. A short story, that is. A good story is essentially this: someone with a problem either finds a solution or faces tragedy. Either type of story can be used to illuminate what you do.
6. Targeted. A great elevator pitch is aimed for a specific audience. If you have target audiences that are vastly different, you might want to have a unique pitch for each.
7. Goal Oriented. A kick-ass elevator pitch is designed with a specific outcome in mind. What is your desired outcome? You may have different pitches depending on different objectives. For instance do you want to: make a sale, gain a prospect, enlist support for an idea, or earn a referral.
8. Has a Hook. This is the element that literally snags your listener’s interest and makes them want to know more. This is the phrase or words that strike a chord in your listener.
9. Intercultural differences. The Americans want you to entertain them (tell a story), to get to the point and to be passionate and enthusiastic when you speak. While German investors in Berlin will appreciate a more structured approach with specific facts and figures. While in London in the UK, the British prefer the American approach.
10. Remember to practice, ask for feedback, practice and ask for feedback! We suggest recording yourself using your webcam and to ask for specific feedback (you choose the criteria) from colleagues, friends and a trainer if you have one.

Read more about our The Practice Office´s courses Habilidades Comerciales en Inglés.

 

Comunicacíon Intercultural (verbal y non verbal)

Aquí en The Practice Office Group en nuestros cursos usamos un vídeo de los anuncios del banco HSBC que captan muy bien las diferencias entre culturas a la hora de usar la comunicación intercultural  (verbal y non verbal).

Leer más sobre los cursos de Habilidades Interculturales para los Negocios de The Practice Office.

La Inteligencia Cultural está en auge en las Multinacionales

La Inteligencia Cultural está en auge en las Multinacionales.

La Inteligencia Cultural es la habilidad de interpretar pistas visibles de comportamiento, lenguaje corporal y lo que hay detrás de las palabras.

De este modo, cuando tus clientes/proveedores chinos te inviten a cenar, sabrás que hay que probar todo pero dejar un poco de comida para que no estés cuestionando su capacidad de ser buenos anfitriones. Y que cualquier respuesta que no sea un “sí” es un “no” porque no te van a decir “no” directamente, entonces hay que profundizar sus objeciones a través de preguntas indirectas.

HSBC, el banco multinacional de Hong Kong, atribuye una gran importancia a las diferencias culturales porque es cómo se diferencia cuando vende servicios glocales (servicios globales y locales) a sus clientes multinacionales.

El vídeo es una colección de anuncios de HSBC.

Leer más sobre nuestros cursos de habilidades interculturales de The Practice Office Group.

 

¡Ten cuidado con los estereotipos a nivel internacional!

Gabachos, la flema inglesa, vendemotos argentinos y los alemanes son cuadriculados, son algunos estereotipos que se puede escuchar.

Pero a la hora de trabajar, colaborar o hacer negocios a nivel internacional aquellos estereotipos no nos ayudan.

Esta página es una broma llena de estereotipos, pero nos sirve y nos da una lección importante sobre cómo los estereotipos pueden influir de forma negativa a la hora de trabajar, colaborar y hacer negocios a nivel internacional  http://bit.ly/9Dofyn

Leer más sobre los cursos de habilidades interculturales de The Practice Office Group y cómo podemos ayudarte y a tu empresa a nivel internacional.