Do you negotiate in an international context?

Negotiating in an international environment can be very interesting and a good way to develop your negotiation skills. However, all too often these negotiations fail because the parties do not take cultural differences into account. Here are three tips that will go a long way towards ensuring a successful international negotiation:

1. Know your counterpart

When talking about intercultural competence in negotiations, there is a tendency for its importance to be either over or underestimated. Some think it's just acting as usual while others think you almost need to turn yourself into a local resident. Both these ways come with potential pitfalls!

Instead, try to get an understanding of your counterparts' international experience before you meet. If you meet someone with a lot of international experience and you try to act like a local in the country, it will probably just make things confusing. Instead, forming an idea about your counterpart will give you insights into how much you need to adapt.

2. Learn the language

No, you do not need to learn the actual language spoken by your counterpart, although it is a great advantage if you happen to know it! But what you should know is how the flow of the conversation usually goes in a normal conversation. For example, is it common to interrupt the other person while talking or is the norm to wait your turn and let the other person finish. Is it perhaps even normal to have some silence before responding? Understanding the flow of the conversation makes it easier for you to convey your message.

3. Learn the signs of respect

All cultures appreciate respectful people, but what is a sign of respect in one may not be in another. And you definitely won't be considered a favorite person around the negotiating table if you come across as rude. So make an effort to learn some basic etiquette before you meet. This should be a natural thing to do but based on experience it seems to be forgotten very often.

If you want to know more about international negotiations, Ponto Group in collaboration with Jeanette Olsson Carlborg at Kulturlänk AB organizes a two-day course in international negotiations where we do a deep dive into this very interesting topic!