Ways to Politely Engage With Chinese Entrepreneurs During a Business Trip
Doing business with Chinese entrepreneurs seems common these days. China is such a huge market and foreign business owners see this as a massive opportunity for expansion. Partnering with Chinese firms is necessary if you want to build an empire both at home and internationally. Everything will start with a business meeting. You need to impress these business people first before you close a deal. These are some tips to make it happen.
Do the transaction yourself
Chinese businessmen do not like intermediaries when talking to them. They need the transaction to be between heads of companies. They also want face-to-face meetings. Therefore, if you want to establish a strong relationship with them, you need to travel to China yourself along with your team, or invite the heads of your target company to come over and be a great host. Doing business with the Chinese is also more about establishing a personal relationship before going down into the details. Do not be the type who goes straight into the business goals without even introducing yourself and your company’s background.
Once is not enough
Winning the hearts of these businessmen require several transactions. Make sure that you do not only meet with them once. Even if that requires several trips to China, it is okay. You know that it will eventually pay off once you close the deal. You also need to be patient since transactions in China require several layers of bureaucracy.
Do not do business when eating
When invited to eat with the Chinese, you need to forget business. It is an opportunity to talk to them and get to know them personally. You need to drop business-related transactions. It might seem like the social interaction has nothing to do to help build your business, but it does. When talking to the group, you need to mind ranking differences. Always pay respect to those in the upper levels of corporate ladder. Talk about education, Chinese history, arts, and culture. These are some topics the Chinese would love to talk about. Avoid asking too personal questions like the number of kids they have or if they are married or not.
Arrange your transactions
Make sure that before you travel to China, everything is set. Make a clear appointment in regards to the time and place. Always show up earlier than the people you are meeting with. It does not hurt to send a reminder email or call to ensure that you will be there. Set the agenda clearly.
Doing negotiations
When doing negotiations, it needs to be among senior members only. Always bring an elderly member in your team to join the trip and allow that person to help in the discussion. It is also quite common for them to be quiet in the middle of a meeting. It is not a sign of being rude. It means that they are thinking and you need to respect it.
It is not easy winning the hearts of these people, but you need to be patient. Try your best and work your magic until you close the deal.
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