3 Business Customs Most Americans Get Wrong – and Can Learn From Other Cultures

Here in the States, we generally think we’ve got business culture all figured out.

Whether it’s a power lunch on Madison Avenue or a handshake deal in Silicon Valley, each industry and even each coast has its own way of doing business. But even if you never leave the US for work, there are plenty of international business customs that we can learn from in our daily working life stateside.

Treat the business card with respect – Japan

In Japan, the exchange of business cards is conducted with great formality. It’s a moment of introduction, a first impression by which to show respect. When two businesspeople swap cards, it is done with a mutual bow and a passing of the cards themselves. Everything from the angle of the bow to the position of the feet is of importance. To see for yourself, this video shows just how delicate the dance can be.

Here in the States, we often pass business cards with haste: sliding them across a table and shoving them into our pocket or our wallet without a second thought. Worse, many of us neglect to carry them at all. But the exchange of business cards can be an opportunity to formally introduce yourself and communicate care, consideration and respect. When you are offered a business card, make sure to show that it is being placed in either a business card holder or in another place of care. By doing so, you will show that you implicitly respect the future of your correspondence with the other person. By taking an extra moment or two to consider this first impression, you may set up your working relationship for future success.

Find another way to say ‘no’ – India

Business negotiations can be a brutal battle of wills and wits. While certainly brawls breaking out in the board room are the stuff of urban legends, showing irritation, annoyance or disregard for colleagues can be hard for even the most restrained among us to avoid when discussions get heated and vast sums of money are at stake.

In India, politeness in business discussions is key—a point that can be useful to remember here in the States. Specifically, when in India, Americans are advised to avoid saying ‘no’ during business discussions as it can be seen as rude. Instead, take a note from Indian culture and try to stay away from binary ways of accepting or rejecting ideas in the workplace—and you don’t have to become a Yes Man to do it. A simple “Let’s take that idea into consideration” can be a more inclusive, promising way to handle a concept you’d otherwise reject out of hand. And who knows—maybe the idea you would have shot down with a knee-jerk rejection turns out to be a positive game changer. You’ll never know without taking that extra moment to reflect.

Never be the first to leave the meeting – Brazil

It can be tempting when you’re in a meeting that seems to be dragging to leave early—whether or not you have another commitment scheduled next. In Brazil, it’s considered rude to leave a gathering early—even if it lasts much longer than it was scheduled to.

But you don’t need to be conducting operations in Rio de Janeiro to take a tip from the Brazilians on this one. By leaving an important meeting early, you might be communicating to those around you that your other commitments are more important—even if they’re not. If you’re absolutely pressed to get to your next meeting—and certainly, being late is an international no-no—try telling the person running the gathering before it starts that you will have a hard stop at a certain time. That way, no one will hold it against you when you have to jet.