First Impressions Magazine

Opening Up
Book Review: Selling Outside Your Culture Zone: A Guide for Sales Success in Today’s Cross-Cultural Marketplace
by Earl Honeycutt and Lew Kurtzman

If it’s true that...

by 2050, non-Anglo-Americans will comprise half the U.S. population
Hispanics accounted for half the population growth (40.6 percent) between 2000 and 2004
in California, more than 10 percent of the population is Asian
the African-American population increased 5 percent between 2000 and 2004
more than 110 languages are spoken in the United States today

... then don’t you wonder what your customers are going to look like, talk like and act like 10 years from now? Perhaps you should, because your new customers might not "get" the sales pitch that you’ve been accustomed to using for years. That’s the advice of the authors of Selling Outside Your Culture Zone: A Guide for Sales Success in Today’s Cross-Cultural Marketplace, by Earl Honeycutt, professor of business administration at Elon University, N.C.; and Lew Kurtzman, president of Growth Resource Associates.

Change is relentless
Sales reps who call on dentists already know that change among their customers is continuing at a rapid pace. Minority sales reps have had to accommodate themselves to the majority culture for years. Now, the so-called "majority" is finding its majority status changing. But the fact is, in a one-on-one sales encounter, there is no minority, there is no majority; there is only a buyer and a seller. Reps who fail to recognize the need to sensitize themselves to other cultures will lose sales, according to Honeycutt and Kurtzman. It’s just that simple.

Chances are, First Impressions readers have attended at least one seminar on "selling cross-culturally." For them, this book contains few surprises; there isn’t a lot of new ground covered here. However, if it serves no other purpose than to remind reps to be sensitive to those from different cultures, then it’s probably worth taking a look at. In fact, this book - which is short and easy to read - might merit a permanent place on your desk or bookshelf, if only to serve as a constant reminder to stay open.

The biggest obstacle
Honeycutt and Kurtzman put their finger on the biggest obstacle to cultural sensitivity - ourselves, or, more specifically, our "ethnocentric" view of the world. Basically, ethnocentrism means viewing our way of doing business or simply acting as the only way, rather than one of many. "Ethnocentrism has many meanings that suggest that other cultures should think, act and behave as we do or they are going about things in the wrong way," they write. The problem with ethnocentrism is that it leads us to interpret the actions of others in the context of our own culture. So, for example, a person from a culture that values propriety and social distance might be insulted by a sales rep who addresses him by his first name or who drapes a friendly arm over his shoulder. One customer might believe it the height of impropriety to be asked about his family, while another might expect it - and be turned off if his family is not brought into the conversation. You get the idea. If it’s true that 110 languages are spoken in America today, then how is a sales rep supposed to know the ropes of how to act in the face of 110 different cultures? The bad news is that he really can’t. The good news is that he can improve his odds of crossing the cultural divide and making a sale.

Education
Education is a necessary component. Although stereotypes are dangerous, sales reps can make some generalizations about other cultures. Such generalizations can provide a starting point toward better understanding and interacting appropriately with the customer sitting across the desk. For example:

To someone from an Arab community, dignity, honor and reputation are extremely important. Handshakes are welcomed, so long as they are not too firm. It is wise for the salesperson to wait for the customer to raise business topics. It might be considered too personal to ask about a buyer’s spouse or female children. And if you are left-handed, it might be a good idea to apologize before signing a document. (Ditto the left-hand advice for dealing with a Hindu buyer.)
Chinese value punctuality. Bilingual business cards are a necessity. Because China is a group-oriented society, the interests of many people must be considered in all business interactions; so don’t expect a rugged individualist to make an important buying decision on the spur of the moment. Avoid talking about Chinese politics. And if the customer perceives the rep to be impatient, expect some "slow down" tactics to cool things down.
When selling to someone from India, avoid first names, unless asked to use them by the buyer. In fact, the rep should always use titles. Show respect for Indian women, avoid asking personal questions and be prepared for bargaining for goods and services. Bargaining isn’t an insult to the salesperson; it’s expected behavior.
Among Filipinos, conflict is to be avoided at all costs; silence or evasive speech may be used to preserve peace. A Filipino may use the word "yes" to mean "Yes, I hear you," or "Yes, I understand," or "Yes, I agree." So don’t assume that "yes" means "Yes, I’ll buy your product." Personal relationships are more important than a written contract. And always show respect for elders and the Philippine family.

Oh, and the color red is associated with joy and happiness in China and Japan, and green is associated with health, growth and prosperity in China. But the color black to an Indian suggests guilt, lack of luck or death, while white is a funereal color in most Asian nations. So watch your business cards and literature.

The problem with stereotypes
Heightening one’s respect for and sensitivity to other cultures is the starting point for successful sales, according to the authors. But here’s the catch: Don’t become a victim of stereotypes, because they’ll sabotage your earnest efforts to open up to the world. "By stereotyping, humans reduce uncertainty by placing groups of people into tidy categories, or boxes, which predict behavior," the authors write. "When faced with uncertainty, it is easier to stereotype in order to explain disparate behavior than to admit that something is not understood. A serious problem arises when we interact with someone from another culture and they conform to our stereotype. We then assume we were right all along and attribute greater weight to the stereotypical behavior than is warranted. Said differently, we reinforce our stereotypes about a group based upon one or more actions displayed by a single individual." Stereotyping is not only unfair. It can cause the salesperson to misread his buyer, and to offend them and close them to the sales pitch. There is more than a grain of truth to some of the cultural characteristics mentioned above. It’s true, for example, that someone from Germany is more likely to prefer formality and a quick "down to business" approach than someone from, say, Italy. It’s also true that an American born-and-bred customer is more likely to be a risk-taker and individualist than, say, someone from Korea or Japan. That said, reps must keep in mind that a customer’s country of origin is not the only factor determining how he will react to the sales pitch. There’s socio-economic status, age, the length of time the person has lived in the United States, and his own personality. To complicate matters, a buyer might act one way today, but quite another when under pressure. In other words, culture can affect a buyer years after he has been in the country and, presumably, assimilated himself to our way of life and conducting business. The salesperson can negotiate these tricky waters with the help of what Honeycutt and Kurtzman call the three Rs:

Recognition: Understand your own cultural makeup and how it affects the way you approach people and your expectations of them. Develop (by reading and other means) some familiarity with the cultural environment you are about to enter.
Respect: Develop empathy and respect for the buyer’s culture, and avoid stereotyping.
Reconciliation: Approach your customer with some cultural insight, maintaining your sincere desire to communicate with him, and remaining flexible and patient during sales encounters.

You’ll make mistakes, just as you do now with people from your own culture. But keep at it, the authors suggest. Learn, listen, and remember that people from different cultures represent a huge (and growing) sales opportunity.