In this post we build on my previous post on cross-cultural aspects at the very beginning of the sales process and initiating contact with the prospective client. In that post I alluded to the fact that, depending on the culture, initiating contact and building trust can be intertwined or even in reverse order.
Business First Cultures
Initiating contact is quite easy and straightforward in cultures such as the USA or Germany. A direct call, email or LinkedIn message can suffice as long as it contains an authentic, compelling business reason for contacting the prospect. Good references and a good company reputation can be helpful. Trust will be established over time as you demonstrate an understanding of the client’s business, the specific needs of the buyer type and how you and your company can help.
Business oriented buyers are not interested in developing a deep personal relationship with you. It’s all about answering questions such as “what can you do for me/my company?” or “why are you better (in terms of quality, delivery, price) than our current supplier?”
Although British and American buyers have similar traits, I have experienced some very direct feedback during an initial meeting where an American VP of a US software company was meeting with the sales team in our UK-based software distribution center.
We did introductions and started a presentation that focused on more introductory information about the company. The client was obviously found this completely irrelevant, rolled up his sleeves and said “let’s just get on with what this engagement will look like, how your network will benefit my company and get the correct language version of our products in the hands of our customers on time”. The presentation was put away and we rolled up our sleeves and got down to business. That was a good move, because we ultimately won a very lucrative contract for European distribution. While distribution methods have changed, the cultures have not!
Relationship First Cultures
In other cultures, initiating contact can be superseded by the need to build trust on a personal level before business discussions take place. I mentioned this in the context of Asian cultures in my previous post, but this trait is also prevalent in many Eastern European, South American, Middle Eastern and African countries. Cold calling and other direct methods of initiating contact with these folks are not effective.
Referrals, introductions and/or recommendations are the key to getting in the door. From there trust is generally established on a person-to-person basis. Business in not discussed at this point. The focus is to get to know one another on a personal level, to work hard at establishing a relationship of loyalty.
I have experienced this first-hand in our industry with clients from several countries in the regions mentioned above. It was lovely getting to know people so well and their hospitality was unrivaled. At the same time my American mind was wondering when we were going to get down to business and have practical discussions about that, but I remembered a story from my father who, during his first trip to the Middle East in a sales role, took his cues from his host, whose sign of trust made my father terribly uncomfortable. He decided not to go with his instincts, but rather to go with the flow. It paid off: he made is biggest sale ever.
It’s easy to see how the two general cultural styles for initiating contact and building trust I mentioned above are polar opposites:
My Caveat
For brevity’s sake, I have created general cultural styles above about initiating contact and trust building. Each country and associated culture is unique and has nuances and differences from all others. It’s always best to understand the specifics of the culture your prospective client comes from and adapt accordingly.
FluentSales