Help Your Export Business Succeed With Cultural Awareness Training
If your business trades overseas, you have customers whose mother tongue is not English
or you want to expand your business into foreign markets then you need to consider the extent to which language and cultural skills will benefit your business operations.
By investing in corporate language training for your employees who may potentially have contact with overseas clients, you simplify the transition into new markets. It is much easier to make initial contacts, establish your business and find new customers if you can speak the necessary language.
Language won't be the only difference you'll come across when selling overseas. Cultural awareness training can also prepare you for the different customs and business etiquette you will experience when visiting other countries or taking part in international negotiations.
Being able to speak and understand a foreign language can help you not only to gain customers, but to retain them. People are more likely to make a purchase when a product or service is sold to them in their own language.
Taking the time to learn another language and become culturally aware will enable you to build better working relationships with your overseas customers. Demonstrating that you have made the effort to converse in their mother tongue shows not only your respect but your commitment to the working relationship.
Language and cultural skills will enable you to improve international communications, from the day to day contact you have through e-mails and faxes, to performing well at overseas trade fairs and exhibitions. Even dormant language skills can be developed for business use.
With existing language and cultural expertise you can improve your communications with overseas clients. You will save yourself time and money if those employees with a previous experience of learning languages are engaged in corporate language training. Cultural awareness training could also be used to build on the skills and experience of those employees who have already spent time overseas.
It is better to be aware of the ways in which languages can help your business operations and be prepared to make the necessary changes, than just relying on your English-speaking customer base and losing out to your competitors, who have already implemented language and cultural skills into their export strategies.