Take Away English-Doing Business 做生意

Are you shaking hands firmly?

China is the biggest market in the world, and many countries such as Germany, the USA, the UK and Russia do a lot of business there. Let’s have a look at some important tips to help you be successful with these nationalities.

Firstly, you must be punctual with Germans. Even 5 minutes late makes a bad impression. Being punctual is also very important in the USA. In the UK, it’s important to be punctual for business meetings, but nobody expects you to be on time for a social event. Half past seven really means quarter to eight, or even eight o’clock! With Russians, always be on time, but don’t be surprised if your Russian contact is very late! It is not unusual for them to be one or even two hours late!

In all four countries, it is best to dress formally and use dark colours. In Russia, designer clothes are very common. Don’t be surprised if you go to an office in the UK on a Friday and find everyone wearing jeans. Many companies have ‘dress down Friday’, when people wear casual¹ clothes.

In Germany, first names are only used with family members and close friends, so be prepared to use titles and last names. In the USA you will usually be invited to use first names almost immediately. The British are quite informal and using first names in business is more and more common, especially among younger people. In Russia, however, nobody uses first names, so use titles and last names.

In conversation, the British and the Americans value humour, and both like to talk about sport. The weather is also a good topic of conversation with the British, but avoid talking about politics. In Russia, say positive things about their country, but avoid making complaints. The Germans, however, prefer to get straight down to business!

Finally, when doing business in all countries make sure you have a lot of business cards. Remember that in Germany, once a deal has been agreed, you can’t change it! In the USA, money is more important than relationships, whereas² in Russia it’s important to get to know your contact well. Finally, don’t be surprised if a British meeting seems like chaos³, with everybody participating and giving opinions!

So, use these tips, and you will be on your way to a successful international business career!

GLOSSARY 词汇表
market 市场 punctual 准时的 contact 联系；联系人 designer clothes 名牌服装 titiles 职称；官衔 humour 幽默 complaints 抱怨 business cards 商（业）务名片 chaos 混乱	tips 技巧 makes a bad impression 留下不佳印象 formally 正式的 casual 休闲的 informal 随便的；非正式的 avoid 回避 get straight down to business 开门见山谈生意 deal 合同 career 事业

 

1 casual   

adj.漠不关心，冷漠的；随便的，非正式的；偶然的，碰巧的

参考例句：

• He earns a living by casual labour.他靠做临时工为生。
• The guests wore casual clothes.客人们穿着便服。

2 whereas   

conj.而，却，反之

参考例句：

• They want a house,whereas we would rather live in a flat.他们想要一座房子，而我们宁愿住在一套房间里。
• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。

3 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。