Working With Africans

Few days ago, an American vendor expressed his frustration on a forum of the LinkedIn virtual professional community over his foreign prospective clients’ unexpected attitudes.

In his US homeland, it is so easy to meet with the senior executives who are open to new solutions and products. Based on his experience, the vendor has assumed that approaching a potential client and making a deal is quick process. It features a similar pace and comparable interactions whatever the place where the transaction is taking place.

His success at home has boosted his confidence and his desire to grow. Looking at foreign markets, he found European markets to be appealing and subsequently he decided to set up an office in the United Kingdom.

Few months of struggles to get an appointment with his British prospective clients made him ponder on why they do not behave or react the same way as in the USA?

What did he do wrong?

Such incident is typical of people who have not been exposed to working abroad. During their studies or their training, they have developed some technical skills that have resulted in successful outcomes in their home market. Unfortunately, rarely do these training address the issue of the transferability of these skills in other cultural working contexts.

People with little exposure to living and working abroad have a rather limited awareness of the impact of culture on working and social interactions.

Some people are totally unaware of how cultural expectations impact on what they say, show or do when dealing with foreigners. It seems to be the case of our American vendor!

Others have some level of awareness but they often think that these differences are only tied to the societal etiquette. They will devote little time to getting a glimpse of the DO and DON’T in the targeted foreign market society.

Some believe that recruiting an indigenous assistant will clarify situations and wil help in advising on human interactions.

In order to illustrate how little effective is the quick learning of DO and DON’T, let us examine the various steps that our American vendor is going through with a prospective client in the UK.

Penetrating a foreign market requires not only technical and legal advices but also some cultural ones.

Getting a British prospect to accept to meet with the American vendor brings about several situations: attitude towards unknown people, process of building trust, openness to change, communication style and content, body language, persuasion techniques, negotiation tactics , perception of time…just to cite a few!

Whereas many people believe that people react to situations according to their personal experience and personality traits, research has uncovered some general tendencies that apply across societies.

For example, these studies show that some societies score very low on risk taking (for example Germany or Belgium) and others very high (USA…). Logically in front of unknown people or new products and services, people from risk adverse societies will react differently from these from societies where people are ready to take risk. Trust building will also be affected by these different preferences.

Subsequently, approaching prospective clients from different societies requires learning about their cultural preferences and specifics. In a second step, people have to ponder how to adjust their selling approach to maximize their chance of success in a culturally understood foreign market.

Risk taking is just one among many other cultural variables that people operating beyond their borders must take into consideration.

The American vendor raised his challenge to meet with the right people. There are many more steps that will feature cultural differences. For example, negotiation styles and tactics are also culturally sensitive.

Applying a style or a tactic that is effective at home may kill the sale elsewhere!

When foreigners venture in African countries, how much do they know about the cultural specifics of their future business partners?

Conversely, when Africans venture beyond their borders, how much do they know about their foreign partners’ cultural preferences?

The example of the American vendor struggling in the UK shows that sharing the same language does not guarantee that people share many cultural preferences.

You are working in Africa or with Africans?

How much more effective will you become after a cross-cultural preparation?

Send me a short summary of your interactions and I’ll tell you where you risk to face cultural differences.