Communication in China

Right now it's one o' clock. Today I want to talk about communication because it is one of the hardest thing to do here in China. For one the way you talk to people here in China is very different than in the States. Business is done more on a relationship term that is. For us Americans, well for some of us at least we like to get straight to the point, and get straight down to business. Of course we may joke a lot but for most parts we like to hear good news and like to dig a little bit before we jump right into things.

Over here in China, it is almost completely the opposite. That is why sometimes I get a little confused on how things are done. For one, you have to be very careful of the way you talk to people here. A common joke to you can be a great insult to them. And there it goes, and you lose your business with that person because of that. Most chinese that do business with foreigners are accustomed to the way we do things. But a typical business meeting with them is dinner or lunch, or sharing tea.

Most things are kept traditional. Most of the business I have done over here, we talked more about our families and we're concerned more about the meals that we were eating rather than straight business. I remember one meeting I went to, we didn't start talking about business until we were done eating.

Things are done rather at a slow rate over here. Of course in the city of Chongqing, where I currently reside, not too many foreigners are here. I honestly can say that if today is Friday, the last time I have seen another foreigner was about a week ago.

Of course all business done must be slowly, carefully planned and well written. But for over here, it is best to triple your thought process and slow down ten fold of how to do things. For one, what you do here, may not be the same as what you can do back in the States, or what ever country your from.