DOING BUSINESS IN THE USA
The U.S. is essentially a nation of immigrants. It is a culturally diverse country. Stop and look at passers-by in any major city and you will see that this is a “melting pot” where people of all ethnic origins live.
Most Americans will tell you that their family originally came from another country and many of these ethnic groups retain pride in their old cultures and habits, integrating them into American society. As such, the American culture is substantially different from that of the Israeli one.
The common assumption is that if you have visited the U.S. and speak English, you are qualified to understand the local business culture.
The substantial gaps between the two cultures, which includes different values, norms, behaviors, work culture and social protocols, may induce embarrassing mistakes, loss of trust and integrity and even harsh economic loss.
ASK YOURSELVES THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
- Am I familiar with the American business culture?
- Are my employees/managers familiar with the American business culture?
- Do I understand how the concept of time impacts my business transactions?
- Do I understand the non-verbal signals of my American colleagues?
- Do I communicate in the appropriate business English using the right terminology and lingo?
- Do I understand the American meaning of process, methodology, and “professionalism”?
- Has my organization succeeded in penetrating the American market?
COMMUNICATION STYLE
Americans are direct in the way they communicate. They value logic and linear thinking and expect people to speak clearly and in a straightforward manner. Time is money in the U.S. and therefore people get to the point quickly. Communicating virtually is very common with very little protocol or formality is required in the verbal interaction.
TASK-BASED AND RELATIONSHIP-BASED CULTURES
America is a task-based culture. In task-based cultures, transactions come before relationships. This translates into the fact that business is conducted on the basis of cognitive trust, which involves confidence in one’s competence, abilities, and experience. One enters into a business relationship trusting that the person has the skills and knowledge to do a good job.
In task-based cultures, business decisions occur quickly on the basis of assessment and reliability. Task-based cultures are more concerned with what you do than who you are.
If you want to succeed in the post-global arena of the 21st century, our training program will provide the answers, the tools, and the practical language skills and terminologies for working with the American market in a culturally aware and effective manner.
CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING (CQ) WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
- Developing awareness and understanding of how business is conducted in the U.S.
- Understanding the American direct communication style: manners of speaking, eye contact, taboo subjects, personal space, appropriate language, and terminologies.
- Team building and management, successful negotiation, and conducting effective meetings
- Understanding values of the American culture: time, organizational values, business values, rules and U.S. process oriented culture
- American professionalism
- Business Relationships & Communications
- Formality and context
- Digital and virtual communication
WE OFFER:
A cultural awareness interactive presentation:
A 75-90-minute interactive presentation with a focus on understanding understanding the American business mindset.
Benefits: The participants will increase their cultural awareness and understand the main values that drive the behavior of their U.S. customers and colleagues.
Number of participants: No limit
Comprehensive Workshop:
A half-day or full-day dynamic workshop to be held face-to-face or on-line at the client's convenience.
The workshop includes an adjustment of needs evaluation (see below) in-depth understanding of cultural values, tools, and skills, case studies, role play, simulations, and implementation in order to work seamlessly in the American market.
Number of Participants: No more than 20
Adjustment of needs:
1X1 assessment interviews with designated individuals in your organization to anchor the understating of the needs and the goals that your organization wants to achieve through the training process.
Post-workshop group follow-up sessions:
3 follow-up group sessions, to be held once-a-month to reinforce the learning, trial and error simulations, and progress evaluation with a focus on challenges encountered.
Can be conducted virtually.
Number of participants: 10-20.
1x1 sessions:
Individual counseling sessions with a focus on preparing the client for specific interaction in the target market. Sessions include pitch-preparation, presentation building for a specific culture, business meetings/negotiations preparation, practicing small- talk and e-mail writing etiquette.
Presentations and workshops can be delivered in Hebrew or English.