Que tal falarmos um pouco sobre Business English? Um assunto que merece sempre nossa atenção. Afinal, muita gente estuda inglês por causa do tal mercado de trabalho, não é mesmo? Portanto, nada melhor do que aprender algumas dicas com quem dá aulas com foco nesse público. A prof. MaraRubia Roza Burger compartilha com a gente um pouquinho do seu conhecimento. Então vamos ler a dica dela com atenção.
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How are you doing, mates? My name is Mara Rubia Roza Burger and I teach business English privately. After reading the tip about Good-byes and taking my post-graduate course in Business English I really got interested in sharing with you some more cultural differences – specially when talking business. Would you like to take a look at some tips about the American way of doing business? So, keep reading!
Let’s first take a look at some topics of conversation. That is, what can we talk about and what we can’t talk about? You can definitely talk about the following: work-related matters, travel, sports, food, and entertainment. These topics are ok. They bring people together.
Now, avoid, at all costs, talking about American foreign policy, religion, racism, sexism, and politics. There are thorny issues and some people may not feel comfortable talking about them. So, in order to avoid possible problems, do not mention these topics in a conversation.
Now, let’s say that you’re going to conduct a negotiation. How can you get yourself prepared? There you go some negotiation tips to always keep in mind:
- Map out your negotiation strategy in advance
- Small talk and don’t pause before replying
- Conduct business at a fast pace
- Present charts, figures and ideas in a dynamic manner
- Be ready for discussion on a “point-by-point” basis
- Use give and take principles
- High-pressure tactics can work
- Negotiators are expected to be decision-makers
- Emphasize gains in money, rather than power and status
- Use deadlines anxieties for your advantage
- Don’t bargain (up to 25%)
- Be professional
- Be straightforward
- Don’t blame failure to outside forces
- Hire local assistance
- Don’t be too flexible
- Don’t criticize Americans or competitors
- Express your concerns clearly
- Get used to counter-argueing
- Don’t assume senior negotiators will speak Portuguese
In case you’re having a business dinner, there are also a few things to keep in mind:
- Dinner may proceed as from 6.30 pm
- Wait to be told where to sit
- Dinners are professional events and you may start discussing business at any given moment
- After dinner everyone goes home
- A thank-you note will be appreciated
- Reciprocate by inviting your host to a meal of equal value.
That’s it, guys! I hope you’ve enjoyed these tips. Although they seem to be so simple, have in mind that they’re really important in the business world. These are cultural aspects that you have to learn before starting negotiating with Americans. take care, you all!
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Mara Rubia Roza Burger lives in Blumenau – SC. She has a degree in Business and is specialized in Business English. She teaches English privately and translates texts from Portuguese-English-Portuguese.
Very useful tips, Mara Rubia! I'm the author of the 'good-bye tips' post and I'm really glad that you were somehow inspired by my text to share some other cultural differences between Brazil and the USA.I'm also interested in Business English. I think it is a nice area to be explored in the English teaching world.See you!