uei
Tribunade l’Empresari
35
Socialising across cultures
Should you take your foreign visitor for a
boozy
pub lunch
?
Invite them to a karaoke bar?
Throw
a weekend barbeque
at your home in their ho-
nour?
Entertaining business partners
is a
tricky
affair
and will depend enormously on whether
the local culture keeps business and private life
separate or not. Here are three things to keep in
mind the next time you do business with some-
one from
overseas
.
Is it a good idea to take visitors to a restaurant
with food from their country?
A Chinese visitor to Spain might get a shock if
you took them to a Chinese restaurant as the
food there is unlikely to be authentic. Whilst
they will probably appreciate the offer of fami-
liar food, most visitors
are keen to try
the local
specialities. Groups of mixed nationalities are
especially difficult to
cater for
so a buffet with
a wide variety of choices is a good option here.
Just remember to label any unfamiliar dishes so
they know what they are eating!
Should I
talk shop
during the meal?
If your visitor’s culture is more people-orienta-
ted (as is the case in places like Argentina, China,
India, Russia and Italy), then
making small talk
before
getting down to business
is vitally im-
portant. In northern European countries, which
separate work and play, it’s not imperative. The
best rule is to follow your host’s example and
play it safe – if you are not sure then wait until
the meeting the following day to talk business.
Is it acceptable for the host to
pick up the bill
at
the restaurant?
Unless you’re in Germany, the answer is yes!
Germans are used to paying individually for
what they order, but elsewhere either the host
picks up the tab
or the bill is split equally bet-
ween the group.
G l o s s a r y
Cursos
Grups in-company
One-to-One (particulars)
Cursos on-line
Viatges a l’estranger
Classes Skype
Serveis
Plans de formació a mida
Gestió de subvencions
Traducció i interpretació
7
escoles d’idiomes
Valors afegits
Consultor lingüístic
Selecció de personal
Exàmens oficials
Professors nadius
Cambridge School
Pl. Manel Montanyà, 4
08401
GRANOLLERS
Tel. 93 870 20 01
www.cambridgeschool.com
Contacto:
negocis@cambridgeschool.com
Article patrocinat
Cerclem
Boozy pub lunch
Comida con mucho alcohol
Throw a barbeque
Organizar una barbacoa
Entertain business partners
Entretener a los socios
Tricky affair
Tema delicado
Overseas
De ultramar
Be keen to try
Tener ganas de probar
Cater for
Satisfacer
Label (v)
Etiquetar
Talk shop
Hablar de negocios
Make small talk
Conversaciones para romper
el hielo
Getting down to business
Ir al grano
Play it safe
Jugar sobre seguro
Pick up the bill / get the tab
Pagar la cuenta