Pitfalls in doing business in a foreign country


There can be pitfalls in doing business in a foreign country, from culturally inappropriate hugging to accidental obscene hand gestures. By researching and understanding the culture of a foreign country, you can better prepare yourself and your team to avoid mistakes and leverage cultural protocols to your advantage.


Part One: Common Information for Each Country

Basic Country Facts: Identify government types, languages, and religions for both countries.
Business Etiquette: Identify common business etiquette in both countries (for example, how to greet men and women, negotiating styles, and acceptable business attire).
Tips for Doing Business: Identify three tips you would give to those individuals doing business in the non-U.S. country you selected. Tips could be about behaviors to avoid, such as things as innocent as posture or body language, attitudes regarding punctuality, or approaches to business

 

Sample Answer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building on the selection of India 🇮🇳 as the target market, here is a comparative analysis of key business information, contrasting India with the United States (U.S.) as the home country, to prepare for global expansion.

 

🌎 Part One: Common Information for Each Country

 

 

Basic Country Facts

 

CategoryIndia 🇮🇳 (Target Market)United States (U.S.) 🇺🇸 (Home Market)
Government TypeFederal Parliamentary RepublicFederal Presidential Republic
Official LanguagesHindi, English (and 20+ other recognized regional languages)English (de facto official; no official federal language)
Major ReligionsHinduism (approx. 80%), Islam (approx. 14%), Sikhism, ChristianityChristianity (approx. 70%), Unaffiliated (approx. 23%), Judaism, Islam

Tips for Doing Business in India 🇮🇳

 

To effectively navigate the Indian business environment and successfully introduce our cell phone case products, individuals must adopt a patient, respectful, and relationship-focused approach.

Prioritize Relationship Building Over Transactional Speed:

Tip: Do not push immediately for a final decision or contract closure. Indian business culture is hierarchical and high-context; trust must be established over multiple meetings.

Behavior to Avoid: Impatience or scheduling follow-up meetings too aggressively. Focus on building genuine rapport, which includes respectful conversation about family and personal interests.

Respect Hierarchy and Titles:

Tip: Always address individuals by their formal title (e.g., Mr., Ms., Dr., or a title like "Director") followed by their last name unless explicitly invited to do otherwise. When presenting, ensure the most senior person in the room is addressed first.

Behavior to Avoid: Directly contradicting a senior person in a meeting, or displaying overly informal behavior, as this can be perceived as disrespectful to authority and age.

Mind Nonverbal Communication and Public Displays: