International business was once solely the domain of global brands with thousands of employees and multimillion-pound marketing budgets, however nowadays, even small firms deal with global supply chains, international personnel, partnerships, clients, and customers on a daily basis.
This global connectivity means employees, managers and business leaders require a new set of skills in order to achieve success in their international business dealings.
These skills aren’t ‘hard’ skills – the ones learnt at university or mastered on the job – they are the interpersonal skills which help to build positive working relationships, ensure international teams can work together effectively, and that promote valuable links with overseas clients and suppliers.
If you are looking at growing your brand presence in an international market, have employees based in different locations around the world, or would simply like to improve team dynamics, then this blog is for you.
We’ll explore the most important soft skills for success in international business, looking at what the skills are, how to achieve them, and what we can do to help your firm succeed.
1. Communication
Every business relationship requires communication between key stakeholders, whether that be employees, clients, suppliers, managers, or investors.
Good communication helps get the job done right, on time and with minimal fuss.
However, poor communication can lead to customer dissatisfaction, employee frustration, and lack of leadership.
Here are a few tips to help improve your communication techniques:
• Listen – we all appreciate it when someone really listens to us and understands what we are saying, so this is vital when building relationships and improving communication. It can be helpful to repeat key elements back to the speaker, so they know you’ve really heard them, and ask for clarification if you aren’t sure about something.
• Body language – it isn’t only our voices which we use for communication, much of what we don’t say aloud comes across in our body language, so it is essential to monitor what your body is ‘saying’ to others. Try to stay maintain a relaxed posture, smile, make regular eye contact, and be fully engaged in the conversation.
• Who do you think you are talking to? – it is vital that you know who you are talking to, especially in international business. For example, is it a client, supplier, employee? Is English their native language? What are their cultural expectations regarding communication, body language, manners and so on? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, find out, or your conversation can falter before it is properly begun.
• Be positive – maintaining a positive, friendly attitude (especially when things don’t seem to be going the way you planned) is essential and people tend to respond in kind. Smile, be gracious, treat people fairly and be respectful.
2. Emotional Intelligence
Our emotional intelligence is our ability to observe and manage other people’s emotions while being conscious of, and regulating, our own.
For example, an emotionally intelligent manager is able to empathise with an upset employee, offering support and guidance with patience, and transparency.
An emotionally intelligent manager won’t rush off to tell the rest of the office what transpired, instead they’ll quietly check-in with the employee, making sure they are coping and seeing if there is anything they do to help with the situation.
Emotionally intelligent individuals tend to exhibit the following traits:
• Self-aware – they are aware of their strengths/weaknesses. They regularly assess how they are feeling in a given moment and monitor their thought processes to help them achieve their goals. They can regulate their own response in negative situations, easing tension and diffusing anger.
• Empathy – understanding someone’s emotions and experiences is an essential factor in emotionally intelligent people. This helps to sympathise and appreciate the problems others are facing, paving the way for equality and positive communication.
• Positive Attitude – positivity, openness, honesty, and trust are all evident in emotionally intelligent people. They are the individuals you’d call upon in an emergency, the boss that always remembers special occasions, and the team member who can be relied upon to help out at the last minute!
Increasing your emotional intelligence takes time and effort but it is definitely worth it in the long run.
If there is someone you know who fits the above description (a friend, colleague, or manager) it is worth monitoring how they interact with others, what they do in certain situations, or how they react in moments of stress, and try to emulate.
3. Cultural Awareness
Doing business in a global arena means you’ll need to work with people from different walks of life, different countries and cultures, and different social standings.
Being able to appreciate and understand these cultural differences is vital in ensuring there’s no confusion, embarrassment, or accidentally insensitive actions made which might affect your business dealings and relationships.
Cultural awareness can be achieved by researching the following:
• Language – familiarising yourself with a little polite conversation is a great way to break down cultural barriers and shows you’ve put in the effort to engage in communication.
• Societal norms – research the societal norms of the culture (there is lots of free information online, but it is worth checking the source!) Remember, every culture is slightly different, even within the same country.
• Religion – if you are forming business relationships with people from other cultures then it is vital you respect their beliefs, religion, and customs. These can have an effect on factors such as working hours/days, holidays, mealtimes, business etiquette, and so on. Showing you understand and appreciate their religion goes a long way when creating new relationships.
• Traditions – a business meeting in the Middle East does not operate in the same way as a meeting in the UK. Long handshakes (or even holding hands), prayer, and societal hierarchy play a key part in business dealings in the Middle East. Understanding, and being prepared for these differences, will give you greater confidence and ensure you don’t cause any unintentional offence or distress.
Gaining the soft skills required for success in international business will require effort and dedication but the results are definitely worth it.
Forming positive business relationships, and connecting with your global audience, is rewarding in many ways and pays dividends over the long term.
Advice and in-depth training courses which cover the soft skills needed for international business can be accessed here.
Alternatively, you can discuss your requirements with a member of the Creative Word team here.
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