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Tips for communicating successfully in today’s global business environment:
John Sacke, Founder, Sacke & Associates Inc.
First, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to visit our web site. We hope you will enjoy the visit and encourage you to bookmark the site, so you can come back soon. I’d like to share with you some of my experiences gathered by my almost a decade in corporate communications roles in technology. While I certainly cannot give the whole guidebook, I would like to tell you about five important tools for communicating that I have used over the years to benefit our clients.
Help Global Audiences Understand Your Messages
Build Strong Relationships with People in Other Countries
Immerse Yourself in Global Issues
Use Technology Wisely
Recognize That Media Are More Similar Than Different
Help global audiences understand your messages with their hearts as well as with their heads
The first tool of effective corporate communications is the human heart. Not only is it the staff of life, pumping more than 52 million gallons of blood in the average life, but it reminds me that our goal is to help global audiences understand messages with their hearts, not just their heads. If successful, key audiences can be quite easily moved from merely comprehending a message to acting on that message in tangible and effective ways. But to achieve this, we have to continually look at the messages we send, in two important ways – culturally and linguistically.
Every country has its own unique idiosyncrasies – encompassing, politics, sports, music, religion, music, and so on. To be an effective communicator today, one must consider and relate to these experiences in every single message, accurately and consistently. But in today’s truly global business environment, this is no easy feat?
Using translation agencies can help bridge these linguistic and cultural gaps, but there are other pieces of the puzzle. One has to work with business communicators and leaders in the countries where you are doing business, so they can give it a local flavour. Gathering local support for your message is critical. These experienced and well -trained people serve as cultural liaisons, able to finely craft and in some cases even simplify certain messages to give them even stronger meaning. This is particularly important when one is using industry jargon which very often translates poorly.
But we can’t stop there. The next step is to adapt the messages “culturally.”
I clearly recall studying French with Madam Koren in high-school. I clearly remember trying to read something in French, looking up the various words in a dictionary, then trying to piece them together into sentences. It was like working on a big jigsaw puzzle. Would you want to read public relations materials in another language? Perhaps you would understand it … likely not. Would you wonder if the effort in the translation would be worth it?
And that’s my point … it's critical we communicate in our audiences’ mother tongues, whatever language or dialect that may be. Failing to do this increases the risk of your message not being read or heard, much less understood, acted or acted upon. Translating communications into native languages is the first step into our audience’s hearts.
Build Strong Relationships with People in Other Countries
Today, one has to build strong relationships with people in the countries where you do business. Solidify relationships in person and outside the office whenever possible. Host a social function in a setting where you can get to know the people with whom you need to interact. Perhaps go to a ball game, even include their families. Most of all, make sure it’s a fun event.
Most Asian cultures place a higher premium on friendship, trust, and personal relationships than we do in North America. We have to appreciate this. People do business with people, not companies, especially when doing business internationally. Never assume people will do something just because it's their job. You have to communicate with them in the language of their choice, honestly and regularly. Doing this will inspire them. As importantly, building solid and long-lasting business relationships is usually fun and fulfilling.
Regard your communications counterparts as your partners, not your workers. Work with them, not above them or below them. As a senior, you may indeed be the brains behind a message, but your in-county contacts are your five senses. A brain without senses does not perform well. Don’t abandon your five senses … ever, no matter how adverse the circumstances or the culture gap. If you alienate them, you may reach isolated and even damaging conclusions.
As in building anything, little things mean a lot. As an example, call your co-workers, even if they are in different time zones, at times that are convenient for them. If they are 8 hours ahead of you, calling them at noon, their time, 4:00 am your time, just shows them the respect they deserve. Mind you, I’m not saying make a habit out of 4:00 am phone calls, but I think this example demonstrates the concept of respect.
Immerse Yourself in Global Issues
Look at the big global issues. Geography is no longer an issue … boundaries are quasi-meaningless. Just because international air-travel is expensive, doesn't mean you have to limit your awareness of global issues. Here, the internet is a great source of information. The New York Times, Toronto Star, London Times, and many other global publications have great, user-friendly web sites with complete international coverage.
Talking to people of diverse cultural in offices near you may be another way to enhance your global awareness. Your in-country communications contacts are usually invaluable in helping you discover what's news overseas. Learn, learn, learn is the key here. Take the time, and make the effort to get close to your international affiliates. In most cases, it’s definitely worth your time.
Remember, it's tough to be globally aware if your brain never leaves your hometown.
Use Technology Wisely
The fourth tool for effective global communication is to use technology wisely. When communicating internationally, technology can be a friend and a foe.
As an example, a couple of years ago, I went back to South Africa, the country of my birth. Finding a payphone on the streets of Johannesburg is about as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. So, if you are doing business in South Africa, one needs bear in mind that their telephone systems are not nearly as well developed compared with North America.
Recognize That Media Are More Similar Than Different
Finally, one must recognize that international media are more similar than different. News, today truly is a global business in a global environment. Whether a journalist is from Andorra or Australia, their needs are the same… to write a good story. Whatever the cultural differences, the method of getting the story is the same.
They show up at a media briefing or interview to get newsworthy information, and as corporate communications experts, it’s our jobs to give it to them. If we can’t or won’t, then we are surely failing in our corporate responsibilities, both tom ourselves and to our clients. All the old standards of being relevant, timely, and newsworthy apply -- meaningless puff just does not cut it … it’s that simple.
Of course, some minor differences exist between North American and international media. For example, in Scandinavian countries, journalists expect to be sent a small gift for attending a press conference. In South Africa, the press will send you their copy to check before publication -- unthinkable in North America and most Western European countries. And in the Ukraine, it's still common practice to pay for coverage. We don’t, and still manage to get some ink though. So, once again, it's important to find out the subtle local differences -- from trusted and reliable local sources.
There are many more stories. Many more lessons to be learned, but for now, I hope I have succeeded in giving you an insight into the wonderful and fascinating world of public relations.
Again, I would like to thank you for visiting our site and hope you come back soon.
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