Intercultural Communication

There's a good chance that some of your coworkers, bosses, or employees will come from a different cultural background. Ever feel like you don't really understand what they're saying, even when you're speaking the same language? It might be because you are not fluent in the body language of their native culture. In the book Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace, authors Iris Varner and Linda Beamer give examples of how even the simplest gestures can have different meanings in different countries.


Forms of Greeting
Handshakes:

United States and Canada: Firm handshake.

France: Soft, quick handshake.

Japan: Handshake with arm fully extended, accompanied by a bow.

Germany: Firm handshake. Men traditionally accompany the handshake with a slight bow.

Middle East: Handshake with the free hand placed on the forearm of the other person.

Bowing: Many people from Asian cultures bow in greeting. In Japan, people bow with their hands at their sides, and the depth of the bow is related to the level of respect due to the other person. Thais bow with their palms together and fingers outstretched, while people from Cambodia and Laos bow with their hands in front of their chests. Pakistanis use the salaam, and bow with the palm of the right hand on their foreheads.

SAN FRANCISCO TULE FOG

 Stillness descends
I touch your skin,
there is a quiver..
is it me, or you, or us?
...will we become one?
as surely as I know
the San Francisco fog
always returns in 3 days.

© Lifes a Pitch

Selling Your Self Image by Mr.Roger

I truly believe with all my being that we are always pitching, selling ourselves. I also believe that this is not a bad thing.



The simple act of reaching out to people and trying to connect is an act of persuasion. Most of us care whether people like us or not and understand that when we are liked and admired, we are more able to get the things we want. This is a universal truth demonstrated repeatedly by successful people everywhere. The million dollar question is, are we liked by the right kind of people who can help us get what we want out of life? A successful salesperson is a unique commodity and worth their weight in gold.

Unfortunately, selling has gotten a bad reputation. The dictionary definitions (relevant to tonight’s topic) are “to convince of, to gain acceptance.” In relevance to that, sales have acquired some unfavorable definitions such as “to cheat or dupe, a hoax or swindle.” It is associated with being phony and inauthentic, forcing people to buy things they don’t want or need.” We all at some point in life have experienced the humiliation and exasperation of feeling that we were taken for a ride. I feel that familiar irritation creeping up on me when I listen to those trying to disillusion everything we stand for and are trying to accomplish. I can only wonder how it is affecting the people that I’ve take responsibility for in sponsorship. This is not what I think of when I sell, and this is not where we are going with this. Rather, I want to set forth some ideas about selling and pitching that are honest, genuine, and borne of deep interest in other people.