It’s no secret that China is the world’s factory for everything. One in five people on the planet is Chinese. No matter how much people criticize or debate searching for better cooperation terms, people all over the world are studying the country’s culture and language. So how can you win over Chinese partners and achieve the best possible terms of cooperation? Read below to find out!
1.Go for Tea
After making a list of potential suppliers, you should visit the manufacturers’ factories in person. This will demonstrate the seriousness of your intentions. In addition, personal contact and relationships are valued nowhere more highly than in the Chinese business environment.
2.Save “Face”
Preserving “face” is one of the key components of national culture. To have face means having high status in the eyes of partners, employees, and others. For a Chinese person, the main thing is not to lose “face.” You shouldn’t point out mistakes directly. For example, if you notice a typo in business correspondence, it’s better to ask for clarification again. The person, recalling that the topic was already discussed, will likely return to their previous letter and notice the mistake themselves, and your gesture will be appreciated.
Any refusal can cost you your reputation, so in China, people almost never say “no” directly. For the same reason, you should never fully rely on a positive answer—“yes” is a very flexible concept.
3.Gifts
Gifts are an essential part of negotiations. In China, it is customary that gifts must come from the guest’s home country. It should be something unique or practical, something your partners could never buy in China. Gifts are usually presented at the end of negotiations, and the bigger the deal, the more valuable the gift should be. However, extravagant gifts may cause misunderstanding, especially if the recipient cannot reciprocate with something of similar value.
After making a list of potential suppliers, you should visit the manufacturers’ factories in person. This will demonstrate the seriousness of your intentions. In addition, personal contact and relationships are valued nowhere more highly than in the Chinese business environment.
2.Save “Face”
Preserving “face” is one of the key components of national culture. To have face means having high status in the eyes of partners, employees, and others. For a Chinese person, the main thing is not to lose “face.” You shouldn’t point out mistakes directly. For example, if you notice a typo in business correspondence, it’s better to ask for clarification again. The person, recalling that the topic was already discussed, will likely return to their previous letter and notice the mistake themselves, and your gesture will be appreciated.
Any refusal can cost you your reputation, so in China, people almost never say “no” directly. For the same reason, you should never fully rely on a positive answer—“yes” is a very flexible concept.
3.Gifts
Gifts are an essential part of negotiations. In China, it is customary that gifts must come from the guest’s home country. It should be something unique or practical, something your partners could never buy in China. Gifts are usually presented at the end of negotiations, and the bigger the deal, the more valuable the gift should be. However, extravagant gifts may cause misunderstanding, especially if the recipient cannot reciprocate with something of similar value.