It is said that it is easy to lie with words, more difficult to lie with the face, and even more difficult to do so with the body.
If your words relay only part of your message, various other sounds and your entire body express the rest. A good synchronization of speech and movement, used properly in the cultural context, will give any speaker enhanced credibility.
After taking your best shot at accurate communications in cross-cultural negotiations and after everyone assumes that everyone was discussing the same thing, you sometimes discover that this understanding was all an illusion and that serious misunderstandings exist.
Unfortunately, you generally don’t discover these misunderstandings until later when it may be too late or too costly to readdress everyone’s understanding.
Culture clash happens when people from two different cultures come into contact. Sometimes the clash begins before anyone has a chance to properly introduce themselves.
Culture clash can lead to serious fatigue or even clinical shock or depression. Many of the adjustments to life in the cultural fast lane must be made early on, or the traveler or expatriate may produce symptoms of anxiety and stress, preventing a successful overseas experience. Anyone who spends much time with people from another culture can suffer from culture clash.
When conducting business on an international basis, most executives find that it is a necessity to properly plan travel abroad to meet with potential and present customers. This allows you to locate and find new customers as well as improve relationships with your present foreign representatives. International business dealings should take place via face-to-face meetings with a client or customer, as this is the best form of business contact.
