If you understand a language then you will understand to a large
extent the culture that goes with it, and if you understand the
culture you will pick up on subtleties that you might otherwise
miss. In any negotiation or business relationship the more you
understand about the needs and wants of the other party the more
likely you are to be able to reach an advantageous outcome (for
both sides). This is well recognized, but less widely taken into
account is the favourable impression that speaking another
language gives about you, and this is what I want to consider.
In the international business world of today the English speaker
is at a disadvantage in this regard because the international
language of business is English. If you are not a native English
speaker the obvious language to learn is English, whereas if you
are and you want to learn a new language where do you start?
Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian or French are just a few in
no particular order which come to mind.
Naturally if you are going to learn a language for business
purposes, the language you choose will depend primarily on where
you do business. However, in this era of the internet, cheap
flights and cheap telephone calls, it is common to establish
business relationships world-wide.
It is not realistic to start learning multiple languages well,
and so the interesting question is what strategies can be
employed to maximise the possibility of foreign language use,
with the aim of increased business success in a global market?
The answer is to learn enough of a language to be polite. The
potential impact of this is rarely considered, but what
impression do you have of a visitor to your country who does not
speak a single word of English ? My guess is not a great one.
The thought process is often 'that's a bit rude' or 'it's not
that difficult to learn hello and goodbye'.
Exactly the same thought takes place in a business relationship
because initial impressions count. Nevertheless how many English
speakers who are building relationships with non English
speaking countries take the time to learn hello or goodbye in
the language. Even fewer bother to learn a few pleasantries and
use them on the phone or face to face. The person who does that
will stick out from the crowd and become human. It helps build
and improve a relationship.
There is no need to become fluent in all the different languages
that your customers speak. It is not possible and anyway English
is recognized as the international language of business, but it
is useful to remember that learning enough of a language to
exchange pleasantries breaks through barriers and opens doors
which might otherwise remain closed. Clever use of some words
and phrases in languages other than English is going to improve
your personal relationships with foreign clients. Try www.linguata.com for a fast
and easy way to start.
About the author:
Frank M. Jones is a freelance author and writes occasional
articles for Veneficium Ltd. Visit for
software which teaches words and phrases in foreign languages,
and articles on languages and language learning.
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