Generalityanddetails
TheChinesenegotiationstyleischaracterizedbymovingfromthewholetoindividualparts,frombiggertosmallerissues,fromgeneralitytodetail;theChinesesay,鈥淔romnegotiationonprincipleissuestonegotiationondetails.鈥滳hinesepeoplenormallystartwiththecommoninterestsandoverallprinciplesthatbothpartiesagreetoabideby.Incomparison,Westernersfocusmoreonthedetailsandlessonprinciplemattersasitisbelievedthatgrandissuesemergefromindividualissues.Westernersaremorepractical,paymoreattentiontodetailsandareeagertodiscussdetailedissuesatthebeginning.
Principlesandflexibility
Chinesenegotiatorsadheretotheirprinciplesandlong-termobjectivesandmaybeinsistentwhendealingwithissuesofprinciple.However,theycanbeprettyflexiblewhendealingwithotherissues,suchasreachingaconsensusonprojectsandtheexpeditionofsuchprojects.Chinesepeopleareverypracticalandprefertolaylongtermplansasopposedtoshort-termones.
Chinesepeopleliketocomparepricesandlovebargaining.Therefore,theyusuallytrytoeliminatesomeconditionsonthebasisoftheircounterpart鈥檚quotesorevendemandquotesfromthirdparties.Sometimes,foreignersfeelthattheChineseshowlittlerespect,butthisissimplythewaytodobusinessintheeyesoftheChinese.Theybelievethattheycangetabetterdealaftercomparingpricesandfactors.
Hierarchyanddecision
Chinaisacountrywhichadherestoaverystrictorderofhierarchy.Inbusinessmeetings,Chinesepeoplepreferhavingrepresentativesfrombothpartiesatequalhierarchy.Therefore,itisnecessarythatthetworepresentativesshouldhavethesameoratleastequivalentpositions.Ifthehighest-rankingpersonfromtheforeignpartyisonlyanassistanttothepresident,normallytheChinesepartywillnotsenditspresidenttothemeeting.TheforeignpartyshouldvaluetheChinesecustoms,abidebytheruleofequivalence,andempowerapersonwiththesameranktoshowitsrespectandsincerity.
Chinesecultureputsmoreemphasisoncollectivismsothatthedecisionisoftenmadebyagroupofpeopleratherthananindividual.Usually,ittakesmuchlongerforChinesetomakeadecisionbecauseallgroupmemberswillexchangetheirviewsandcoordinateallopinionsbeforereachingaconsensus.Moreover,aftermakingadecision,theywillhavetoreportittotheirsuperiorforapproval,meaningthatyouwillhavetowaitforsomeextratime.Inthiscase,you鈥檇betteraskthem,鈥淗owlongdoyouthinkIwillhavetowait?鈥漮r鈥淲ouldyoupleasetellmehowlongIcangettheanswer?鈥漇ometimesthoughthetworepresentativeshavealreadyreachedanagreement,theChinesepartymaystilltellyouthatthefinaldecisionwillhavetobemadeaftertheapprovalofthetopmanagement.Don鈥檛besurprisedasitispossiblythedecision-makingprocessofaChinesecompany.
Otherdetails
Businesscardsaremini-resumesforbusinessoccasion.Therefore,youshouldgiveandreceivebusinesscardswithbothhandstoshowrespect.Donotputbusinesscardsinyourbagorpocketcasuallywithoutfirstlookingoverthefrontandbackofthecard.
Chinesepeoplearereservedandshy.Theylovetosmile,butstaringatothersisregardedasrude.Therefore,Chinesepeopleusuallylookabitaboveorbelowothers鈥檈yeswhennegotiatingandrarelydirectlyintheeye.Chinesepeoplearealsoembarrassedbyhuggingandkissing,whichmaybecommoninWesterncountries;shakinghandsisnormalbusinessetiquetteinChina.
AneditedexcerptfromWheninChina:AGuidetoChineseBusinessCulturepublishedbySinolinguaCo.Ltd.