Christmas is a great excuse to send presents to our business partners. When done right, it could help cement a business relationship or encourage future business.
To make sure that the gift we give is well-received, we should make sure that what we give is appropriate. A difficult task if we talk about clients/partners who are from different cultures.
Tip #1: Since other religions also celebrate during the holidays, we should make sure that our business gift has no religious overtones. Plus, rather than say "Merry Christmas", use "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holidays".
Tip #2: When selecting gifts, make sure that you know the culture's dos and don'ts in gift-giving. Here are just a few examples:
In China, gifts will be refused three times before they are accepted (you should do the same when you are given a gift). When it is finally accepted, both hands are used. The gift will be set-aside and opened later, away from the gift-giver's eyes. Value of the gift should equal the value of business dealings. If it's too expensive, it might be misconstrued as a bribe. Do not give anything that is in color black, blue or white. Do not give anything that has the number four or whose quantity equals four. Clocks, handkerchiefs, knives and scissors and straw sandals are big No-Nos.
In Latin Culture, you should not use black or purple wrapping paper. Do not give handkerchiefs, knives or scissors.
For Jews, best to give kosher food and wine.
to be continued...
Keep in mind too that just like in the US, some companies have an upper limit to the value of the gift itself.
Also, might be interesting in a different post to talk about the cultural differences between actually giving a gift or not when meeting a partner or going to their office. I know for me it's always a challenge to decide if I need to bring a gift for a particular meeting in Japan or not....
Posted by: Tim Arai | December 11, 2006 4:39 PM | Permalink to Comment