Page 37 - Food&Drink September 2019

mainly business and investment migrants, with high levels of education, skills, language and wealth;
• Students: 165,000 a year, that contribute $6 billion to the Australian economy annually.
RELATIONSHIPS FIRST
To gain an Asian investor or buyer’s trust needed for a business relationship to flourish, you need to invest in building the relationship, before any type of deal or transaction can occur. I call this taking ‘Three Cups of Tea’.
The first cup of tea. As a foreigner doing business with Chinese people you are a stranger, no matter how much
they appear to like, trust or respect you.
The Chinese are gracious, generous and flattering, and will often give the appearance of welcoming you as a friend and business partner.
But you will never gain their trust without investing deeply in the relationship.
This requires some old fashioned relationship- building skills and etiquette.
Think of a business opportunity as a chance to build a relationship, not complete a transaction.
Ask open questions, listen carefully to the answers and think about how you can progress the relationship to the
next level of becoming a friend (the second cup of tea).
Leave the quote, proposal or contract in the drawer, take your Chinese guests out for lunch, exchange gifts, tell stories and laugh a lot.
Be patient as this process takes time and involves navigating cultural differences, language barriers and expectations from multiple parties. Once enough trust has been established, then you can start talking business (the third cup of tea).
You will be surprised how relationship-building can lead to real business opportunities, but only if you are willing to take the three cups of tea! ✷
✷ ABOUTTHEAUTHOR David Thomas is a
keynote speaker on
future trends, innovation,
leadership and
globalisation. David
motivates and educates
global business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors on the massive potential offered by modern China. His experience covers food, healthcare, education, tourism, real estate, retail, professional services and technology. His ebook “Three Cups of Tea” is available through www.thinkglobal.com.au.
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