Only the other day someone still labelled Russia ‘the Wild East’ in a business meeting. The fear of ‘corruption demands’ and ‘strong-arm methods’ is deep rooted. But it’s the exception, not the rule. Here are some of the things I have learned about doing business in Russia.
What do you need to know about another country? When you do business with a new company, you check out their website, right? But what do you do if you are doing business in a new country? Most people assume that give or take a few etiquette differences, the business process is the same. Wrong! It’s often entirely different. Even with countries next door to you. So how can you check? Before I reveal a framework that I’ve used for years, I want to underline that cultural and psychological differences and similarities are also expressed in language. For example, a Spaniard may have many things in common with an Italian because their language has a common root – Latin. That’s because they intuitively understand the psychology of the language they’re both speaking. Conversely, if you’re new to, say, the German language and Culture, booking a German Course for businesses (or privates) can also help you understand their psychology, on top of the language, of course.
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