The best way to do business with people from the United States is the same way you would do business with anyone else: with intelligence, sensitivity, politeness and honesty. Nevertheless, Americans are different. They have different working practices, customs and expectations.
They are also different from each other: they come from different national backgrounds (the “melting pot”) and from 50 different states (“from California to the New York islands”). They have different religions and political views. They work in different industries, companies and departments. In short, they are all individuals and should be treated as such.
A stereotype that contains a lot of truth is that Americans like to make small talk before getting down to business. But how long this should take will vary from situation to situation. Be sensitive to your business partner. And don’t forget the most important saying in American business life: time is money. Actually, what American statesman Benjamin Franklin said in his Advice to a Young Tradesman in 1748 was “Remember that time is money, but we’re making progress at last”.
American businesspeople tend to be result-focused and goal-oriented. And this means getting to the point as quickly as possible, taking decisions and moving on to the next issue. This is summed up nicely by the Nike slogan: Just do it!
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- Key terms: Special Australian vocabulary.
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