KOREAN BUSINESS CONSULTING

One day, a Japanese prime minister was asked if he objected to dealing with and negotiating with international visitors, who didn't understand his language. He answered that language was not a problem and that he could always get a competent interpreter. But then he added that while he didn't expect most foreign visitors to speak his language; however he did want them to be familiar with his culture, so that he and visitors could understand each other on a human level.

What the Japanese prime minister said is right on the money--especially in business. But all too often this "human level" eludes many businesspeople when they do business with people from other cultures, especially in such night-and-day cultures as America and Korea.

This Advice Can Save You a Fortune

Think about this. Just one seemingly insignificant cultural difference can create a rift that has the potential to unravel a hard-won business relationship.

And this is especially true in the negotiation stage. For example, look at this short conversation.

Underneath this very simple conversation lurks a significant cultural difference with the potential to be very costly:

Ralph: So, are you ready to make the deal?
Mr. Kim: I will think about it.
Ralph: Great. When would you like me to follow up with you?
Mr. Kim: I’m not so sure.

Ralph thinks the deal is at hand. And following this conversation Ralph may make several phone calls to Korea. Or he might even make a trip or two to Korea to finalize the deal with Mr. Kim. The only problem is that in this simple conversation Mr. Kim just told Ralph that he is not interested.

You see, Koreans won’t reject somebody directly. When Koreans deal with one another, they use indirect language to tell each other "no". If Mr. Kim had told another Korean that he will "think about it," the other Korean would have instinctively known that Mr. Kim was saying "no". Between Koreans, this is understood and a given. Nothing more needs to be said. But in the case of Ralph and Mr. Kim, it was not a "given". The question now is how much money will Ralph’s company spend before they figure out that Mr. Kim is not interested in the deal or that they have to come up with a better deal?

So, now the question is this: How much money can your company afford to lose while trying to navigate the sea of cultural differences?

Communication is the Key to Success

I’m Heejeong Haas, principle of Queen of Seoul. I’ll be honest with you—most companies I’ve worked with did not want to hire me. They thought they had all their bases covered. But when it started to look like it was about to go wrong, they discovered a little too late that it had gone terribly wrong.

And still then they tried everything to save the relationship with their Korean counterparts.

They went through interpreters who knew language but were clueless about business. They had their top negotiators work the deal only to find that "negotiation 101" flopped in Korea. They traveled back and forth to Korea trying to work it out, only to end up re-hashing the same points over and over again.

Relations were falling apart. And the person whose job it was to make it happen found his head on the chopping block. Or worst case, the company was about to lose all the money they’ve invested in the Korean venture.

The Right Words at the Right Time Makes All the Difference

But this doesn’t have to be you or your company. You can have someone by your side who understands both the spoken language of Koreans and the unspoken cues and cultural barriers. And this increases the chances of a successful business relationship with Korean companies.

It’s not just about what you say; it’s when you say it. With me advising you every step of the way, you’ll know exactly what to say and the exact moment in the relationship to say it for maximum effectiveness and to get the results you desire.

Better yet, at any time I can act as your interpreter. So not only will you have someone who can provide you with a winning strategy, but you also get someone who can implement that strategy for you by facilitating communication on your terms.

I’ve done it before, and I can do it for you.

But please don’t take my word for it

My track record speaks for itself. Here is what one of my satisfied clients said:

"Heejeong made the difference in our negotiations and the successful outcome. We our indebted to Heejeong for the tremendous help and it is my opinion that our success was due in large part to her insight and expertise."

Like this client, I also want to help you in your success.

Does any one of the following situations apply to you?

If so, I can help. But even more, I can help you whenever you deal with Korean partners to ensure smooth communication and eventual success. If you are ready to take the stress out of your dealings in Korea, contact me at 512-535-1812 or by e-mail at hhaas@Queenofseoul.com.