Understanding and handling the American Business Culture can be an important success factor for foreign companies doing business the United States. As any cultural group has its own sets of rules, there is a specific common understanding on basic USA business etiquette.
Importance of following basic Business Etiquette Rules
While Americans are often considered as informal and casual about business etiquette, following basic rules American Business Culture should not be undersatimated. Most companies in the United States are characterized by a high professionalism. Following proper business etiquette will not only reflect your own professionalism; it is also is also a sign of respect and acknowledgement for the cultural significance of business in the United States. Finally - as a cultural outsider - it may be a significant impact on your success or failure in the American market place.
The USA Business Etiquette
There is no question that the American culture manifests itself in a lot of rules people do obey when doing business with each other. However, it should not be underestimated, that different regions within the United States will have and act upon their own rules. The same applies to different industries: the USA steel industry might have different behavioral rules than companies working in the field of Information Technology. Finally, individual behavior of your USA business partners will always vary and maybe you will deal with one or the other USA business person who has the worst Business Etiquette you could imagine.
Many readers won't and also should not agree on all "rules" they read or hear about. American Business Etiquette Rules are not written in stone. Ask three USA Business Culture Experts and you will have three different recommendations what to do and what not to do. It is important to be aware, but you have to decide yourself what you may want to incorporate when launching your USA business and what not.
A good starting point to learn how the American business culture works is simply to do business. Doing business will automatically get business newcomers in contact with a variety of American business people. You should try to develop a talent of sensing and observing the behavior, gestures or for example dress-codes from your business partners and customers at any time.
From your first contact with anybody in business in the United States, it should be a compassionate goal to sense how Americans act in everyday business situations. Doing business in the United States will quickly offer more training partners than you may can handle. Training partners can be suppliers, business partners, people you meet on a trade show and even the annoying telemarketers (but don't buy anything from them!) You should also be more specific and sense even more from those people who work in your industry since they represent the peer group which is most relevant for you succeeding in USA business.
Common Sense still works
With all theoretical knowledge about business etiquette in the United States and plenty of available information, common sense still applies at any time. Basic rules such as saying "please" and "thank you" or listening and not interrupting while somebody else is talking should be part of everybody's behavioral repertoire. While this is not in particular an "USA Business Etiquette Rule", it does of course apply to USA business situations to treat other people respectfully. There will be numerous situations which are not covered by any known USA Business Etiquette rule. Mastering these situations will simply require some common sense, a little flexibility and personal manners.
