Erin Meyer, getting to yes across cultures transcript

You might be a star negotiator in your own country, but in today's global economy, your skills may not automatically translate to other cultures. For instance, in some cultures, it's entirely appropriate to show emotion during negotiation, to raise your voice, laugh passionately, or even put a friendly arm around your counterpart. In others, this much expression not only feels intrusive or surprising, but may be viewed as immature or unprofessional.

Then, there's open disagreement. Negotiators often assume that more expressive cultures are also more confrontational, but that isn't always the case. In some countries, such as France and Israel, emotions pour out, including disagreement. But for other very expressive cultures, such as Brazil, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, open disagreement could be seen as insulting. Some less expressive cultures, such as Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, see open disagreement and debate as positive and necessary, as long as it's expressed calmly and factually.

Others tend to be both less emotional and non-confrontational, which means you'll have to be especially attuned to subtle cues for both positive and negative responses. It's also important to learn how others build trust. There are two distinct types, cognitive and affective, and in a business setting, the dominant type of trust varies from one culture to another. Cognitive trust is task-based. It comes from the head and is built on your counterpart's accomplishments, skills, and reliability.

American culture offers a good example of this kind of trust. In the United States, getting too emotionally close to a business counterpart is seen as unprofessional, and mixing the personal and professional is seen as risky. Affective trust is relationship-based and comes from the heart. It arises from the feelings of emotional closeness, empathy, and friendship that are developed gradually through sharing meals, evening drinks, and coffee breaks.

In China, for instance, negotiators are unlikely to trust their counterparts until an effective connection has been made. Adapting your negotiation approach accordingly will help you get to yes, or si, ya, oui, hai, and da.