To All: Culture and language is important when you want to sell all over the world.
If you don't mind, in this article I will try to extend your knowledge about marketing beyond the North American continent.
Many sensible ideas are suggested on this thread to improve the marketing of Corel products in the English-speaking parts of the North American Continent. This can be understood from the fact that most participants in the discussion seem to be from the U.S.A. and Canada.
The advantage however to live in such a large area where everybody speaks the same language, uses the same currency, practices the same sports, looks at the same TV networks, shops at the same store chains, eats the same type of food, in short: where people have a lot of their culture in common, can turn to a disadvantage when one has to convert to a market outside of America.
It must be very hard for an American to realize the extent and the importance of cultural differences outside America. Ignoring the differences can make it virtually impossible to do business with non-Americans.
WordPerfect Corporation used to recognize this. Maybe this was the result of hundreds of Mormon missionaries spending years talking to European people? Corel after buying WordPerfect started with closing all their regional offices, concentrating in Ireland, in a necessary attempt to cut costs. But some months ago Corel discovered that in doing so they "threw away the child with the bath water" as we say. So in Nederland they started a new headquarters for the Benelux. The effect was that Corel rendered better results for the Benelux compared to the rest of the world.
I will give some examples to clarify the importance of cultural differences.
Europe is a very small continent compared to America, but it has hundreds of native languages. Every 300 km (200 miles, a different measure system!) you will HAVE TO speak a different language. There might be an official (state) language and a regional language (Italy is a strong example). Every 300 km you will have to change your currency. Every 300 km or sometimes less, there are different habits to treat people, to show politeness, friendliness, affection, disgust, hostility, to make an approach or to fend off. How can you have a successful business conversation without recognizing these? Some of you questioned the Corel sponsorship of the 17 year old tennis world champion Martina Hingis. Without judging myself I want to emphasize that in Europe tennis is of the importance as, say, baseball in America, so Martina Hingis is a well-known person around here. What do you know about the importance of cycling (Tour de France!) skating (not ice hockey, but long distance), soccer (takes the place of football).
Underneath the differences in good manners and forms there are still more important differences, in relation to national and regional feelings and religion.
Even though Belgium and Nederland are both members of the Benelux and a lot of people in Belgium speak the language from Nederland the cultural and practical differences are so large that it is almost impossible to sell anything in Nederland from a Belgium base office.
How insulting it is for someone from Nederland to be treated as a German can be understood from history: the German oppression in the World War II.
In many Eastern Europe countries people can speak Russian, but you'd better not try to communicate in this language, or you will be treated as an enemy. The same with German in most mid and western European countries.
Did anyone understand our Korean friend Steven Woo's background, why he expressed himself like he did, sometimes rude and macho, sometimes humble? Maybe he comes from a macho culture, maybe the opposite is true and he tried to adjust to what he thinks is American culture.
Maybe this article will help you to better understand and value reactions from 'foreigners' in this thread, maybe it even helps to invest more successful.
Eveline |
