“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

This quote, attributed to Benjamin Franklin, is particularly relevant when thinking about cross-cultural and international sales.

If you’re new to working with Canadians, then learning a bit about the business culture is essential.

Sometimes, small insights into cultural differences can help us better understand our interactions with other people.

If you work with Filipino colleagues or clients, then getting to know the culture will really help.

Although Filipinos are very worldly and au fait with working with foreigners, as with any people, they have a certain way of doing things.

Business culture reflects the values of a country or society.

If you imagine a tree representing a culture; underneath the ground are all the values, ethics, history and philosophy that underpin the culture.

Do cultural differences matter in sales?

Well, if you’re looking for the answer to this question, then chances are you already know. It's a yes!

How do you sell to different cultures? How does culture influence sales?

If you sell internationally then the answers to these questions could be worth a lot in bonuses!

Imagine that you’re presented with an unfamiliar board game and told to play it.

Unfortunately, you don’t understand the rules and irritate the other players by making mistakes and getting things wrong.

If you’re American and new to doing business with Saudis, then this is for you!

We're going to give you a quick-fire overview of some of the most common challenges faced by the two cultures when doing business together.

If you’re looking for guidance on being a foreign businesswoman in Saudi Arabia, then you’re off to a good start.

Researching Saudi culture and society demonstrates you already have some awareness that things work a little differently in Saudi Arabia.

The Middle East is an area that carries many stereotypes and myths.

Before doing business in the Middle East it is imperative to learn about areas such as business culture, business etiquette, meeting protocol and negotiation techniques. 

In this article, we look at how a lack of cultural awareness can have big cost implications for a business.

Western businesses that believe their approach to business is 'the only way', are losing out on contracts and productivity when it comes to interfacing with foreign companies.

Are you new to working abroad? Travelling to a foreign country for the first time for business?

Getting it right when working overseas is critical; but what do you do if you have little or no international exposure?

Training business professionals prior to visiting Iran gives us an excellent insight into the misconceptions, stereotypes, fears and worries many foreigners hold.

We're going to share 10 of the most DEADLY!

Discover some of the more unknown aspects of South Korean culture and society!

Sometimes it's the quirky things a country or culture does that really gives us insights into the people.

Some recent news coverage focusing on Theresa May not wearing a headscarf on her business trip to Saudi Arabia has caused some major confusion over etiquette and protocol in the Kingdom.

Certain news outlets and media seemed to use terminology that suggested that the British PM May somehow 'refused' the idea of covering her hair.

Do you work with or travel to Muslim majority countries? 

Then you need to know all about Ramadan!

India, despite years of efforts by PM Narendra Modi to implement changes to the contrary, remains one of the toughest places on the planet to do business.

A highly-advanced nation in many respects, with an educated English-speaking population, a wealthy middle-class, advances in technology and an international business outlook, many from the outside approach India as easy pickings.

What's your approach to negotiations?

Have your cake and eat it? Or are you happy if everyone gets a slice?

A word of warning for anyone travelling to Saudi Arabia - stay well away from any DABBING! The move could see you spending some time in jail.

Abdullah al-Shahrani, a Saudi entertainer, was recently detained by Saudi authorities after dabbing during a concert in the city of Taif.

Doing Business in Brazil?  

A ‘One Size fits All’ approach will sink your ship in Brazil.