Dutch American Connection

Americans generally place a lot of value on getting to know their business partners. But what should you NOT talk about, outside of the office? Here are 3 things NOT to talk about with your American business partner. The first two may be obvious, but they have some interesting aspects to them....

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A lot of businesses expanding internationally are aware of cultural differences, and how these differences can have a some kind of impact on doing business abroad. But what are these differences? And why do they matter?

In this episode, I will delve into what cultural differences are and why you should pay attention to them to be successful and profitable when expanding to the US. I will explain the major differences Dutch companies should be aware of, provide solutions and what you should pay attention to.

What you will learn

• What is intercultural communication, more than communication between cultures. 
• Why should you be aware of cultural differences?
• What are the most important differences between the American and Dutch way of doing business?
• How these differences can create an advantage for Dutch companies doing business in the US
  
  

Resources

Culture Guide - Top 10 insights for doing business in the US
DVITUS - Dutch Ventures in the US. A report looking at small to medium sized Dutch companies and their experiences expanding into the US market
The Culture Map - very insightful book about cultural differences. A fun and easy read!
McKinsey’s report: Diversity matters. The advantages of having a culturally diverse team

Share your thoughts!
I would love to hear your experiences doing business in the USA? What was your “lesson learned”?  Feel free to share your experiences by simply clicking here

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Have you ever been in a situation where your American business partner, team mate or employee doesn’t respond the way you expected them to respond? Or perhaps they never get back to you? All of this leaves you wondering what you may have said, written or done to annoy or possibly offend them?

In this inaugural episode of The Dutch American Connection podcast, I interview Suzanne Vine, an American English teacher who graduated from Harvard University. Suzanne spent 5 years in Amsterdam and shares her observations about the way Dutch people use English, how this is perceived by Americans and how you can avoid embarrassing situations. She tells the story of a word on the window of a fancy store in the upscale neighborhood Amsterdam Zuid, which offended its target audience: older ladies of a certain standing!

The fact that the Dutch are fluent in English might keep them from checking with a native speaker to check that the message is clear and communicates what is intended.

 -Suzanne Vine

What you will learn: 

• How a bad translation reflects unfavorably on a world class product.
• Why it is a good idea to have a native speaker review processes translated from Dutch to English, even if the translation is perfect.
• How the use of language is different across cultures, a word that is appropriate in one culture may not be appropriate in another culture.
• You don’t know what you don’t know: pay attention to different nuances in language.
• Humor does not travel across cultures.
• You can not translate Dutch to English word for word (or vice versa).

Share your thoughts!

I would love to hear your experiences with communicating in a foreign language. Did you unintentionally insult someone (I know I have done so many times!) Did you say one thing but meant something completely different? Feel free to share your experiences by simply clicking here

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