Getting Organised to do [better ] Business in China

Feb. 16, 2013 - PRLog -- “Part of our problem is everyone is going into China in a fragmented way and we need to be more cohesive. We need to be bigger than our individual pieces."

This is a quote from  Dr Yeow Poon in an article I recently read in the Birmingham Post's on line edition, business news section, talking about the launch of The English China Business Forum in Birmingham City.

In short, this is an organisation which helps SMEs to do business in China .
Now, this organisation is not new, it was formed a few years ago as an informal group of like interested people, but now it is aiming to expand, both in scope its operations and nationally by  providing practical support for small companies building business relationships in China.
There are probably many such groups, formal or informal all over the globe.

But what caught my eye were comments from  Dr Poon, the groups chairman, who spoke of the differences between the Chinese way of organising business and the Western way. In particular, he talked about taking a unified, "joined up" approach as opposed to the current situation
Which brings us to his quote at the top of this article.
He also noted that although many UK [but could be any country's] business were working toward developing trade relationships with China, each was doing its own thing. No cohesion. No complete picture.

He pointed out that Chinese [again, could be most Asian countries] are more impressed when things are put together as a package and that the Chinese approach is more comprehensive with Government, Local Bodies, Businesses and Civic Bodies all working together as one team. Sort of reminded me of their Olympic Mantra, One world, One Dream!

According to Dr Poon, maximising opportunities for SMEs needs a cultural shift in the mind of UK small business people. I believe he is right, we have to start thinking a little differently outside the square, outside of our own isolated cultural view point. What worked for us last century, even last decade is not going to work now. We have to start giving Asian customers what they want in a way they want it, nothing to do with grovelling or selling ones soul,

It boils down to giving information in a way people can understand. Sure, most businesses have partially learnt this, very few now would try to sell  to a non English customer without translating the products description, manaul packaging etc. into the buyers language. But it is more than just language, it is also a cultural mind set, a way of thinking, and, as any language scholar will tell you, people who speak different languages think differently too.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, but when it is broke.........??

It reminds me of a [true] story of a small business delegation from a small country that went to New York to attend an investor meeting. It was a formal affair where participants were invited to "pitch" to the assembled group of financiers.
Not only did the small delegation dress casually, but also arrived late because they had failed to read the dress code instructions and take note of the warning about traffic problems requiring ample travel time.

I see things like this and what Dr Poon spoke of many times here with overseas companies coming to China in the hope of marketing their product.
Maybe it is something about the 1.4 billion population that hypnotises, mesmerises them and they don't think any further,?

OK, a final disclosure, I have lived in China since 2001 and own and run WPbeijing, a Digital Marketing Hub specialising in China Social Media Marketing, Mobile and APP based Beijing, China.
We speak: English, Chinese and Vietnamese