Relationships Matter

We all know that meetings go better when we have face-to-face contact. But that can get complicated when your business partner is in Beijing or Bogota. When we were putting together our current issue of IQ about exporting, we were surprised to learn how much personal connections and relationships matter when it comes to doing business overseas. From navigating cultural differences (did you know that Koreans seat the most senior executive facing the door?) to understanding protocol it's clear that you can't just do business the way you would if you were shipping your goods and services from central Minnesota to Texas. 


Investing in relationships matters, particularly when you are taking your company global.