Doing Business in China For Dummies®

Chapter 6. Getting Business Going through Successful Negotiation

In This Chapter

Getting a handle on what the Chinese are thinking Understanding Chinese negotiating tactics Playing the game your way Negotiating after you’ve made the deal Ending on the right note

To be sure, the Chinese are difficult and shrewd negotiators — after all, they’ve been haggling for the last 5,000 years! The Chinese seem to hammer away at you until you agree to do business the “Chinese way.” Therefore, you need to be ready for negotiations that are very relationship-based and ready for meetings and discussions that are very formal.

Make no mistake: Negotiating will test your limits! The Chinese seem to have unlimited time to negotiate with foreigners. Sometimes, you may think to yourself, “Don’t these people have anything else to do?” Meanwhile, your boss back at headquarters expects some good news soon about signing a contract with the Chinese.

Although negotiating with the Chinese is a challenge, it certainly can be worthwhile in the end. We hope you find that the Chinese make great business partners. This chapter can help you and your company better understand how negotiations really work in China and the strategies and tactics that the Chinese use. Note: Although this chapter focuses on negotiating specific business deals, the general advice here holds true for most negotiations with the Chinese.