Doing Business in China For Dummies®

Preparing for the Process

Negotiating with the Chinese can be hard enough — you don’t want to make it any harder by not being prepared. Getting your team together beforehand to prepare for the negotiations is sure to improve your chances of success.

Most people going to China from outside Southeast Asia are very jetlagged when they arrive. We recommend that you don’t get involved in important negotiations during your first few days in China. Also, plan to stay long enough during your trips to China. You need more time to get things done the Chinese way.

Organizing your team

Here are some aspects to consider when deciding who should be involved in negotiations:

✓	Leadership: The Chinese like to deal with a single leader, so have the most senior person from your company represent you as the leader at the negotiating table. He or she should have authority to make decisions. (For more information on Chinese business meetings, go to Chapter 11.)
✓	Head count and role call: Bringing the right skills to the table is highly important. In the beginning of discussions, your technical people need to be at your side. Also, being underrepresented may give the Chinese the impression that you’re not serious, so be sure that you bring along other experienced team members as well.
✓	Consistency: The Chinese don’t like changes in your negotiating team. You may need some technical representatives for ...