Intercultural Sales Cycles

Jennifer Roberts, CMO Ekipa.co

WHO I AM + BACKGROUND

Global marketplace for software development teams

Why does culture matter for remote software teams?

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Inherent in any outsourcing relationshipGoes deeper than brochures and business cards

In remote work...

Most preferences are subconscious and culturally determined.

Many frustrations and missed opportunities are tied to expectations and failure to communicate.

What are each of these people thinking?

Focusing on USA + IndiaI surveyed executives, freelancers,

developers, and project managers from both countries

These are their own self-reported expectations and what they perceive in the other culture

Case studies taken from Reddit, other forums, and my own experience

Typical American Client

Roots of USA culture = business today

Pioneer culture

Pioneer culture Self-reliance: I do my job without waiting to

be told. I make my own luck. Realism+Positivity: I’m honest about what I

can do for myself and others. I do what I say.

No time to waste on the blame game. Fix problems and move on.

Prioritizes innovation

Prioritizes innovation Suggesting better ideas,

collaborating Questioning assumptions

Communication + Self-expression Children are encouraged from a very early

age to express themselves This can be at the expense of harmony

In business: don’t speak and no one sees you Updates are expected/demanded frequently

Truth and Promises Remember pioneer culture: if you

say you’ll do something for me, my life may depend on it

Nowadays: better to under-promise and over-deliver

Self-expression + Service Big domestic market, many brands

competing for attention You have to give me a reason to give

you the money I work hard to earn. Promises=Truth=Delivery

Self-expression = I will be vocal about my disappointment!

How this cultural backround translates into businessSearch-centered experience

Wealth of information online, plus a proactive culture, means:They prefer to investigate you before saying yes

Culture + business, cont. First step is understanding what they need.

Expectations and abilities are communicated openly.Any promise of quality or speed is taken literally.

High emphasis on harmony, pleasing the other person

Less open about limitations or setbacks when selling

Pressured to work under speed, higher volume of contacts = less time to personalize

Typical Indian Provider

How to bring these two cultures together? Make sure you understand what the other

side expects Take time to learn about the other side’s

culture Your eagerness to please is your strength!

Expectations, Frustrations: American CommunicationClear communication, except when it’s not Is my English bad? Is theirs? Should I ask for clarification? Whose fault is a misunderstanding?

● Clear communication (cont’d) Accents + dialects

Different body languageNon-hierarchical

• Checking for understanding = they will love you and trust you

Clear communication and NO Americans do not understand when Yes

= No.

Huge source of misunderstanding in software development between these two cultures.

Continuum of NOIndians say:

In reality this means:

But Americans hear:

Yes We will try.It will be difficult

Let me get back to you on that.

By Tuesday?

Yes Yes/ Maybe

Yes Yes/ Maybe No

No

Tips to help your prospects Use style and grammar editors in

written communications Listen 5-10 minutes per week to

American English

Resources I recommend Podcasts:

The Tim Feriss Show by Tim Feriss

The Daily Boost by Scott Smith Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders by Stanford University

Resources I recommend Grammarly: grammar editor Hemmingway: style editor

Game: No-kay Start: Ask each other for absurd

things Can I have your kidneys? Will you buy

me a car? 1 point for saying “No” or “not” or

“won’t” NOW – pretend it’s a client

Can you deliver my app in two days? 1 point for saying it won’t be possible – 2

points for offering a solution

When No=Yes If saying “No” makes you really

uncomfortable, remember that it can become a “Yes” for your prospect if…

You offer an option or another solution!

Expectations, Frustrations: Why don’t they respond to my contacts?Are you talking about them or about you? 1:1 versus 1:Many

Is your business the right fit? Target fewer businesses to increase your chances

Case Study 1: Leave me aloneSir or Mam, Greetings of the day!Thank you for accepting my invite and taking a minute from your busy schedule. My name is (REDACTED) and I head up with the business development efforts with (REDACTED). We are also a one stop solution provider for mobile apps (Apple and Android) and web applications (in ASP.NET).

Case Study 1: Leave me aloneSince inception in 2011, we have been working with global clients to deliver cost effective solutions for their businesses. Kindly let us know if there are any opportunities we can work together.

Please go through (WEBSITE).

Case Study 1: Leave me aloneI am taking a stab in the dark here, however based on your online profile, you appear to be an appropriate person to connect with... or might at least point me in the right direction.

Looking forward to your kind response at the earliest,

Kind regards, (REDACTED)

My reaction as a sales prospect...

Imagine this happening hundreds of times a day.

Case study 2: Really, leave me alone.[8:02 REDACTED] Hello mam[8:03 REDACTED] Can we have a time to talk about

your requirements[9:19 REDACTED] Hello mam[9:20 REDACTED] How are you today[11:07 REDACTED] Hi[11:07 REDACTED] Would you like to work with us on

your project[11:09 REDACTED]?

Expectations, Frustrations: Why aren’t they convinced by my sales pitch?

Did you show or did you tell?Were you on time?Did your promises match up to reality?

Case study 3: Me Me Me + You?Hi Jennifer, I hope you are doing well and

thanks for connecting with me on Linkedin!! We are a professional web design and Development Company located in Delhi NCR, India with over 7 years ISO certified company of experience in designing professional and affordable website Designing & Development for business.

Case study 3: Me Me Me + You?Here are some services we offer: • PSD to HTML • Brocher Design, Flyer Design • Advertising banner Mockup • SEO Services and Responsive Design • Photosho and Dreamwear, Boostrap • Responsive Website Design and Development • Creative Web design and Website Redesign • Ecommerce Website Design and Development • Logo Design & Graphic Design • PSD to [Wordpress ,Magento, Joomla, Drupal, Concrete 5, Modx, Typo3] • Hire Dedicated Developers/Designers @ $10 Per Hour • Upgrade existing Site (with Flash, Graphic, PHP and other Content Management System , etc) We have expertise in following areas:- • HTML 5, Flash, (X) HTML/CSS/CSS3 web pages • PHP, My SQL • CMS (Joomla, Prestashop, Woo-commerce, Magento, Drupal, Word press, OS Commerce, Shopify , CS cart, Zencart, Open cart) • Mobile Application Development(iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Apple iPhone, Google Android, iPad, BlackBerry) • Payment Gateway Integration • Ecommerce website • Framework [Cake Php , codeigniter, Zend Framework]

Do let me know if you are interested in any of above mentioned services and I would be happy to share our client Testimonials, past work details and Methodologies. We look forward to hearing from you! Regards, REDACTED Disclaimer: - This is not an automated email. If you do not want us to send emails again, please send a reply with the email subject line as "No Thank you”.

What could this person have done differently?

Opportunities to excel with North American clients in International Sales Cycles

Marketing: blogs, webinars, ebooks Content establishes your authority

Shows off your expertise Shows you’re familiar with marketing

trends (push v pull) Content creates trust

Prospects can see you’re good at communicating

Example: Could be better

Examples: Focused and relevant

Tools to create great contentGrammarly: in-line grammar and spelling

editorHemmingway: style editorCanva: create awesome graphics

The key to great content Focus on pain points, then provide

solutions Offer tips and suggestions to show your

knowledge

Cold email: 1:1 UnderstandingHi Jennifer! I’d like to discuss working with Casa Bella. Beautiful products, by the way. I noticed you’re running a giveaway contest in the UK – we made sure to share this with our UK contacts. Let me know how it turns out! I noticed the contest ends on Jan 25th. Want to have a quick call on the 26th? I’m free at 2:00pm your time.

NEVER PLAY THE BLAME GAME If there was a mistake, be honest about

your part in it. Prospects will appreciate you even more

Case study 4: iCried “Hello Jennifer,

Your requirements list has been developed correctly. The reason that explainer videos were not included is that it was not explained to us. There will be an additional cost to develop that.”

Case Study 4: iLoveYou“Hello Jennifer,

We understand your feedback on your requirements list, and apologize for not including explainer videos in our proposal. While we didn’t see that request in any of our previous communications, we understand that it’s important to you.

Case Study 4: iLoveYou “…we will be sending you the updated proposal

today.Our original proposal assumed a total cost based on the number of hours your project would take. Please let me know if a slight price increase for an explainer video will be a problem for you. We’re happy to find a solution that gets you the best final deliverable possible.”

For more info...Get more in-depth

exercises at our March 10th workshop in TrivandrumFollow our blog at blog.ekipa.co