Business meetings are a common occurrence once you’re working professionally in a company. These meetings are not limited to internal meetings, but also encounters with external parties, such as Chinese companies who partner with your company. Although business meetings tend to be similar in many countries, it is important to know the right flow that you need to maintain while interacting with Chinese companies. Here’s a quick guide on how to deliver a smooth meeting with Chinese companies. 

Prepare Beforehand

When interacting with Chinese companies or partners, you are expected to be able to present yourself professionally. Presenting yourself is not only about appearance, but also about how you act. Try preparing in advance to show how you appreciate having a meeting with any corresponding Chinese companies. If you’re going to present something in front of them, make sure that all the materials are well prepared and educate yourself with the business meeting’s topic. 

Be Punctual

Chinese businessmen appreciate punctuality. Be sure to recheck your meeting arrangement beforehand and try to show up on time. Punctuality is highly valued in Chinese culture and can be seen as one of the many ways to show respect to the other parties. 

Greetings and Small Talks

Once all meeting participants have gathered, you are usually expected to start with greetings. While greeting, make sure that you address them properly starting from the highest position. Aside from greetings, another common practice during meetings with Chinese companies is to have small talks beforehand. Usually, this is used to build rapport with your partners. While having small talks, avoid topics that relate to political situations and any painful matters. 

Proceed with the Agenda

After a short greeting and small talk with Chinese companies, you can proceed to the main event, which is the discussion itself. How exactly to proceed with the meetings usually differs from one workplace to another. However, you can give all participants a quick rundown on what will be discussed and give them the opportunity to discuss actively during all sessions. 

Closing the Meeting

Once you’ve finished all the agenda, you can proceed to close the meeting. Make sure to appreciate their active participation throughout the meeting. If necessary, you can also ask them for the next meeting schedule. After finishing the meeting, it is ideal to keep a close contact with them to build trust and strengthen relationships. 

Presenting yourself with the right outfit is important in leaving good impressions. The ability to dress properly is extremely crucial especially if you’re meeting your Chinese business partners for the first time. If you’re not familiar with dressing etiquette commonly used among Chinese people, here’s a quick guide on how to present yourself professionally to leave good impressions during business meetings. 

What to Wear

Attire for attending business meetings with Chinese companies are often simple, with preferably darker or neutral colors. Wearing dark colors will give the impression of professionalism and seriousness. Typically, men will wear traditional suits consisting of shirts and jackets. Wearing ties is also common in formal occasions. As for accessories, men can wear simple ones such as watches. 

On the other hand, women are expected to wear suits or blouses with a high neckline. Sometimes, a few business occasions will also allow women to wear long dresses, as long as they keep the color neutral or darker tones. Similar to men, simple accessories such as gold jewellery is often allowed. 

What to Avoid

Revealing too much skin is prohibited in business settings, especially if you’re having a meeting with Chinese companies. Doing so will give an impression that you cannot respect their culture. Therefore, outfits such as shorts and shirts with low necklines are out of questions. Aside from revealing too much skin, wearing jeans is also discouraged as the attire is often seen in a rather casual situation. Since business meetings pay a lot attention to professionalism, flashy colors and outfit designs should be avoided. Additionally, women should avoid wearing high heels as it is usually used during formal evening parties. 

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Building trust with Chinese companies is important if you plan to cooperate with them on a longer term. This strong relationship can help build good connections where both parties can help each other thrive. A simple way to build trust is by maintaining good communication with your business partners. Here’s several practical tips on how to communicate with Chinese companies and build trust with one another.  

Business Comes Second

Showing that you’re genuine is the first step to building trust. If you’re aiming to build a lasting relationship, you should push away the thoughts of making transactional deals on the first meeting. Instead, you should start with getting to know them better through constant meetings, both formally and informally. Thus, business negotiations should be done slower after you’ve established trust with your Chinese partners. 

Learn Their Language and Cultures

The effort of learning something new, especially one that is related to the Chinese companies you’re interacting with will usually leave a great impression. When it comes to business meetings with Chinese companies, a skill that you can pick up is the ability to communicate in business Mandarin. Learning this language will help you bridge any existing gaps and provide better understanding. Chinese companies will also appreciate your effort and will trust you more if you can speak and act in accordance with their cultures. 

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Confront in Private

“Saving face” is another common practice in business Chinese customs. This practice can often be described as the effort to maintain a good reputation in public. In order to maintain one’s image, you should avoid directly confronting Chinese companies with issues that might negatively affect their reputation. If you have any disagreements or opinion that contradicts with their belief, try confronting them politely in private. 

Giving Details

Business meetings are often held when you have something to discuss or negotiate. When trying to hold a meeting with Chinese companies, be sure that you understand the topic well. Provide any details, preferably backed up with actual facts, to help build trust within one another.