The first touch between working professionals and potential Chinese business partners is through proper greetings. Although this step can be easily forgotten by a lot of people, greetings and introducing oneself are considered utmost important as it will leave a lasting first impression to your Chinese business partners. To leave a good first impression, make sure that you master the following Mandarin business greetings to reflect your professionalism in the working environment. 

1. 您好 (nínhǎo) = Hello
2. 见到您非常荣幸 (jiàn dào nín fēicháng róngxìng) = It’s a great honor to be able to meet you
3. 很高兴认识您 (hěn gāoxìng rènshí nín) = It’s nice to meet you
4. 最近你怎么样? (zuì jìn nǐ zěn me yàng) = How are things doing? 
5. 早上好 (zǎo shang hǎo) = Good morning
6. 下午好 (xià wǔ hǎo) = Good afternoon
7. 晚上好 (wǎn shang hǎo) – Good evening

The phrases above are usually used to greet Chinese business partners in person. If you’re planning to greet your Chinese business partners by writing, here is a simple guide to write an email in Business Chinese. 

Apart from mastering greetings, working professionals that plan to expand their connections with Chinese business partners are also advised to learn simple phrases to wish a good business connection between one another. 

1. 生意兴隆 (shēng yì xīng lóng) = May your business flourish
2. 祝您开业大吉 (zhù nín kāi yè dà jí) = Wishing you a great opening
3. 我们很荣幸与贵公司合作 (wǒ men hěn róng xìng yǔ guì gōng sī hé zuò) = We are very honored to be able to cooperate with you
4. 我们希望能建立长期合作关系 (wǒ men xī wàng néng jiàn lì cháng qī hé zuò guān xì) = We wish to build a long-lasting relationship

As previously discussed, showing respect is an essential foundation for building a long lasting connection with Chinese business partners. Aside from practicing formal greetings to leave a great impression, another important aspect that you can try as a working professional is by addressing Chinese business partners accordingly. While addressing Chinese business partners, there are two different ways to try. These following sections are recommended to address people formally. 

• Job Positions

The first way to address someone in business settings is to refer to them by their job positions. This method can be used if you are familiar with your Chinese business partners job title. Furthermore, you can also add their surnames while addressing them, such as 张经理 (Zhāng jīnglǐ = Manager Zhang).

• Honorifics

Sometimes, you may encounter situations where you are not sure about one’s job positions. Therefore,  referring to them with their job positions is not applicable. During these moments, you can revert to using honorifics such as 先生 (xiānsheng) and 女士 (nǚshì). Much like job positions, you can also add their surnames before the honorifics to properly address your Chinese business partners. 

When meeting your Chinese business partners for the first time, one thing you might want to do is to leave a lasting impression as a working professional. Apart from behavior and professionalism, leaving a lasting impression can also come from offering business cards. Exchanging business cards is a common practice as a working professional, indicating enthusiasm in building relationships with Chinese business partners. While presenting your business cards to your potential Chinese business partners, here are a few practical etiquettes that you should remember. 

1. Present your card in both English and Chinese. This step is essential to ensure that non-Mandarin speaking partners can still read your business cards. A common practice among businessmen is to print the Chinese version on one side of the card and the English version on the other side. 
2. Keep your cards smooth and clean. To Chinese business partners, business cards are a representation of yourself. Therefore, having a clean and tidy card will leave a better impression on others.
3. Titles are important in Chinese business relationships, especially since most businessmen will treat you depending on your job positions. Therefore, you have to present your job title in your business cards clearly. 
4. Exchange business cards with both hands, with the Chinese version facing upward. Using both hands while giving and receiving Chinese business cards is a subtle sign of respect that you should be able to display at every given moment. 

As you’re planning to strengthen your relationship with your Chinese business partners, you might think of learning more Business Chinese expressions to help you communicate smoothly. These expressions can vary depending on your activities and job scope, but usually will include daily expressions such as negotiation, presentation, and business meetings. While learning independently is not completely impossible, having an expert to guide you through the process can help you learn these Business Chinese expressions effectively. 

To get connected with teaching experts, find your perfect business courses at Elite Linguistic Academy and start your learning journey today!