Ignoring local customs almost sunk a deal for me.

I assumed business was universal, but a misstep showed me otherwise. Adapting to traditions now shapes my approach.

3 comments

3 Comments

Yeah, been there. I once assumed a formal handshake was standard, but a more casual greeting was actually expected and it threw off the whole vibe at first.

oliviabennett1mo ago

Same here, I used to overthink greetings but now I see a casual hello breaks the ice way faster.

emeryfox1mo ago

Greetings are just the tip of the iceberg. I saw a guy bring a gift to a meeting where it wasn't the norm, and it created this weird pressure to reciprocate. It shifted the focus from the deal to the stuff. Now I do a quick search on basic gift-giving rules or if meetings even start on time. In some places, being five minutes late is polite, and showing up early can be seen as rude. Getting that wrong can set a bad tone before you even sit down.