Book summary “Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands”: summary

Introduction

Expanding your business across international borders exposes you to unfamiliar customs, unpredictable regulations, and communication barriers that can quickly derail deals. Standard domestic sales techniques often fail when you encounter foreign negotiation styles, strict dining protocols, and vastly different expectations around personal relationships. You risk alienating potential partners simply by misinterpreting a gesture, a greeting, or a localized marketing law.

Terri Morrison provides a comprehensive guide to navigating these cultural complexities and mastering global sales, marketing, and protocol. The central idea is that cultural awareness and meticulous preparation are just as important to your bottom line as the quality of your product or service. By understanding local nuances, you build the trust required for long-term international success.

The book is structured into five detailed parts that cover dining etiquette, regulatory safeguards, regional strategies across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, and the unique dynamics of selling in the United States.

To prepare for your next international venture, consider these questions:

• How do you adapt your negotiation style to fit local cultural hierarchies?
• What specific dining rules could make or break a high-stakes business dinner abroad?
• How do you align your marketing strategy with foreign regulatory constraints?

1. Dining Etiquette and Regulatory Safeguards

Global sales often depend on business meals. Table manners are carefully observed as an indicator of an executive's overall capability.

Global transactions require careful observation of table manners and secure pricing structures to protect brand equity.

International Dining

Foreign business partners will observe your handling of utensils, seating, and etiquette from the initial meeting to the contract close. Errors such as waving utensils, speaking with food, or cutting salad with a knife can damage your professional standing. Charles de Gaulle famously noted the challenge of managing 246 varieties of cheese in France.

Diners in France and Italy use the fork in the left hand tines down and never turn it over like a shovel. Cutting Brie cheese only by the tip instead of slicing it like a pie leaves others with disproportionate amounts of rind.

You can navigate these meals smoothly by following specific rules:

• Keep your fork in your left hand tines down and push food with your knife.
• Leave dropped utensils or napkins on the floor and quietly request new ones from staff.
• Place finished utensils lined up together on your plate at ten o'clock and four o'clock.
• Break bread into manageable pieces and butter only the piece you are about to consume using a butter plate.
• Turn sushi over and dip the fish side into the soy sauce and wasabi mixture rather than the rice side.

Preventing Product Diversion

Unsecured low pricing and transfer pricing methods can attract criminal diversion rings that hijack shipments and dump products into unauthorized discount markets. Multinational firms utilizing transfer prices to supply subsidiaries can fall victim to brokers who place fake large orders for developing regions and then divert the goods at ports to domestic discount chains. This activity harms brand equity and distribution channels.

A major US food manufacturer's UK subsidiary gave a heavy discount for a large order supposedly destined for Afghanistan, but the buyer diverted the shipment in Newark, New Jersey, to discount stores in the southern United States. Brokers often exploit the 3 to 5 percent small margin used in the transfer price method.

You must protect products by applying strict safeguards:

• Establish careful and secure pricing guidelines to protect products.
• Sell goods CIF, meaning cost, insurance, and freight delivered to the intended destination, if you have any doubt about the final destination.
• Utilize free government trade resources such as export.gov and local commercial service networks to vet distributors.

2. Relationship Building in the Americas

Building personal rapport, respecting geopolitical sensitivities, and understanding local consumer behavior drive success in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.

Argentina and Brazil

Business in Argentina relies heavily on personal relationships and indirect approaches, requiring foreigners to avoid rushing agendas or forcing quick closes. Argentine executives value intellect, conversation, and extensive personal background checks during meetings. According to 2009 World Bank statistics, Argentina has 40.3 million people and observed 17 official holidays in 2011.

US executives who allocated only two days and tried to force negotiations on a strict schedule failed to close a deal, whereas Swedish executives who spent five days getting to know the prospects succeeded.

You must adapt to local norms with specific behaviors:

• Allow your agenda to be driven by your Argentine contact rather than pushing a strict schedule.
• Be prepared to answer personal inquiries and accept social invitations.
• Format your business cards with Spanish on one side and your native language on the other.

Foreign business visitors must avoid endorsing conflicting geopolitical positions, such as supporting the UK regarding the Malvinas Islands or using Chilean flags and comparisons. A company placed the Chilean flag on wine shipped to Argentina, and the wine failed to sell well due to regional rivalries. You must navigate these strong national perspectives carefully.

Brazilian business culture prioritizes personal warmth, close physical proximity, and the maintenance of harmony over blunt commercial facts. Establishing personal trust is paramount, often superseding pure price points or standard contract terms. The 2011 population estimate for Brazil reaches 203,429,773, and the country observed 16 official holidays that year.

Brazilians will naturally step closer during a conversation based on tactile cultural norms, and stepping backward can be misinterpreted as a personal rebuff.

You should follow precise interaction steps in Brazil:

• Stand less than 1 foot apart and let your Brazilian associates define the proper proxemic space without backing away.
• Schedule initial meetings around 10:30 AM to allow for smooth transitions into lunch invitations.
• Format business cards with Portuguese on one side and your native language on the other.

Canada and Mexico

Canadians place a high value on civility and conflict avoidance, preferring soft suggestions over absolute statements. International marketing expert Beth Pomper notes that sales reps are unlikely to hear a Canadian bluntly state that a price is too high. Executives use phrasing such as you might wish to consider to avoid appearing as know-it-alls.

Quebec maintains strict linguistic and advertising regulations that reflect its distinct French heritage. All communication media, including billboards, print ads, digital media, and presentations, must be in French. Furthermore, it is completely illegal to advertise directly to children under twelve years old.

In Mexico, business interactions rely heavily on personal trust and relationship networks rather than immediate commercial focus. A 2011 World Bank Doing Business report analyzed and compared 183 countries worldwide, ranking Mexico number one in Latin America for starting a business. Mexico moved up six levels in one year in that report due to online regulatory upgrades.

Mexican executives often operate within exclusive upper-middle-class networks where nepotism reduces risk and family pools fund major purchases.

You must structure your initial approach around relational trust:

• Spend approximately 80 percent of initial business visits building confianza and 20 percent on business.
• Accept social invitations on weekends to enter the client's social circle.
• Always use proper titles and the father's surname rather than the mother's surname from a business card.
• Provide explanations on how products will benefit the prospect's family due to debt aversion.

3. Navigating Asian Markets

Asian business cultures demand deep respect for local networks, indirect communication, religious sensitivities, and rigid hierarchy.

In China, personal relationships and guanxi must precede any formal business contracts.

Rushing to finalize a written agreement without establishing a prior relationship shows naivety. Contracts carry less weight than the mutual obligations built through sustained personal connection. China held 1 trillion in US Treasury bonds held by China, while NeochaEdge targeted 500 million Chinese under 30 years old.

A government functionary in the Congo described how visiting Chinese executives systematically researched managers and ministers, built genuine rapport over shared interests like jazz, and kept in touch across international borders.

Chinese business negotiations are exceptionally rigorous and often involve attempts to extract late concessions. Local negotiators leverage the traditional concept that friendship grows from an exchange of blows known as bu da bu xiang shi. You must navigate careful attention to local superstitions regarding colors, numbers, and gifts in China. An airline attempting to offer white carnations on an inaugural flight from Hong Kong experienced a boycott until replacing them with red carnations, because white is associated with funerals.

• Avoid green hats because they imply infidelity of a significant other.
• Avoid knives because they indicate severing a relationship.
• Avoid clocks because older Chinese equate them with death.
• Never write personal names in red ink because it indicates a dead person.

The number 4 is an avoided number due to sounding like death. The number 8 is an auspicious number referenced by Olympics starting at 8 seconds past 8:08 P.M. on August 8, 2008.

China and India

Direct refusals are considered insulting in India, requiring businesspersons to read between the lines to interpret polite evasions as a no. India had 1,189,172,906 as population of India in 2011 and 3,400 as estimated GDP per capita in US dollars in 2010. Because the word no has harsh implications, Indians use polite circumlocutions like I'll try or Possibly to avoid confrontation. True consensus requires building solid personal relationships over time.

• Avoid using the word no or expecting to hear it from Indian counterparts.
• Interpret responses like I'll try, Possibly, or topic evasions as a refusal.
• Solicit responses from older or higher-ranking people to get the truth.

Advertisers and visitors in India must strictly respect religious taboos, particularly concerning cows, the left hand, and physical intimacy. Cows are revered, and disrespecting them causes severe backlash. India accounted for 17 percent of the world population in 2007 data.

Former foreign minister Shashi Tharoor was rebuked by his party for tweeting that he was traveling in cattle class, which was seen as insensitive to holy animals and social hierarchies.

• Never show the sole of a person's foot in an ad.
• Never show anyone eating with the left hand.
• Depict cows appropriately and never consume beef in front of vegetarian prospects.
• Consult a Vaastu practitioner when dealing with real estate orientation and construction.

Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea

Navigating the world's largest Muslim population in Indonesia requires strict adherence to cultural and religious sensitivities regarding advertising and pork. Indonesia registered 245,613,043 as population of Indonesia in 2011 and 4,300 as estimated GDP per capita in US dollars in 2010, spanning 700 numbers of languages across the Indonesian archipelago. Conservatives Muslims prohibit pork and alcohol, meaning foreign companies must carefully vet all campaign assets, characters, and menus through local partners to avoid boycotts.

When Turner Broadcasting Network launched its Cartoon Network in Indonesia, it removed Porky Pig from its roster upon discovering that Muslims abjure pork products.

• Use native Indonesians to vet ads and products for potential religious offenses.
• Avoid displaying pictures or logos of dogs, pigs, or inappropriately attired people on business cards.
• Ensure local partners can provide robust after-sales customer support.

Indonesian business negotiations proceed at a leisurely, relationship-driven pace that cannot be rushed by foreign visitors. International sales manager P. J. Delaye had his hotel canceled by a prospective distributor who took him home for the weekend, meeting family and gamely eating a pungent durian fruit, which successfully closed the deal.

Gift-giving is mandatory during initial Japanese business meetings to avoid looking unprepared, but gifts should not feature corporate logos. Japan enforces 20 years old as legal drinking and smoking age in Japan and 18 as number of paid holidays in Japan in 2011. Multinational salespeople suggest giving items like iPods loaded with customized messages or Zippo hand warmers, ensuring they are not emblazoned with corporate logos.

• Bring an initial present from your firm to avoid appearing cheap and ill prepared.
• Ensure the gift is made in your home country or region to give it significance.
• Avoid items emblazoned with your corporate logo.
• Present the gift either immediately after card exchange or at the end of the meeting depending on firm formality.

The business card exchange in Japan is a formal ritual where the card is treated as a physical extension of the person.

Corporate employees and executives use customized card holders called meishi-horuda and strictly avoid bending or writing on received cards. A gentle Japanese handshake lasts 5 seconds or more as approximate duration.

• Translate your meishi into Japanese on one side.
• Store cards in a dedicated meishi-horuda in your jacket pocket or purse, never in a pants pocket.
• Start presenting cards to the most senior member of the team.
• Present your card with two hands facing forward, keeping fingers on corners without covering data.
• Receive cards with two hands and a slight bow, or use your right hand only for simultaneous exchange while receiving with the left.
• Place cards orderly on the table during meetings and never bend or write on them.

Kentucky Fried Chicken successfully convinced Japanese consumers that fried chicken is a traditional American Christmas dinner through targeted advertising campaigns. Kentucky Fried Chicken established a major cultural tradition in Japan where customers must reserve Christmas takeout meals well in advance on December 24th or 25th as dates for which Christmas takeout meals must be reserved in advance.

In South Korea, emotional resonance and subtle situational awareness heavily outweigh cold logic in business relationships. Koreans place immense value on kibun, which represents the emotional appeal or mood of a product and the chemistry between business partners.

• Be flexible and humble enough to adapt to your prospect's requests instead of taking an inflexible stance on product specifications or pricing.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to the room's atmosphere and build rapport by understanding the emotional undercurrents of your Korean partners.

Exchanging business cards in South Korea is a formal ritual governed by strict hierarchical and respect protocols.

• Translate one side of your business card into Korean and present it with the Korean side showing.
• Present your card using your right hand while supporting your right wrist with your left hand, or offer and accept cards using both hands.
• Never store business cards in a wallet kept in your back trouser pocket.

4. European and Middle Eastern Protocols

European precision and Middle Eastern religious codes require tailored marketing approaches, strict adherence to local laws, and unwavering patience.

Australia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom

Australian consumer behavior and corporate culture are driven by a strong anti-authoritarian egalitarian ethos paired with high expectations for prompt service. Rooted in historical reactions against penal colony class structures, Australians value a fair go and mateship, rejecting pretension or hierarchical displays while demanding efficient, monochrome time management and fast customer service.

An Australian male passenger sitting in the back of a taxicab rather than the front passenger seat implies the driver is a servant, which can provoke a lecture on etiquette.

• Ensure promptness in business appointments as being late conveys disinterest.
• Avoid wordiness, blather, and pretension when communicating with Australians.
• Format business cards with English on one side and your native language on the other.

French advertising relies on emotional, sensual, and witty appeals rather than dry facts. Campaigns move from the heart to the head, using provocative imagery, humor, and poetic storytelling to evoke instinctual sensory responses rather than hard-sell logical arguments. Jacques Séguela, vice president at Havas, contrasted international advertising by stating that American commercials go from head to wallet, British from head to heart, and French from heart to head. Elite professional networks in France are heavily dependent on credentials from specific prestigious universities.

German consumers prioritize research, low prices, and factual detail over entertainment and promotional hype when shopping. Germans save twice as much as Americans and view aimless shopping as wasteful. When marketing to them, companies should provide maximum scientific detail and serious information rather than creative hype.

• Provide as much scientific detail as you can about the item in ads or on websites.
• Offer serious information rather than hype to target savings accounts.

Punctuality and linear organization are paramount in German business culture, where surprises and lack of preparation are severely penalized. Being even a few minutes late is a direct insult, especially in a subordinate position. Negotiations must proceed in a strict, orderly, linear fashion where resolved points are never revisited.

• Be early to every meeting.
• Never open a closed executive office door without being escorted.
• Always close doors behind you when leaving.
• Never revisit a point once it has been resolved.

British business presentations require concise briefs backed by objective data, avoiding emotional appeals or melodramatic expressions. Executives across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland view scientific facts and concrete figures as irrefutable evidence. Interjecting personal ideologies, strong emotions, or overly enthusiastic sales pitches quickly destroys credibility.

• Prepare a brief filled with objective data for your first meeting and keep your presentation clear and concise.
• Monitor your British associates for crossed arms and leaning back, which indicate boredom, disbelief, or rejection of melodramatic delivery.

Navigating British business reserve requires patience, careful financial discussions, and an understanding of distinct regional identities. Information regarding finances is heavily guarded in the UK, making direct questioning ineffective. Furthermore, sales professionals must respect the distinct cultural identities of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, avoiding generalized labels.

Real estate broker Tony Macaluso spent two trade missions to London without cooperation before discovering on his third mission that British estate agents worked on a 1 percent to 2 percent commission, allowing for a lucrative 50-50 split of standard US commissions.

• Build rapport through patience and share details about your own financial structures to encourage reciprocity from guarded British partners.
• Always use the correct national terminology for each of the four countries comprising the United Kingdom rather than grouping them together.

Italy, Russia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates

Products must be adapted to local habits rather than just offered as time-savers, as seen when Procter and Gamble successfully modified its Swiffer mop for the Italian market. Procter and Gamble initially failed when marketing the Swiffer as a time-saver because Italian women spend over 20 hours a week on chores and wanted deep cleaning. The product succeeded only after adding beeswax to the mop to facilitate waxing after scrubbing.

Procter and Gamble launched the Swiffer wet mop in Italy, where it failed until researchers discovered Italian women wanted deep cleaning rather than shortcuts, leading to the inclusion of beeswax exclusively for the Italian market.

Mastering the sensory regimen of wine tasting leaves a powerful impression on Italian business prospects during dining. Professor Giuseppe Pezzotti outlines a structured sensory regimen for evaluating and enjoying fine wines during business entertaining to build strong relationships. Professor Giuseppe Pezzotti from Cornell University advises picking one grape variety at a time and following a strict tasting protocol.

• Sight: Examine the color to ensure it is clear and the right shade without cloudiness.
• Swirl: Aerate the wine to enhance flavor and aroma while checking if it adheres to the sides of the glass.
• Smell: Detect subtle aromas from fruits, vanilla, or oak while watching for oxidized or corked defects.
• Sip: Ingest the first sip with air to enhance scent and taste.
• Savor: Assess the lingering finish and aftertaste.

Russian business executives approach negotiations as a complex game of chess rather than a linear process. Russians view resources as strictly limited and play a zero-sum game. They employ tactics such as the double threat, utilize time as a variable by sitting and staring, and endure long standoffs. Once they finish evaluating their opponent, the endgame can proceed with surprising speed. World chess champions like Emanuel Lasker and Mikhail Tal used psychological tactics like foul cigars and intense stares to intimidate opponents during matches, a mindset that persists in modern Russian boardrooms. Behaviors considered normal in the West are labeled as nyekulturny in Russia and must be strictly avoided. Russians place a high value on formal posture and decorum.

• Keep your posture straight at all times.
• Observe and mimic the behavior of your Russian prospects and clients.

Russian professionals possess advanced technical expertise and respond strongly to sophisticated innovations. Because of a history of consumer shortages, Russians developed a strong tradition of inventing their own solutions. They appreciate complex tools, technical research, and future concepts, often preferring flexibility and advanced features over simpler options. The Russian search engine Yandex claims to be the world's second most popular non-English search engine.

• Pitch current offerings alongside a glimpse of future concepts.
• Provide superior research and technological advances to overcome regional entry barriers.

Turkey operates as a fiercely secular parliamentary democracy with deep-seated national pride where insults to Turkish honor carry severe legal consequences. Unlike many neighboring Muslim-majority countries, Turkey permits the open consumption of alcohol and features Westernized marketing imagery. However, slurring Turkish heritage or questioning national identity is treated with extreme seriousness and can lead to criminal prosecution. Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk and popular author Elif Shafak were criminally charged for insulting Turkishness by writing about the Armenian genocide.

• Ensure all marketing and promotional materials are vetted by in-country experts to avoid real or imagined slights against Turkish honor.
• Start all discussions of admired Turkish history with the achievements of Kemal Atatürk rather than focusing on Roman or Byzantine relics.

Doing business in Turkey requires exceptional patience, face-to-face relationship building, and strict continuity of personnel. Turkish business negotiations cannot be rushed and typically begin with leisurely small talk and tea rather than immediate business. Because relationships are formed with individuals rather than corporate entities, changing representatives late in the sales cycle will likely cause the deal to fall through.

• Invest in face-to-face visits and avoid the temptation to rush straight into business matters during initial meetings.
• Host a return dinner for your Turkish associates, ensuring the restaurant manager understands you are paying the bill.
• Keep your sales team constant throughout the entire sales cycle to preserve trust and secure the sale.

The United Arab Emirates offers highly lucrative free-trade zones for foreign businesses but enforces strict Islamic marketing and public conduct codes. The UAE invites foreign investment through tax exemptions and full foreign ownership in designated free zones. Simultaneously, public behavior and marketing collateral must strictly adhere to Islamic values under sharia law, prohibiting the depiction of certain foods, alcohol, and unappropriated imagery.

• Avoid featuring pigs, dogs, pork products, or alcohol-derived ingredients in any marketing collateral or conference materials.
• Refrain from depicting a man and a woman alone in advertisements unless utilizing culturally accepted symbolic imagery like black and white objects.
• Never leave hotel premises if you overindulge in alcohol, as public intoxication and drunk driving carry severe legal penalties.

Business communication in the UAE relies heavily on personal phone connections, and negotiations frequently involve hyperbole and late-stage price concessions. Many Emirati executives neglect email in favor of direct phone calls or text messaging. During negotiations, partners may use hyperbolic language and request last-minute price discounts, making it essential to maintain a calm demeanor and protect the counterpart's public pride.

• Obtain your prospect's personal cell phone number during initial relationship-building sessions rather than relying on email addresses.
• Maintain a calm and agreeable viewpoint when faced with emotional responses or dire forecasts during negotiations.
• Avoid admitting that your product can be supplied at a lower unit cost for large quantities, as buyers will demand that price for small quantities.

Saudi Arabia and South Africa

The flag of Saudi Arabia must be handled with extreme care because it contains sacred religious text. The flag features the Shahada, the sacred testament of faith containing the name of Allah, making it entirely sacrosanct. Displaying it on commercial or promotional items, flying it at half-mast, or placing it on objects that touch the feet is treated as a severe insult to Islam. In 2007, US forces airdropped soccer balls displaying the flags of World Cup participants, including Saudi Arabia, to children in Afghanistan, resulting in protests over the desecration of sacred text.

• Never place the Saudi flag on promotional items, sports equipment, or goods that touch the ground.
• Hoist the flag so that the flagpole is always positioned to the right of the flag.

Foreign businesspeople cannot enter or leave Saudi Arabia without a local sponsor. To protect the holy land from non-Muslim visitors, entry is strictly regulated. Once inside the Kingdom, a foreign executive cannot legally depart without explicit permission from their local sponsor, which can create severe complications during commercial disputes.

• Secure sponsorship from a Saudi national prior to attempting entry into the Kingdom.

Arabic communication relies heavily on hyperbole and face-saving practices that require careful interpretation. Saudis prefer to give an insincere polite yes rather than a blunt refusal to preserve harmony. A genuine agreement is always followed up by concrete actions such as paperwork or scheduling, while evasiveness signals a polite rejection. French President Nicolas Sarkozy experienced diplomatic friction when planning to bring his fiancée to the Kingdom, prompting intermediaries to handle the delicate communication.

• Verify whether a verbal assent is backed up by subsequent paperwork or legal appointments.
• Always use an intermediary to deliver bad news or handle delicate matters.

Informal social gatherings known as braais are central to building personal and business relationships in South Africa. South Africans are exceptionally friendly and frequently invite foreigners to home barbecues. Socializing and sharing grilled meats and local pap are essential for establishing trust and rapport. General Motors used the famous 1970s jingle celebrating Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies, and Chevrolet.

• Accept invitations to home barbecues and participate enthusiastically in outdoor activities.
• Call the hostess in advance of a braai to ask if you can bring a food item.

Corporate social responsibility efforts addressing HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis carry immense moral weight in South Africa. South Africa faces severe health challenges with millions infected with HIV and high rates of tuberculosis. Nelson Mandela repurposed his former prison identification numbers as an icon for the anti-AIDS campaign, making charitable engagement a powerful way to build goodwill. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years under the prisoner number 46664 before establishing his foundation.

• Explore options to sponsor local charities fighting HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
• Partner with organizations like Habitat for Humanity to build homes for children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.

5. Selling in the United States

American business culture prioritizes extreme punctuality, fast-paced communication, and getting straight to the point. Meetings in the United States, especially on the East and West Coasts or in high-tech and financial industries, are brief and highly structured. Executives manage tightly scheduled days, expecting concise agendas, digital and print backups, and swift answers. Conversations before business rarely exceed five minutes, and decision-making can happen rapidly, sometimes resulting in a contract or purchase order during the initial meeting.

Wal-Mart conducts brief, rigorously businesslike meetings with vendors in nondescript pitch rooms rather than private offices, letting suppliers know immediately if they lack interest.

Etiquette and Innovation

The American market rewards rapid pacing, continuous innovation, and win-win partnerships while penalizing legal oversights and cultural insensitivity.

Extensive research and development budgets, ubiquitous internet access, and educational focus on creative thought make the US market extremely dynamic. Prospects often welcome being alpha- or beta-test sites for new technologies to gain a competitive edge. However, the downside is that products have a limited shelf life and success is fleeting, governed by the demand of what has been done lately.

• Imagine that every negotiation is a partnership.
• Find common goals with your prospect.
• Ask questions, never make demands, and listen to the prospect's priorities.
• During final negotiations, never let a contract hinge on one point of contention.

Litigation and Negotiation

The United States is the most litigious society in the world, requiring sales professionals to rely strictly on verifiable factual evidence rather than bluffs. Because virtually any citizen can file a lawsuit, factual and measurable data is critical in final decision-making and protects against future legal proceedings. In-house counsel is frequently involved early in negotiations, leading to dense, unwieldy contracts where even boilerplate clauses can take weeks to alter.

Asking overly personal questions or discussing sensitive topics like religion, politics, and age can quickly terminate a business relationship in the US. Executives who do not volunteer private information about their families should not be pressed. Sensitive subjects to avoid include religion, politics, sex, dieting, smoking, and age, as the local culture is strongly youth-oriented.

PepsiCo launched an iPhone app called Amp Up Before You Score for Amp Energy drinks, which segregated women into 24 categories and provided pickup lines. It generated massive bad publicity, forcing PepsiCo to remove the app and apologize within two months.

10 Key Ideas

1. Global transactions require careful observation of table manners and secure pricing structures to protect brand equity.
2. Building personal rapport, respecting geopolitical sensitivities, and understanding local consumer behavior drive success in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.
3. In China, personal relationships and guanxi must precede any formal business contracts.
4. The business card exchange in Japan is a formal ritual where the card is treated as a physical extension of the person.
5. European precision and Middle Eastern religious codes require tailored marketing approaches, strict adherence to local laws, and unwavering patience.
6. Procter and Gamble successfully modified its Swiffer mop for the Italian market only after adding beeswax to facilitate waxing after deep cleaning.
7. Saudi Arabia treats its flag with extreme care because it contains sacred religious text, making commercial or improper display a severe offense.
8. The American market rewards rapid pacing, continuous innovation, and win-win partnerships while penalizing legal oversights and cultural insensitivity.
9. Canadian consumers place a high value on civility and conflict avoidance, preferring soft suggestions over absolute statements.
10. Russian business executives approach negotiations as a complex game of chess by employing time-based tactics and enduring long standoffs.