“The ability to get along with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar and coffee. I pay more for that ability than any under the sun.” – John D. Rockefeller

Over a hundred years ago, the world’s richest man knew that in the simple terms, business is “social.” He didn’t have Twitter, Facebook or even LinkedIn, but if he did I have no doubt that every one of his employees would be engaging communities and participating in conversations.

Today, those communities and conversations are more global than ever. I’m willing to bet that if Rockefeller was alive today, he’d also be paying more for cultural understanding than any under the sun.

When pitching a company in the U.K., he would know that “qualifications” are viewed with some suspicion and would come armed instead with plenty of examples demonstrating real-world experience. If he sent consultants to China, they would never point out what someone could do better in a meeting, causing that person to lose face. They would discuss the issue privately, come to a consensus and suggest a positive improvement together with that person at the next meeting.

Every day at E-ging, we focus our energy on making sure the global marketing services we provide are culturally-appropriate. It also pays to know the cultural differences in conducting business.