10 Tips for Effective Cross-Cultural Communication

Working in a multicultural company can be a very rewarding and enriching experience. It gives you an opportunity to learn about different customs and cultures. You get richer and more diverse ideas, better insight into different markets, and much more. When it comes to sales and marketing, operating on an international level greatly increases the markets you can sell to.

Yet, even though there are huge advantages to operating on an international level and working in an international environment, this also comes with a few challenges, especially related to communication. Cross-cultural differences - both internally and externally - often result in communication differences, requiring you to adapt your communication style.

Here at Plecto, we are very proud of being a multicultural company, and have employees from every continent except Antarctica spread across our offices in Denmark, Poland, and Guatemala. So it’s safe to say that we know a thing or two about cross-cultural communication. Keep on reading to find out about our top tips for successful communication with different cultures.

1. Do your research

Knowledge is power, so you first have to understand what the cross-cultural differences are. You can understand that by doing research. Research the general culture, customs, and norms and what is acceptable and what is not. Make sure that you are getting your information from trustworthy and credible sources. Hofstede Insights can help you in your research, with their country comparison option that is based on 6 different dimensions. Knowing the differences allows you to avoid misunderstandings, helps you communicate effectively, and could even make all the difference when it comes to landing a big sale.

2. Don’t stereotype

Doing your research is not the same as stereotyping your team. There are stereotypes linked to every culture and while some people may not take offense, many will and the consequences could land you in hot water. So, it goes without saying that it’s best to avoid all stereotyping no matter how small. By viewing your teammates, customers, or clients through stereotypes you are increasing your chances of misunderstanding and harming the relationship. A quick and easy solution is to approach people as individuals and listen to their opinions and views.

3. Practice active listening 

When having a conversation don’t just nod your head and look like you are interested This may be deemed rude in certain cultures and will also increase the likelihood that you will also miss out on important information. Instead, actively listen. By practicing active listening you will show your respect for colleagues and customers as well as your efforts to communicate properly. So make sure you are noticing verbal and non-verbal cues and that you are asking questions in order to make sure you are on the same page.

4. It’s all about the communication style

Every culture has a different style of communicating and that can mean a lot of different things. For example, some cultures are more direct than others. What may be considered as honest and straightforward in one culture could be deemed rude and hostile in another. A way to overcome this is by finding a golden middle and adapting. Both colleagues should be aware of their differences and they should adapt to each other’s cultural norms. Also, simple questions like “what do you prefer?” and casual conversations about differences go a long way.

5. Pay attention to body language

Sometimes people may not tell you directly how they feel verbally but you can notice that based on their body language. For example, some cultures are more conservative so you can see by their body language if your colleague is uncomfortable talking about something or direct eye contact to some might show respect, while to others it can be a sign of disrespect. The solution would be to be mindful of somebody’s body language and mimic them.

6. Minimize the use of slang

Knowledge of slang and jargon is very individual and is often region-specific. So, to reduce misunderstandings keep your language clear and simple to ensure mutual understanding.

7. Take your time and be respectful 

Having a mutually understanding conversation can be quite challenging at the best of times. Adding a cultural difference on top of it only makes it harder. So don’t be too hard on yourself, it takes a lot of time to get used to something new and foreign so expect that everything won’t be perfect from the start but that’s normal. The most important thing is that you are actively trying to improve and you are always being respectful. 

8. Be empathetic

By being empathetic you are showing that you understand somebody else’s feelings. People from different cultures experience different things and react differently to them  Therefore, it’s important to be empathetic and to be able to view things from their perspective. By putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes, you can avoid misunderstanding and show your collegiality.

9. Don’t just talk, use visuals 

A picture is worth a thousand words so why not use it to your advantage? If you often find yourself struggling to understand each other, use pictures, graphs, or anything visual that will better showcase your point. Keep on reading to find out how Plecto can help you with that. 

10. Ask for feedback 

You can’t know everything by yourself. So after the conversation ask others to tell you what was done well and where you can improve.

How Plecto can help your multicultural company

One thing that can be understood on a universal level is facts and data. Your whole business strategy is based on data so help your employees understand how valuable it actually is by using Plecto’s real-time dashboards. Real-time dashboards allow you to monitor your progress and performance and showcase what is most important. Visualizing your data helps your employees know if are they on right track and keeps them motivated. Everyone knows how to read goals from simple and modern dashboards so there is no chance of having cross-cultural differences with your Plecto dashboards. 

Sign up for a 14-day free Plecto trial and see how Plecto can optimize your performance.