American customers in my eyes
1. Diet and Etiquette When almost every American client chatted with me, they would say with an American-style proud expression: "Everything in the US is big." When I first heard this, I was working on an office chair project in Kunshan, and an American client followed me like this said. My boss who has been in the US for more than 10 years told me a very interesting thing, that is, he saw an American security guard sitting on a chair with his butt torn apart. That's why I understand why the office chairs we export to the US use stronger materials, stricter tests, and wider seat widths (width and depth) than those we export elsewhere. Indeed, the average American customer I have seen is 1.9 meters, and the tallest is over 2 meters. I'm thinking that such a physique is not only related to genetic factors, climatic conditions, etc., but also to diet. Americans don't have very clear distinctions between three meals, and they can eat whatever they like. In general, the most common and favorite staple foods of Americans are toast, steak, spaghetti, sandwich, hamburger, salad ( Salad), French Fries, mainly red wine, coffee, milk. As for complementary meals or desserts, the variety is endless. It can be seen that the American diet is very high in calories and calcium. For office workers, it is normal to drive to work for one or two hours. In order to be in a hurry, spaghetti + cheese, eggs + ham and milk are the best choices; Hot dog + coffee is the most convenient. Chinese food is eaten in the company, and there are not many patterns, mainly spaghetti, bread, ham, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, etc. Dinner is the most important and richest. Steak or fish steak, French fries, toast, wine and coffee are definitely the protagonists of the table. You don’t need to be restrained when eating with American customers. It doesn’t matter if you are not used to using a knife and fork when eating Western food. Remember to hold a fork in your left hand and a knife in your right hand. However, after the steak is cut, it is best not to put the meat in your mouth send it. The most common thing they order is steak. You have to ask the customer how mature it is. I have never seen one that is usually fully cooked. If you ask me to translate "fully cooked", I will say 100% Done; Well Done means eight mature, and most of them are I want this; there are also semi-ripe ones, it's Half Done, or 50% Done, you can see blood on the steak, I heard it's very nutritious, but every time I order steak, I only order fully cooked or eight-ripe, because I'm afraid to eat it. When you see or smell it, it will be bad. The raw and cooked steak has nothing to do with the price. It has something to do with the part of the beef on the cow. As far as I know, the most expensive is the filet steak, probably on the thigh, which is 2 to 3 times the price of ordinary steak. . Before serving the steak, the waiter must first serve red wine and salad. The salad has two kinds of fruits and vegetables, both of which are used for appetizers, and then serve the steak. Most western restaurants will also serve a meal package in the middle. Americans don't like waste very much. They usually eat clean. Unless you take him to a very poor western restaurant, after eating the steak, they will tear off the pieces of the meal bag and wipe the remaining sauce on the plate with the new one. The same, the rubbed meal bag smells delicious. If you eat Chinese food, you are at your mercy, but you should pay attention to at least two points when ordering food: European and American customers are all taboo to eat animal internal organs, such as chicken intestines, duck gizzards, etc. In addition, they are afraid of small bones and fish bones. For the most part, the taste is heavier, that is, it doesn't matter if it is salty, except for seafood. As for Spicy Food, some foreigners like it very much. I took American customers to Chuanfu Lou in Suzhou to eat it - all spicy, extra spicy, the most classic three dishes are "spicy chicken", "spicy oil" Beef Sliced" and "Mao Xue Wang", the results were miserable - I was blown away by the spicy first. However, I still insist on suggesting that foreign trade counterparts: European and American customers come over and take them to eat Chinese food. After all, there are not many opportunities for them to eat such authentic Chinese food after they go back, so leave a deep impression! No matter if you eat Chinese food or Western food, you drink the most coke. It must be iced, and it is also iced in winter, that is, Ice Coke. Americans drink coffee or beer, must be very light. Chinese liquor is difficult for foreigners to bear, and the degree is too high. When dealing with Americans, there is basically no special etiquette to speak of. Just shake hands when you meet, just use one hand to hand over business cards, just say "Hi + the other person's name", you don't need to say "Excuse me!" when you sneeze yourself, and when customers leave, shake hands and add a simple wish such as "Take care !"Will suffice. No bowing, no hugs, no veneers, no kneeling or kissing, hehe. However, some of the most basic etiquettes in international business still need to be taught. For example, when the guests speak, you must listen carefully and do not interrupt arbitrarily, and so on. Therefore, American customers, it is best to receive them. If this is a distinguished guest, I would suggest to show some etiquette with Chinese characteristics. First, customers can understand that this is our Chinese characteristics. However, if you are afraid of misunderstanding or have already made a misunderstanding, it is best to explain it to the customer beforehand or afterwards, and the customer will still be very happy. 2. Features of English American English pronunciation is clear and mellow, strong in spoken language, like to use ellipsis in spoken and written language, and the syntax and vocabulary are more flexible and free. In the United States, the speaking rate in the east is significantly faster than that in the west. When you meet a New Yorker and a Californian at the same time, you get the feeling. When writing an email, you basically don't need to call you Dear, unless it is the first contact or a very formal CC email to many high-level executives. Americans like to call you by your first name, such as John, Tim, Carl... And I personally think that the most beautiful and distinctive sound made by Americans is R. No matter at the beginning or the end of a sentence, this has almost become the most important indicator for me to judge an American accent. For example, Real, which is the sound of R, will be pronounced very prominently and deeply. The key is that the tongue should touch a large area and slide over the upper jaw skillfully. Another example is Four, which is pronounced as /f C:/ in British English and / in American English. f C:E/, the difference is in this E. 3. Working style In general, it should be carefree. It can be seen from the way they dress, dress and hairstyle: simple, clean, direct, easy-going, casual, they are very easy to get along with American customers. But "Tai Li Lie" is about small details, not very important joints, in these small areas, if your factory makes a mistake, you apologize to the customer in the United States, and he will generally say: "It's OK." or " That's Fine." Just like getting along with them, you don't need to be too particular about etiquette. However, don't think that Americans can do anything casually. In the face of right and wrong, they are more principled than anyone else; they can smash a chair if they get angry. The bottom line of interpersonal relationships is personality, and everyone has self-esteem, and the lack of attention to the other party's responsibilities at work, the violation of existing commitments or the deliberate concealment of facts will definitely arouse the indignation of the other party. Although Americans are generous or tolerant in small matters, they are very self-centered at work, and their planning is relatively crude. After finishing their work, the rest is personal time. For example, an American engineer came over and planned to complete the mold repair work for a key component today. As a result, it was completed in the morning. Then in the afternoon, he would have free time to go shopping or sleep in a hotel. If you asked him to continue the discussion with you in the afternoon about another part of the project he was in charge of, he would say: "No... I've finished my job today." If you were to take a project that another engineer was in charge of Come out and ask him to discuss with you, then he will say: "No... It's none of my business." or "No... It's not my project." Relationships, that's their values. In our China, it may feel that they are selfish. However, you must know that they must do their own things well, and no mistakes can be tolerated in key links. Of course, if you really need to ask them for help, sometimes they can help, depending on how busy and urgent it is. Overall, working with American clients is very pleasant and relaxing.
Best regards,
Mandy Huanng
June 21, 2022