Here
are some tips and strategies for writing more effective e-mails when
working with a particular culture (colleagues, clients, providers,
etc).
These
tips are provided by the experiences of professionals who work in
international environments.
“Beware
humour.
Irony, self deprecation, etc. are good for cultures that do that, as
they break the ice, but can at best leave your recipient cold if they
do not come from the same background”.
“Title
them by all their names.
You do not know their marital status, sex, their appetitite for
informality, whether they have done the Haj, or very often even the
correct order; so just use all names”.
“Sports
references are
good but make sure you know what you are dealing with.
Don’t
talk basketball in Europe; football in America; or American
football
anywhere outside the U.S”.
“Japanese
e-mail writers,
when writing in English, tend to write one sentence, and then use a
new paragraph for each next sentence”.
“Relationship-focused
cultures
(like Latin America or the Arab world) need some opening and closing
statement that reinforces and maintains the all-important personal
relationship (“How is the family”, “How did the local football
team do last night?” etc.).
“The
substantive business issues should be in the body of the e-mail, but
do not fail to include these kinds of personal comments in every
communication.”
Here
are some tips from a professional who has worked for many years with
German
speakers.
For
example, if I write an email to somebody in the US
or another English
speaking
country, I will address the person and add
a sentence of small talk
(how
are you and the family, how is the weather etc.). However, if I send
a
business email to somebody in a German
speaking
country,
this would be
considered inappropriate and by some even as rude.
Private
comments or
questions do not belong in business conversation
(verbal or written) unless you know the person very well.
In
German speaking countries it is very important to greet
the person by
name at the beginning of the email
and
have a
salutation
and your name or signature at the end.
The
way you word your email is done the same way you would speak to
the
person you are writing to. So if
you are formal with the person in a
conversation you would write
your email just as formal.
If you send an email to a group, you would always write the email
as formal as you would talk to
the person you know the least of
the group.
In
German speaking regions it is quite common to get
right to the point,
which
some expats from the US/UK view as rude or harsh.
However,
the way we use small talk (even in emails) in the U.S .is viewed as
a waste of time or fishing for private information. This is
something a German speaking coworker would not appreciate”.
Here
are some tips from a professional who has worked for many years with
German
speakers.
For
example, if I write an email to somebody in the US
or another English
speaking
country, I will address the person and add
a sentence of small talk
(how
are you and the family, how is the weather etc.). However, if I send
a
business email to somebody in a German
speaking
country,
this would be
considered inappropriate and by some even as rude.
Private
comments or
questions do not belong in business conversation
(verbal or written) unless you know the person very well.
In
German speaking countries it is very important to greet
the person by
name at the beginning of the email
and
have a
salutation
and your name or signature at the end.
The
way you word your email is done the same way you would speak to
the
person you are writing to. So if
you are formal with the person in a
conversation you would write
your email just as formal.
If you send an email to a group, you would always write the email
as formal as you would talk to
the person you know the least of
the group.
In
German speaking regions it is quite common to get
right to the point,
which
some expats from the US/UK view as rude or harsh.
However,
the way we use small talk (even in emails) in the U.S .is viewed as
a waste of time or fishing for private information. This is
something a German speaking coworker would not appreciate”.
