Business English Learning: Intercultural e-mail communication tips

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”.