From which place (village, city, region) and which country
are you?
Ashgabat,
Turkmenistan
What is your current job title or position?
Online
English language tutor/ entrepreneur/ graduate student at Marmara
University/Turkey
How many years of work experience do you have in your own
country?
7
years in Turkmenistan and 4 years in Turkey.
What language(s) are foreign business people expected to
know when doing business with and in your country? for Turkmenistan
- Russian, Turkmen and English and for Turkish - Turkish, English, and
Arabic.
What foreign languages do business people in your country
typically know? for Turkmenistan - Russian,
English, Turkish, others; and for Turkey - Russian, English, Arabic, others.
What are foreign languages people in your country typically
struggle with?
In
Turkey, they are better in German, but have some problems in English.
If the language is English, how difficult is it for
foreigners and locals to settle issues of
dialects or regional accents, so that
they can understand each other?
Somehow
difficult
How do locals react when foreign business people try to
speak in the local language(s)/ accent?
Positively
surprised
What would be considered an acceptable gift to bring if a
foreign business contact visits your
country?
In
Turkmenistan: sweets, a beautiful box of chocolate is a good gift; in Turkey:
the same - sweets, baklava, for some business companies it could be wine. But,
in some companies, giving alcohol as a gift in a Muslim country can be a
problem. If it is a company that does international business, it should not be
a problem.
Have you observed instances of inacceptable gifts brought by
foreigners, that are considered awkward in your country? What gifts should be
avoided?
Yes,
alcohol. How do people react when foreigners bring alcohol: angry, with humor,
etc.?
It
depends on the company, I would recommend to get to know your business partners
more and after a few meetings if it is appropriate to them, you can present it.
The
reaction to alcohol present will depend on the company culture - humor or
anger.
What nationalities have it especially easy to do business in
and with people from your country? Why?
In
Turkmenistan: Russians and Turks. I
think for historical connectedness people trust these nationalities more. In
Turkey: German, or people from Central Asia. The same reason as before.
What nationalities have it especially difficult to do
business in and with people from your country? Why?
For
Turkmenistan: maybe far east countries because of language barrier and the
unknown culture; for Turkey, I have no idea.
What are typical mistakes foreigner business people make in
and with people from your country?
Maybe
undervalue the job of the local people.
What is an acceptable timeframe in your country within which
you are expected to answer to an e-mail?
9-6
during a day. It depends on the institution but yes, within a day or two you
can get the answer. (That is, you get an answer during the same working day, as
a norm?)
How is criticism expressed at the workplace? Is it typical
that people acknowledge their mistakes publicly? Is it OK to contradict
your superior, privately and publicly?
In
Turkmenistan, I have not encountered any criticism, maybe because it is done in
private. In Turkey, it depends on the company culture. But personally, I think
constructive feedback must be provided, in order to help an employee grow
rather than having small talks here and there.
What
happens if you are late to a business meeting? Is it acceptable and if, yes,
what are typical, accepted limits?
Maybe 5- 10 minutes.
What other advice would you give a foreigner when
communicating in and with people from your country?
Be
friendly and non-judgmental also make sure to have all the important points in
cooperation discussed in advance, and invite your partners to share openly any
questions they may have to achieve smooth and long - term business.
How can readers find out more about you?
Linked
in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guncha-annayeva/
____
This interview will be part of my next book “The Global Map of
International Business Communication”. For more information about previous
books, as well as for listening to my weekly podcast “B2B sales in foreign
languages”, go to my website: www.thegomethod.org .
If you want to be featured in this interview series, please
contact me on LinkedIn or via e-mail.
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