What to expect when you go to Asia on business.
So you’re going to Asia for business…but it’s your first time! Firstly congratulations because you’re about to embark on a fabulous journey to a whole new world and secondly don’t panic. You may have read lots about Asia and heard even more from your well traveled friends and family, but let EAF give you some insight from a businessman’s perspective.
Asians are in general very polite and very edger to please. Even though you are there for business, they will want your stay to be a memorable one. Whether you are the client or they are your client, it makes no difference to them because bottom line is, you are the foreigner and they are the host and to the Asians, when you play host, your guest’s enjoyment and welfare is your responsibility.
A good Asian business host doesn’t just do business with you. No Sir, a good Asian host will ensure that your business trip is both functional and socially enjoyed.
They will do business with you, but ensure that you have a great time with your visit to their country as well. So how does that happen? Well long before your arrival and as soon as your trip has been established, they would have assigned someone to be your guide and caretaker for the entire duration of your stay. It is likely he will be the person who deals with your directly on the project or just someone specifically handpicked to accommodate you.
Chances are he will be the one to pick you up from the airport and chauffer you around for your entire stay. Your Asian host will make sure you have a comfortable stay and they will always always always feed you – breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper and all other periods of breaks you can take to eat. They will arrange for you to go sight-seeing and they will usually send you home with some lovely souvenirs if not help you find the right one.
Expect to be accompanied at all times because it is just a custom in Asia – to leave a guest unattended is rude, impolite and certainly unacceptable of a host. If you’d like some time to yourself, then politely let your host know but make sure he understands that it hasn’t got anything to do with how he isn’t taking good enough care of you. The last thing you want on your hands is a hurt host.
Next time, I’ll tell you what to expect when dining with your host. So stay tuned.
*Note: Every country has its own basket of bad eggs, so don’t be surprised to meet a host who isn’t as hospitable as described above. And if you are so unfortunate as to be greeted by one, please remember that he’s just the odd one out and his behavior does not represent the Asian culture of hosting.
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