Chinese manufacturers produce products shipped all over the world, but cultural barriers still hinder communication between companies. Manners, in particular, create a “cultural chasm” in online transactions. The article in the Miami Herald, A charm school for the Chinese business owner details one one solution that Alibaba.com developed to “polish” online transactions. “We not only teach them how to do business . . . we teach them how to be charming.”
More specifically, “Chinese factory owners have become adept at churning out massive quantities of goods at ever-cheaper prices. But when it comes to the basic protocol of international trade, many of them lack the manners, sophistication and experience to interact with customers halfway around the world.”
