Understanding Business Culture in the USA: Key Elements and Practices
US Business Culture
Coaching:
Navigate American
Success
INTRODUCTION
Language teachers don’t talk about it. It’s mostly not in the university
courses you took here in the US. It’s….a secret that international people
really have no way of knowing. And that’s understandable. But the
problem is, not knowing about this level of culture could impact your
ability to succeed here. It’s as if you were running a restaurant but had
no idea what the ingredients in the food were or what the customers
really liked.
3 SECRETS
ABOUT US
BUSINESS
CULTURE YOU
NEED TO KNOW
HOW TO
COMMUNICATE
Communication style: Get to the point and give enough
detail. America is a
low-context
culture. This means we
expect that information provided us be detailed, explicit,
and well-organized. Not vague. Not implicit with
conclusions left up to the listeners. And not beating
around the bush. You have to get to the point, be concise
and above all, be well-organized. What does “well-
organized” mean here ? Well, I’m going to talk about
storytelling in a moment, but for now, and for all practical
purposes, it means being clear and logical.
Emotional connections: be
vulnerable. Share your story. Let
people see what you’re facing.
Being vulnerable is not considered a
weakness here. It’s considered
brave and admirable. In other
cultures, it might be interpreted as
weak or unprofessional, but that’s
typically not the case in the US.
Americans believe it humanizes you
and makes you relatable to your
audience. So relax and let them get
a sense of who you are as a human
being, not just a “professional” fill-
in-the-blank-with-your-occupation.
HOW TO EXPRESS AND RELATE
EMOTIONALLY
Storytelling. Americans love it. I had a client tell me once that it seems like besides fast
food and football, Americans love stories above all else. He said that people in his country
are more likely to judge a product or service based on its features and benefits, but
Americans revel in the story and the vibe. It’s critical for us. He’s not wrong. If you don’t
believe me, I did a quick search on the importance of storytelling in business and came up
with some major players weighing in:
Forbes
,
and
Fast Company
, just for
starters.
HOW TO TELL A STORY
kevin@omnienglishpro.com
Website
www.omnienglishpro.com
Phone
415-240-5105
Address
691 16th Avenue
San Francisco,
CA 94118
CONTACT
THANK YOU
This article delves into the distinctive aspects of American business culture, highlighting key elements such as individualism, direct communication, and the emphasis on efficiency and results. It explores common practices, expectations, and norms th
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Presentation Transcript
US Business Culture Coaching: Navigate American Success
INTRODUCTION Language teachers don t talk about it. It s mostly not in the university courses you took here in the US. It s .a secret that international people really have no way of knowing. And that s understandable. But the problem is, not knowing about this level of culture could impact your ability to succeed here. It s as if you were running a restaurant but had no idea what the ingredients in the food were or what the customers really liked.
3 SECRETS ABOUT US BUSINESS CULTURE YOU NEED TO KNOW
HOW TO COMMUNICATE Communication style: Get to the point and give enough detail. America is a low-context culture. This means we expect that information provided us be detailed, explicit, and well-organized. Not vague. Not implicit with conclusions left up to the listeners. And not beating around the bush. You have to get to the point, be concise and above all, be well-organized. What does well- organized mean here ? Well, I m going to talk about storytelling in a moment, but for now, and for all practical purposes, it means being clear and logical.
HOW TO EXPRESS AND RELATE EMOTIONALLY Emotional connections: be vulnerable. Share your story. Let people see what you re facing. Being vulnerable is not considered a weakness here. It s considered brave and admirable. In other cultures, it might be interpreted as weak or unprofessional, but that s typically not the case in the US. Americans believe it humanizes you and makes you relatable to your audience. So relax and let them get a sense of who you are as a human being, not just a professional fill- in-the-blank-with-your-occupation.
HOW TO TELL A STORY Storytelling. Americans love it. I had a client tell me once that it seems like besides fast food and football, Americans love stories above all else. He said that people in his country are more likely to judge a product or service based on its features and benefits, but Americans revel in the story and the vibe. It s critical for us. He s not wrong. If you don t believe me, I did a quick search on the importance of storytelling in business and came up with some major players weighing in: Forbes, LinkedIn and Fast Company, just for starters.
CONTACT E-mail Website Phone Address kevin@omnienglishpro.com www.omnienglishpro.com 415-240-5105 691 16th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94118
