Being aware of common practices in international negotiations is an important management skill. But with the development of technology and social media, the differences between cultures in today's global world are minimized. A new period begins for negotitations, where old stereotypes are being replaced by a new universal negotiation language .
The Chinese are said to be well prepared for meetings and they are tough negotiators. Indians like to take their time and try to build trust. Saudis do not like to hurry and are very bureaucratic, etc. But don't forget that this may not apply to your business partner, because he is a unique individual and your negotiation must adapt to him, not to the country of his origin.
Regardless of cultural background, people tend to have similar motivations at business meetings anywhere in the world. You will be successful when the emotional needs of your counterpart can be satisfied. It may be that they want to feel respected, or have a need for reassurance. They may want to feel a sense of belonging, or they may want to feel in control over things, etc. Most negotiations succeed on the basis of meeting these special emotional criteria.
The emotional motives are usually not discussed. All attention is paid to price, quality, delivery time, etc. Therefore, you need to watch your counterpart carefully to make the right judgement on how to deal with them. Listen and find out what is it that they are really after.
Another issue which is related to an individual regardless of their nationality, is their nature. Someone was born an optimist, another one is pesimistic. One likes to see the whole picture, another is interested in details. If you communicate in accordance with the breed of your partner, you are more likely to influence them. This means that if you face an emotionally oriented person with logical arguments, you probably won't get too far.
All of the above findings from international negotiations have nothing to do with cultural stereotypes. It's always about a careful examination of one individual person you are currently dealing with.
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