Small Talk Across Cultures: Preventing Disaster, Fostering Success! April 26, 2011

Global players today expect to face cultural differences when they do business across country locations, however, they underestimate the importance of making small talk with their international business partners. Many cultures need it to build trust, others simply enjoy it - it makes working fun - and some see it as a waste of time. Come hear author and international consultant Melissa Lamson talk about how small talk is perceived and used in several cultural contexts and how it can make or break global business dealings. She will also share excepts from her book, "No Such Thing as Small Talk: 7 Keys for Understanding German Business Partners", and explain the dramatic difference in small talk - both in style and content - between Germany and many other parts of the world.

Going to this session, you will learn to:

* ... articulate how small talk is different across cultures
* ... use small talk to their advantage in a global business context
* ... understand when not to use it in Germany or with German business partners

About the Presenter:
Melissa Lamson, President and CEO of Lamson Consulting, grew up in a multicultural world and has over 15 years of experience running projects in over 30+ countries. Her clients are Fortune Global 500, small and mid-size companies. As an award-winning consultant, she has an inside-out perspective on how blending diverse strengths can create global success. Melissa gets to the root cause of cultural disconnects and guides companies in seeing the real truth about what people need in order to work as a single-purpose, results-driven community. Melissa lived in Germany from 1998-2008 and currently resides in Redwood City with her husband and step-son.

Official Website: http://www.meetup.com/HappyAbout/events/16117212