Role of Language in Cross-Border Negotiations

If only I had known … that English won’t always open doors. At least 1.5B people speak English. BUT is English really the language of business? Not if you’re pitching in 🇫🇷 France. Not if you’re negotiating in 🇧🇷 Brazil. Not if you’re building trust in 🇯🇵 Japan or 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia. For B2B expansion, it’s not just about what you sell, but in which language you sell it. In Southern Europe, German Mittelstand, or Poland → local language wins. In the Middle East and parts of Asia → English is a second layer, not the foundation. In LATAM, English may get you through one meeting → but Spanish or Portuguese is what builds trust. My personal experience from 500+ expansion journeys: Sometimes hiring a local - or working with some local experts - is more valuable than another sales deck in English. In the end, it’s not just about translation... it’s about trust. So... Would you trust a pitch in English, or prefer local language? What’s the funniest translation or cultural mix-up you’ve seen in business? ------ 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 Upvisor Global 🌐 With 450+ expansion projects in the global tech space under our belt, we support investors, founders, and executives of tech companies with the right steps & advice for international expansion. 𝘞𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.

Can negotiating in a foreign language give you an advantage? Can non-native speakers teach native speakers how to negotiate better? The story is told of a confident American executive team who gave a highly planned, carefully researched, highly detailed sales pitch to a Japanese executive team. After a half hour of slides and scripted sales talk, the Americans asked eagerly, "any questions?" The Japanese executives said, "we don't understand." "What don't you understand?" "All of it. Can you do it again?" Discouraged, the Americans agreed to do it again. But this time the energy was gone, and they realized their pitch was far less persuasive than they'd hoped. The two sides later agreed to a deal much in the Japanese's favor. It would seem as if you’re at a disadvantage negotiating in another language. When someone talks quickly in a language you don't fully get, negotiation can be even more stressful, scary, and exhausting than nornal negotiating in a native language. But as the story illustrates, there may be big advantages too. When you don't know the language well, you rightly *Ask to go slow. As skilled negotiators know, it pays to go slow to fast. *Ask simple, even 'dumb' questions, which are usually the most valuable *Say back what the other is saying to confirm understanding You also do other good things too: *Ask for breaks *Ask for documents to review *Bring an ally who speaks the language well And you get other benefits: *It can give you an 'emotional buffer'- you may not react to words that might trigger a native speaker *You can pick up on non-verbal cues  *You can stay focused on the essentials And there’s more: *you can use silence more often and more effectively * you can take special care with language to avoid misunderstanding * you can make fewer mistakes revealing the wrong information Thus a remarkable recent study showing evidence that using a foreign language can actually improve face-to-face. So if you find yourself negotiating in your second (or fifth) language, consider the possibility that what seems like a handicap may be one of your best assets.  Where have you found negotiating in a second language has given the non-native speaker an advantage? What kind of advantage? Let me know in the comments? #negotiation #conflict #management #training #ESL

I speak 4 languages fluently, and clients are often shocked when I switch from English to German or French mid-conversation. Their surprise quickly turns to connection. Language isn't just about communication. It's about building trust. During our recent presentations in Germany, I noticed how the energy shifted when I switched from English to German. Conversations became deeper. Questions became more honest. Hesitations disappeared. What happens when you speak to clients in their native language: ⤷ Guard comes down immediately ⤷ Cultural nuances are understood ⤷ Negotiations become collaborative, not competitive ⤷ Trust builds exponentially faster This isn't just about being polite. It's about understanding how people think. When a German investor asks about "Kapitalanlage" versus "Immobilieninvestition," the distinction matters.  It reveals their mindset, goals, and risk tolerance. These subtleties get lost in translation. My journey with languages started early • Arabic from family • French in school • German during my Audi years • English for global business Each language opened different doors. But in real estate, where decisions involve millions and decades of commitment, speaking someone's language becomes your strongest selling point. My fluent German connects better than English because it signals something more important than words  ⤷ Respect for their culture. ⤷ Commitment to understanding their needs. ⤷ Willingness to meet them where they are. In a global marketplace, multilingualism isn't a luxury. It's the difference between transaction and transformation. #dubairealestate #SalesStrategy #bettercallzeineb