While companies may begin their international business serendipitously, as Har-mony Enterprises and Aeromix did, few stay successful internationally without carefully adapting to market conditions in the countries in which they work. Some adaptations are small, but crucial. For example, Aeromix has several rules for international communications to guarantee that it is understood properly by those who may not speak English as a first language. They never use slang. Any sentence with more than one comma is too long.
Faxes cover only one subject.
When he travels overseas, Anderson studies the culture carefully and is open to new experiences. In China, for instance, he passes products or contracts to his customers using two hands, a sign of respect. The menu for one dinner with a customer included snake, snake s blood, brain balls, chicken feet, and pigs ears. In addition to cultural openness and respect, companies may need to adjust their product to meet different countries specifications and tastes. Tom Miller, vice president for international business, studies how people eat in different countries.