These mistakes may be innocent enough, but they can have substantial financial repercussions and unwanted brand erosion. Understanding cultural differences from both a business standpoint and a social standpoint is critical to succeeding in global waters. If you are new to the challenge of conducting business in foreign territories, keep in mind that the American style is not the only way, and in some cases it can be avoided.

Example: An American executive who moved to London for a Branding role was new to British culture. He was a brilliant, headstrong, opinionated American who constantly multitasked, he had a work ethic that got everything right and would happily stay up all night to complete a project. However, he was not being well received. He quickly learned that from a personal branding, likability and efficiency perspective, it was up to him to rehabilitate his professional personality. To fit in, he needed to adjust to the place if he was to be welcomed by his British colleagues. He started with simple measures, lowering his voice as he spoke several octaves. He then synchronized himself with the speed and efficiency of his colleagues. He refrained from commenting on the British aristocracy. Ultimately, he became much less overtly assertive. He happened to be a quick learner, so his challenges were overcome considerably in a short period of time and it made a substantial difference. He was still an American, but he was no longer the stereotypical, over-the-top, unintentionally offensive American.

This lesson was repeated (albeit abbreviated) when he made brand tours in Central and Eastern Europe, Spain, France, Australia, Germany, and other territories. Each country has its own set of commercial, cultural and social attributes. It is imperative to develop some cultural sensitivity and personal branding acumen before attempting to launch your brand, sell products, or increase awareness of a brand, product, or service across different cultures.

Advice from a public relations expert:

1) Invest in due diligence. Research the country’s cultural history.

2) Research the company you want to do business with. Understand your past failures and successes. What are your goals? What can you offer them?

3) Research the people you will be meeting with. Are they married? Are they single? What was your previous position? How long have they been in that position? This information can serve you well.

4) If you can, determine your perspective on that of Americans in advance.

5) Work hard, but smart. Be careful not to alienate colleagues or discourage superiors from him.

6) Understand currency and the exchange rate so you can calculate quickly and efficiently, demonstrating (on some level) your understanding of your global trading system.

7) Research the global shipping and customs guidelines for that territory.

8) Become your own Public Relations Consultant and mark yourself as someone interested and understanding of your social and business culture.

In summary, and above all, listen, contain, adjust, assimilate and communicate the best practices for that specific international territory. Demonstrating and communicating your understanding and respect for their business culture and methodology is key to success! If they don’t connect with you, they won’t connect with your brand.