📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

35 Tips on How Not to Offend Your International Business Partners (Infographic) From how you eat to how you dress, a look at how your behavior could be interpreted by your customers, colleagues and clients in different countries.

By Catherine Clifford

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The popular catchphrase, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," is also true of offensive behavior.

In France, it is common for a man to greet a lady with a quick kiss on the cheek, even in a business setting. In China and India, that sort of familiar contact with business associates is frowned upon. And in Germany, if a business associate nods upon shaking your hand, then it is considered good form to return the nod.

Related: The Esquire Guy's Irreverent Rules for the Perfect Business Lunch

San Francisco-based customer service software company Zendesk generated the infographic below, with 35 tips for how to behave in international business settings to avoid an embarrassing faux pas that could put your business relationships on ice.
Click to Enlarge+
35 Tips on How Not to Offend Your International Business Partners (Infographic)

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

Employers Say They Want to Hire Candidates With AI Skills, But Employees Are Still Sneaking AI Tool Use in the Office

A new joint report from LinkedIn and its parent company Microsoft revealed the contradictory state of AI at work.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Marketing

What I Learned From Spending $5.9 Million on Marketing Last Year

Road-tested tips to 6X your revenue per lead, double your social media leads and increase sales conversations. I know because I lived it!

Thought Leaders

Building an Agile Remote Team Is No Easy Feat — But It's About to Get a Whole Lot Easier Thanks to This Transformative Tool.

The virtual reality of the metaverse promises to put a radical new spin on returning to the office.

Business News

Sylvester Stallone Is Auctioning His Rare Watch Collection — Here's a Look at the Timepieces Worth Millions

The actor's Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime is the first of its kind to be auctioned.