1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,760 Welcome back to another episode of Once Upon a Trip with Mary Grace and Marco! 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:07,760 Woo! 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:08,760 Hey! 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:10,600 We are very happy to have you back. 5 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:15,700 If you are new here, I am Mary Grace and this is Marco. 6 00:00:15,700 --> 00:00:18,160 We are the hosts of this show. 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:19,880 Thank you so much for tuning in. 8 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:26,520 Today's episode is going to be about business trips because don't we all love business and 9 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:27,520 work, right? 10 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:28,520 Oh yeah. 11 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:34,880 Marco has taken business trips both here in the US and also in Germany. 12 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:40,240 I thought it would be a really great idea to have him go through his personal experiences 13 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,800 and just to do a little bit of compare and contrast. 14 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:50,720 With this episode, we really hope that you learn some tips on what to do and what you 15 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:55,360 shouldn't do on a business trip when you're dealing with Germans, but this also can apply 16 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,760 to so many other nationalities as well. 17 00:00:58,760 --> 00:00:59,760 It's not just Germans. 18 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:01,720 It can be literally any nation. 19 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:03,640 We hope you enjoy the episode. 20 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,920 Please be sure to like and subscribe if you have not done so already. 21 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:13,340 That would really, really help our small channel and small podcast and it would really mean 22 00:01:13,340 --> 00:01:17,520 a ton in helping us grow because we like growth too, right? 23 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:18,520 Yes. 24 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:19,960 Like in the business world, you like growth. 25 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:26,840 Let's start with your business trips in Germany and how your American business trips have 26 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:33,880 differed and if you've seen anything shocking, if you have experienced any sort of surprise 27 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,000 on any of your business trips. 28 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:42,240 I mean the surprises really only happened in hindsight, especially when I came over 29 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:44,520 here, when I saw the other side. 30 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:51,160 For starters in Germany and I would say any continental European country, you meet somebody 31 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,240 and then it's usually on a, you know, on a mister and miss kind of basis. 32 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:56,240 Very formal. 33 00:01:56,240 --> 00:02:01,840 Very formal, both in written communication, but also when you meet somebody, either you 34 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:03,560 go there or they meet you. 35 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:05,920 By the way, this is not just about going somewhere. 36 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:10,520 You can do business, let's say here in the US and you can have a guest from abroad and 37 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:15,840 even though you're in your comfort zone and you still will have a kind of a foreign exposure 38 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:23,040 and depending on how well aware both sides are of each other's kind of cultural differences, 39 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,840 it can create some awkward moments or misunderstandings. 40 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,600 Have you experienced any awkward misunderstandings? 41 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:31,600 Awkward misunderstandings? 42 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,520 No, not so much, but it really hit me when I came here. 43 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:42,160 One of the first American business trips I went on, just how much more casual things 44 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:43,320 are here. 45 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:48,640 And that was not just with the trips, but also even if you email somebody that you have 46 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:53,960 never emailed with, just the way people talk to each other. 47 00:02:53,960 --> 00:03:00,380 Because in Germany or Europe, let's say, it's very formal as you said, it's mister and miss 48 00:03:00,380 --> 00:03:06,760 or missus, usually like a German email in a very formal kind of setting is either hello 49 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:11,800 mister or missus blah blah blah or even we have a phrase that's like very honored mister 50 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:13,000 or missus blah blah blah. 51 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,920 So it's a very formal setting. 52 00:03:14,920 --> 00:03:21,200 And here I've gotten emails that were like, howdy Marco, but yeah, let's do this in caps 53 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,080 and exclamation point. 54 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:24,080 I'm like, what? 55 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:25,080 What? 56 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:26,080 What's this? 57 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:34,000 So that's number one, from a traveler perspective, I remember talking to people both at their 58 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,960 office and also like later on, maybe over a dinner or something. 59 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:43,160 And just how much they also share about their personal lives. 60 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,240 I found that very remarkable. 61 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,520 To that extent, you would rarely find that in Germany. 62 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,320 So that kind of caught me unaware. 63 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,840 I remember that the one guy we just, you know, we were talking in the middle of business, 64 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:55,840 right? 65 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,080 And then all of a sudden, you know, I think we had like a working lunch. 66 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:03,160 He talks about his family and like shows pictures, you know, this is my house and this is my 67 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,520 car and this is my daughter and she studies at the University of I don't know where and 68 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:12,280 I'm sitting there like, okay. 69 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:13,280 So that is different. 70 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:14,280 I mean, it's nice. 71 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,240 I've actually grown to like that a lot. 72 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:20,240 But if you don't know that for both sides, it can be a bit weird. 73 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:26,400 Why in Germany or in Europe per se, is that not common? 74 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:34,600 Why is it weird to share something personal like your family and house to a client or 75 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:36,920 to anybody in business? 76 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:37,920 Why is that? 77 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,280 I think, I mean, depending on the chemistry you have with somebody, you do share more 78 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:42,280 or less. 79 00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:45,720 I mean, in my personal case, it really depends on how I click with somebody. 80 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:52,080 I can't really tell you why, because I think in general, the separation of personal life 81 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:56,440 and professional life is much more distinct than it is here. 82 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,960 I don't know why that is, but it just is. 83 00:04:59,960 --> 00:05:05,540 For an American going to Europe or having a European visitor, either way, it can create 84 00:05:05,540 --> 00:05:12,760 weird moments when, especially when the European is not as well versed when it comes to American 85 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:18,760 kind of business style, and they might be confused when right from the get go, they're 86 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:22,600 addressed by their first name, even though I will say most Europeans that have some business 87 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,800 experience or international business, the English language is standard. 88 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:32,600 Most people will know that it's on a first name basis and that's fine. 89 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,440 But some people still might not know it and they're like, hey, okay. 90 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:38,600 Why are you calling me that? 91 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:39,680 We're not like best buddies. 92 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:41,560 What is this? 93 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:46,840 Or when you talk about very intimate personal stuff, then people would be like, okay, that's 94 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:47,840 kind of odd. 95 00:05:47,840 --> 00:05:50,560 So yeah, it's innocent things. 96 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:51,800 It's usually not things. 97 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,880 I've never experienced anything that was just totally weird. 98 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,300 And again, since we're also talking about other cultures, I mean, I've never been to 99 00:05:58,300 --> 00:06:01,680 India or China, but I've had Indian and Chinese visitors. 100 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:06,560 And you know, there are certain things, for example, with the Chinese, they are obsessed 101 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:07,960 with business cards. 102 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,300 It's like almost a ceremony, them giving you the business cards, and then you have to look 103 00:06:11,300 --> 00:06:12,940 at it and like, yeah, awesome. 104 00:06:12,940 --> 00:06:16,380 You shouldn't like put it in your back pocket because that basically is disrespectful. 105 00:06:16,380 --> 00:06:19,760 That basically means, yeah, your company's ass. 106 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:21,720 Don't do that. 107 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:26,120 With Indians, sometimes, you know, they have a hard time maybe admitting that they didn't 108 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:27,420 understand something. 109 00:06:27,420 --> 00:06:32,400 And you have to, in a very subtle way, you have to basically, hey, repeat it back to 110 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,800 me, to really know if they understood what you were saying to them. 111 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:41,080 Because they will just say, yes, no problem, even though, even when they have no clue. 112 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:42,340 You know, that can happen. 113 00:06:42,340 --> 00:06:44,640 Those are the kind of innocent things. 114 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:50,680 You should never, and that goes for both sides, never hardcore kind of talk about politics. 115 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:55,720 Even though I will say, not myself, but I've had other people do that. 116 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:58,840 Would you like to share your story about what happened with that? 117 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:00,880 I had one particular experience in Texas. 118 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:05,200 That was kind of cool because, well, maybe not cool, but it was kind of funny because 119 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,480 I was always under the impression, yeah, you know, Americans, neither in their personal 120 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,160 lives, especially when they meet somebody or in the professional or all the less in 121 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:19,680 a professional setting would talk politics, like really the deep and real, where they 122 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,240 really have no filter where they say how they feel about things. 123 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:28,960 So I went to Texas outside somewhere outside Dallas, Fort Worth, went there with a colleague 124 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:29,960 of mine. 125 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:36,120 I guess the guy had maybe had a sense that my colleague was of a similar persuasion, 126 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:42,120 that neither me nor my colleague prompted any political kind of discussion. 127 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:49,720 But he was very clear about how he felt about Democrats and people from California, which 128 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,600 were in his mind, presumably all Democrats. 129 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:55,880 So that was a bit of a shock to me. 130 00:07:55,880 --> 00:08:00,560 I sat there and the guy says, yeah, you know, those Californians, when they when they're 131 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:05,360 leaving California and they move to two places like Texas, it's like a cancer that spreads 132 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:06,440 to the nation. 133 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:10,360 And I'm sitting there and I'm just like, I had no comeback. 134 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,000 I had nothing to say. 135 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,760 And then it was a couple of months before the last elections. 136 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,280 And I tried to be neutral about it. 137 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:22,920 And I said, well, you know, me being a foreigner, I can't vote here anyway, so it doesn't matter. 138 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,600 And then he just went on and then he said, well, you know what, you would be able to 139 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,460 vote had you come illegally across our southern border. 140 00:08:29,460 --> 00:08:31,000 Those people all vote. 141 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,140 But the legal immigrants like yourself, they don't. 142 00:08:33,140 --> 00:08:34,140 And I was just there. 143 00:08:34,140 --> 00:08:36,060 I was like, oh, man. 144 00:08:36,060 --> 00:08:38,760 So that was that was a that was an experience. 145 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:40,760 That was my first exposure to Texas. 146 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:42,760 Yeah, very, very. 147 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,720 I'm not I'm not saying that Texas is, you know, they're all like that. 148 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:48,320 Actually, I had I had a really good experience. 149 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:49,320 It was nice. 150 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:52,800 You know, people were nice and food was nice, maybe not healthy, but nice. 151 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:58,200 That was kind of maybe the most odd exposure I've had in the business world. 152 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:02,580 What about in Germany or in other parts of the U.S.? 153 00:09:02,580 --> 00:09:11,160 Can you remember anything very specifically unique or maybe not unique, but just I can 154 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:12,160 remember? 155 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:13,160 I can't. 156 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:14,160 Yes, I can remember something. 157 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:19,000 Nothing that I have experienced myself, but another kind of intercultural thing in certain 158 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:26,400 countries like Russia or I think even in some parts of South America in a business setting. 159 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:31,320 When you go there, let's say as an American, you go there, your business partner will pick 160 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:35,360 you up or will have you picked up like because especially in areas, maybe where it's a little 161 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,600 bit of a safety concern that you might be like kidnapped or something if you take a 162 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:39,600 cap. 163 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:40,600 You know, who knows? 164 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:42,160 You know, it's yeah. 165 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:48,240 So you should also inform yourself about when I when I get off the plane, what is the expected 166 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:49,720 way of doing things? 167 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,680 Also from that country's safety perspective, or are you even allowed to drive with your 168 00:09:54,680 --> 00:09:55,680 drivers? 169 00:09:55,680 --> 00:09:57,760 You know, the questions of that nature. 170 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:04,480 And we have a co worker who transferred from Russia some years ago, and he didn't get the 171 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:08,920 cultural briefing, I guess he went to see a supplier. 172 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:13,520 Where in Salt Lake City or outside Salt Lake City. 173 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:18,600 And based on his Russian experience, he was expecting to be picked up. 174 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:20,420 Well he was in for real treat. 175 00:10:20,420 --> 00:10:25,280 Or actually the supplier was because he got off the plane and he didn't go to the rental 176 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:26,280 car. 177 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:27,960 He was like, where is the supplier, so where are you? 178 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:28,960 And they were like, what do you mean? 179 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:29,960 Well, aren't you picking us? 180 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:30,960 Aren't you picking me up? 181 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:35,040 And they were like, no. 182 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,360 So I remember that story also being told from that supplier. 183 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:40,300 And it was that was funny. 184 00:10:40,300 --> 00:10:44,320 Things like that can be awkward because if you don't know any better, they think you're 185 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:45,320 insane. 186 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:46,320 Like what is that? 187 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:49,560 Doesn't that person have any manners or you know, who they think they are that they're 188 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:53,880 being like picked up like, you know, like like the king or something? 189 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:54,880 Things like that can matter. 190 00:10:54,880 --> 00:11:01,880 Yeah, I mean, not from my own personal experience, but I have heard from Koreans and from Japanese 191 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:09,280 people who do business within Asia that another common business trip tactic or at least business 192 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:15,800 in general is to go drinking with the boss or if the boss invites you to anything, you 193 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,080 better not say no because it makes you look bad. 194 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:23,840 And when you do go out with the boss, you do basically whatever the boss wants you to 195 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:24,840 do. 196 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:29,880 So it's like P.E. drinking as much as the boss drinks, which is yeah, I don't think 197 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:35,520 we have that sort of culture in the U.S. or really in Europe, but that is just also very 198 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:36,520 fascinating. 199 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:37,520 Like that pressure. 200 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:38,520 I've had that. 201 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:39,520 I've heard that too. 202 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:44,720 Yeah, that there's kind of an like company internal peer pressure in companies like like 203 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,240 in China or what the boss, you know, what the boss says goes. 204 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:52,160 And even when it comes to drinking or something. 205 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:53,160 Yeah. 206 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:54,440 I haven't experienced anything like that. 207 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,920 The only thing I've experienced is drinking with business partners were in certain cultures 208 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:04,080 to maybe also they wouldn't trust you if you didn't drink with them. 209 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,600 I had I had one experience in Romania one day that was even a bit of a thing within 210 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,960 Europe where I was like, OK, that's weird. 211 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,240 It was lunch at the company and they served lunch. 212 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:14,520 It was good. 213 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:19,040 And they served shots of whatever liquor. 214 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:20,480 I have not heard this story. 215 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:21,480 And totally expected. 216 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,680 I have to drink with them because I think otherwise they wouldn't trust you or something. 217 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:29,000 I don't know what the culture is, but it was it was kind of funny. 218 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:34,040 I was there with another colleague of mine and I think I took two shots there or something. 219 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:37,120 Because he was he was he was handing out another one. 220 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,480 My colleague was saying like, oh, no, I'm driving. 221 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:40,960 And then that guy said, it's OK. 222 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:41,960 I drive too. 223 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:43,520 And I was like, OK. 224 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:44,520 Yeah. 225 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:45,520 Romania, everybody. 226 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,880 That is interesting. 227 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:49,800 I have not heard that story. 228 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:50,800 So wow. 229 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,480 I didn't realize that you have now. 230 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:57,160 It's an Eastern European thing a little bit with this kind of drinking thing. 231 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:58,520 I could be wrong. 232 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:00,700 You know, feel free to comment and correct me. 233 00:13:00,700 --> 00:13:02,640 But I was not prepared for that. 234 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:07,200 It's just with really like hard stuff like, you know, like 40 percent kind of stuff. 235 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:12,000 Oh, it was probably so I don't know what it is in Romania, but probably similar to Turkey 236 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:13,000 and Greece. 237 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,920 So like rocky or like very, very hard shit. 238 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:17,920 It was hard. 239 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:18,920 It was hard. 240 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:19,920 It was OK. 241 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:21,200 I wasn't driving. 242 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,360 And so I was I felt OK about it. 243 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:28,840 I drive to what about Western and essentially Eastern Europe? 244 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:33,440 So let's just say, for example, you were to go to, I don't know, Poland or you were to 245 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:37,360 go to Czech Republic or if you were to go to anywhere. 246 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:43,440 So should you have a different attitude and approach and communication style when negotiating 247 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,800 or at least doing business in these countries? 248 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:50,400 I don't know about the negotiating part, but I will say what is noticeable about companies 249 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:56,720 in Eastern Europe is that the hierarchy is very distinct. 250 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:00,500 Like you only talk to the boss or like if you go just to somebody like that, he will 251 00:14:00,500 --> 00:14:04,840 always or she he or she will always kind of circle back to the boss. 252 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:09,560 And it's much more hierarchical than here or in Germany, for that matter. 253 00:14:09,560 --> 00:14:14,920 That's been the biggest takeaway for me when dealing with companies and like, yeah, check 254 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:19,400 out whatever really the boss is the boss and is untouched. 255 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:25,920 So what should visitors on business do in these situations when the boss is the boss? 256 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:31,320 You should just be aware that you have to channel things through the boss if you if 257 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:32,840 you want to get something done. 258 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:37,280 Same thing, too, in India, depending on what you're talking about. 259 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:43,080 Also, you have to escalate things maybe much more quickly to the next kind of manager, 260 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:48,320 whereas in Germany, you don't have to do that right away because the people have a mind 261 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:52,560 and kind of an authority of their own to deal with certain things. 262 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:57,480 In other countries, you have to go through the manager much more than you have to do 263 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:01,120 that here or like in the West, in the West. 264 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:02,560 That's very helpful to know. 265 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:07,240 I would think that there would be some sort of difference like that, like the attitude 266 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:12,180 is naturally a little bit colder and it is helpful to know that if you do business or 267 00:15:12,180 --> 00:15:19,800 if you pursue any business trip in countries basically east of Germany in that case. 268 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:25,320 Now another thing that I think others wonder about when traveling within Europe and on 269 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:34,040 business is should people learn basics of the local language for business or is sticking 270 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:37,120 to English considered standard? 271 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:43,000 I mean, is it rude if people don't learn any words at all of the native language while 272 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,120 traveling on business? 273 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,080 Because we don't want to be ignorant. 274 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:48,180 We want to be polite. 275 00:15:48,180 --> 00:15:51,600 We want to show that we are culturally informed. 276 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:57,440 But how does it work in business or how would you think it works? 277 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:01,720 I mean, again, international business English is kind of the default language. 278 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:05,560 Now, of course, you maybe you do make a good impression if you enter the room and you maybe 279 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:10,000 you greet somebody in the local language that can always help to, you know, build a relationship 280 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,520 or help with the first impression in the chemistry. 281 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:14,800 I think it's not so much the business part of it. 282 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:19,680 I think if you travel somewhere getting to the meeting that you have to go to there, 283 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:24,640 there might be countries where English is not a mainstream language, where people that 284 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,400 are outside the business world don't speak English. 285 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,320 Yeah, maybe that can be a problem. 286 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:36,080 But no, I think from a business perspective, maybe it's flattering to speak a couple of 287 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:37,080 words. 288 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:41,320 Learning a few words of the local language is always helpful, whether it is personal 289 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:42,800 or business. 290 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,520 It's just respectful and thoughtfulness goes a long way. 291 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:50,200 But then maybe you should be really sure of yourself before you do it, because if maybe 292 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:55,360 you mispronounce a word or you say something vulgar because you just make a mistake. 293 00:16:55,360 --> 00:17:00,080 So maybe you want to be too good and too polite and that can backfire on you. 294 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:05,440 Have you heard or experienced this or not you, but have you witnessed this happening? 295 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:07,120 I have not witnessed it happening. 296 00:17:07,120 --> 00:17:12,880 I know that there are differences between European and Latin American Spanish. 297 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:18,280 I once heard the story and I don't know what exactly he said, but he said something in 298 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:19,640 European Spanish. 299 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,800 So he's Spain Spanish. 300 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:27,140 Yeah, Spain Spanish in Mexico and in Spain, that would have been a totally normal question, 301 00:17:27,140 --> 00:17:31,140 but it had an entirely different meaning in Mexico, like a vulgar meaning, like basically 302 00:17:31,140 --> 00:17:36,760 saying like, you know, is she going to pick me up, like to drive me somewhere like tonight 303 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:37,900 or whatever. 304 00:17:37,900 --> 00:17:42,560 But the way he said it, which would have been perfectly understandable in Spain, that same 305 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:46,560 phrase in Mexico basically would have meant, you know, basically I'm going to sleep with 306 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:48,560 her tonight or something. 307 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:55,100 I don't know, maybe Spanish speakers know what phrase I'm referring to, but that's kind 308 00:17:55,100 --> 00:17:57,480 of the story I heard that somebody had. 309 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:02,040 Yeah, if only our Spanish was good enough to say what that was. 310 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:07,560 I can't think of something right now, but yeah, I don't know until I know. 311 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:11,860 If somebody comes in and speaks German or tries to speak German with me, and I haven't 312 00:18:11,860 --> 00:18:16,000 had an experience and maybe for a future episode, if I happen to run into something like that, 313 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,000 I can share. 314 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,920 Yeah, you can represent. 315 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:21,380 But yeah, it can be awkward. 316 00:18:21,380 --> 00:18:27,160 You can really mess up on your first impression and just like in a personal life, in the business 317 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:30,440 world, that's also very important that you never get a second chance to make a first 318 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:31,800 impression. 319 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,680 Have you made any bad first impressions here in the US on a business trip? 320 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:36,960 I don't think so. 321 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,440 I think so far it's been very, very good. 322 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,000 And maybe some some misunderstandings or something, but very innocent stuff. 323 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,800 Nothing detrimental where you're like, oh my God, what just happened or something. 324 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,080 Do you remember what those examples are? 325 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,680 Yeah, maybe where somebody said greets you and said, oh, I didn't expect you here today, 326 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:54,240 even though it was scheduled and confirmed. 327 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:58,840 That can be a little bit misleading or a little bit kind of off putting even so that I had 328 00:18:58,840 --> 00:18:59,840 recently. 329 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:02,040 Like I expected you next month, not today. 330 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:07,320 And I'm like, I invited you, you accepted it's today. 331 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:08,320 Look at the calendar. 332 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:11,400 But that's not a cultural language thing. 333 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:16,000 I think that the guy was just a little bit not there. 334 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,080 He was just, yeah, he just had a weak moment, I guess. 335 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:23,680 Another way to potentially get business here in the US, and this is often a sales tactic 336 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:28,520 that I'm not sure is used as much in Europe, but I do know that if you want to get American 337 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:36,720 business, oftentimes providing free stuff or providing some complimentary shipment, 338 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:41,040 gifts, presents that can sometimes win you business. 339 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:44,120 So if you provide free donuts. 340 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:50,880 So I know that at my company, there are vendors that will send us a free dozen donuts in hopes 341 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,080 that they will get some exchange. 342 00:19:53,080 --> 00:20:00,540 Or recently we had a vendor from Las Vegas who sent us champagne. 343 00:20:00,540 --> 00:20:02,220 It was a video surveillance company. 344 00:20:02,220 --> 00:20:10,940 They sent champagne in the mail and like a super fancy example of what video surveillance 345 00:20:10,940 --> 00:20:12,560 services they can provide. 346 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:18,320 And I mean, there was money in this package, but yeah, oftentimes if you want to negotiate 347 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:24,760 with an American client, you have to not have to, but oftentimes you will have a bit of 348 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:30,640 a further edge in the competition if you provide some free complimentary stuff. 349 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:32,640 It depends on the industry. 350 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:38,040 So yes, little gifts and little gestures definitely help. 351 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:42,960 But especially when you're dealing with a big corporation, there are compliance rules 352 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:51,200 and very elaborate compliance rules where you must not accept a gift that exceeds a 353 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:52,500 certain value. 354 00:20:52,500 --> 00:20:56,340 For example, I don't know if somebody brings you like a little book or something little 355 00:20:56,340 --> 00:21:00,320 to eat or something, but it shouldn't exceed a value of let's say maybe like $20. 356 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:01,320 I think like that. 357 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,840 Is this in Germany or is this in? 358 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:04,840 Both. 359 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:09,280 I find that in big corporations, worldwide global companies, you could be accused of 360 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:11,320 being compromised, of being bribed. 361 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:15,960 If you have to award business, if you have multiple candidates to award business to, 362 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:20,360 that can be considered, hey, you were bribed, you were not being objective. 363 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:24,840 You were doing this for your own personal gain and then you can get fired. 364 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:28,380 But yes, people still try to do that. 365 00:21:28,380 --> 00:21:29,380 I've heard stories. 366 00:21:29,380 --> 00:21:33,760 I mean, I've never been, but I've heard stories in China, for example, and like big business 367 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:38,360 meetings that there are even envelopes with cash in it that they're trying to bribe you, 368 00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:40,860 that they're downright trying to bribe you. 369 00:21:40,860 --> 00:21:46,320 I will say though, like little things, donuts, or any kind of company merge, maybe like a 370 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:47,920 little book to write in or something. 371 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:48,920 That is fine. 372 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:54,240 But with the gifts, you're dealing with a big corporation. 373 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,360 You have to be careful accepting those. 374 00:21:56,360 --> 00:22:02,680 Culturally, it is always nice to have like gifts makes things more pleasant and also 375 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:07,960 established trust and these things and it's good for relationship building, but you cannot 376 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:12,480 overdo it and you have to be careful, especially if you're on the receiving end of a gift, 377 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,080 then you have to be careful on both sides. 378 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:17,340 What about email correspondence? 379 00:22:17,340 --> 00:22:23,480 For example, I don't serve clients necessarily, but I had somebody in my company who had a 380 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:29,440 German prospect for commercial real estate and I didn't have to really respond to this 381 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,000 guy, but I was just thinking about the agent in my company. 382 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:38,440 How is this guy supposed to respond to this potential German client who is interested 383 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,440 in property? 384 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:47,360 I mean, is there a certain way that via email you should address Europeans or Germans? 385 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:53,120 Should you say, dear blah, blah, blah, or should you say to whom it may concern blah, 386 00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:56,640 blah, blah, or should you say hello or should you not say hello? 387 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:57,640 Is that too informal? 388 00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:59,640 No, hello is okay, I think hello is okay. 389 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:01,080 I mean, I sometimes also do that. 390 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,080 It really depends on kind of also what I want, kind of. 391 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,520 I am the client usually, I work with suppliers, so I am the customer, but I think especially 392 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:13,600 people that are trying to sell something to somebody, when they reach out, maybe they 393 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,640 want to be more formal, I guess. 394 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,840 I'm not entirely sure how to answer that. 395 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:24,240 I will say that I think, yeah, if you reach out to somebody via email for the first time 396 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:28,160 in Europe, it would be maybe kind of nice to go by the last name and say, hey, dear 397 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:33,040 miss, or hello, you don't have to say dear, but like, hello, mister or missus, so and 398 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,040 so. 399 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:39,400 But these days, depending on the experience of the other person, they might be totally 400 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:44,600 fine with the first name, but anybody who isn't and who is just kind of starting out 401 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:48,720 in the business world might be like, what? 402 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:49,720 Nobody does that. 403 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:55,360 So from the American perspective, yeah, we are more informal, you are totally okay with 404 00:23:55,360 --> 00:24:00,240 addressing somebody by first name in an email, in a phone call. 405 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:04,800 It would be weird if you were to get on the phone and if you were to call somebody by 406 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:12,200 hello, mister Johnson, like, or to whom it may concern, like, it's too much. 407 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:17,760 I mean, I do, I, well, the to whom it may concern, I do do that when like on an, in 408 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:22,480 an email, when I sent the first email to a, like an info app where there's no guy. 409 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:23,680 Yes, that is okay. 410 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:24,680 I do that too. 411 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:29,440 But if there's, if you know, if I'm addressing, I don't know, just John Smith. 412 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:33,440 If I know, hey, this is John Smith, then yeah, it's hello, John, right? 413 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:39,240 What about with Americans or with people going to Germany or going to Europe? 414 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:46,800 So you mentioned people, visitors coming here, but what about the other way around? 415 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:52,440 What should Americans, for example, do on business in Germany? 416 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:57,400 So you mentioned calling people by mister or missus. 417 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:02,120 I think you can feel free to share about yourself, but don't put some somebody on the spot and 418 00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:03,600 ask them a direct question. 419 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:05,560 Like what about about their personal life? 420 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:08,280 Don't ask them a direct question about their personal life. 421 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:15,280 Be yourself for one thing, be yourself, but don't expect that people are going to be just 422 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:18,400 like you and just be aware of that. 423 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:22,920 And as far as the travel itself, there is no difference in traveling on business or 424 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,400 on a personal kind of vacation trip. 425 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,240 Just when you, you know, when you drive, you know, you should, you should be brief or you 426 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:32,240 should brief yourself and inform yourself about just certain things about the, if you 427 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,680 want to drive your car, if you want to drive a rental car, what are the traffic rules? 428 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:40,260 Or if you want to go out and eat somewhere, how do you tip, you know, things of that nature. 429 00:25:40,260 --> 00:25:43,800 So I don't think there is, there is a whole lot to it, but yeah, when it comes to the 430 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:48,080 business setting, it is a little bit more, yeah, I want to say uptight, honestly, from 431 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:51,320 an American perspective, it's probably, you would say it's uptight a little bit. 432 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:57,240 You just have to establish a certain chemistry, whatever it takes, establish trust. 433 00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:02,520 And once you have that and you're being transparent and you're not misleading somebody and you 434 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:08,160 know what someone else's goal is and maybe how, okay, what can I give them so that they 435 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:09,960 can give me what I need? 436 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,960 What about company credit cards and expenses? 437 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:20,480 So is everything covered in a German business trip, like the U S typically, and do you get 438 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:21,480 a company car? 439 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:23,880 Do you get like these sorts of things? 440 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:24,880 It depends. 441 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:31,080 So I can only speak from my personal experience and just the people I know. 442 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:38,520 America is you go on a business trip and your entire trip, including your meals is a hundred 443 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:39,520 percent covered, right? 444 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:41,800 That's my, that's at least that's been my understanding. 445 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:46,060 And that's how my personal role right now with the company I'm with works. 446 00:26:46,060 --> 00:26:47,400 So you don't have to worry. 447 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:48,920 You just act regularly. 448 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,000 You go out and you eat something. 449 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:52,000 I mean, you shouldn't go crazy. 450 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,920 I mean, you shouldn't take advantage of it, but just the way you would spend a day and 451 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:01,400 eat just like on any other day on your own and everything is just covered. 452 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:05,160 And in my case, yeah, I have a company credit card and everything goes on that credit card 453 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:06,160 and that's it. 454 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:10,800 So on a certain number of things or when it exceeds a certain value per transaction, you 455 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:12,960 have to hand in receipts. 456 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:13,960 That's pretty straightforward. 457 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:18,160 Now in Germany, either when you book something in advance, maybe it goes on the company credit 458 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:24,520 card or you pay it there, but your meals, your personal meals are not covered. 459 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:30,040 There is, and that depending on where you go, like the German equivalent of the IRS 460 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:38,800 has a like an average per datum kind of flat fee or flat amount of money that they would 461 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:40,080 reimburse you for. 462 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:44,640 But usually unless you go to the supermarket and eat dry bread, that's not going to cut 463 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:45,640 it. 464 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:47,840 You kind of pay out of pocket when you go somewhere. 465 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:52,800 And then you have to like when you hand in your report, you have to specifically tell 466 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:59,440 them, Hey, when was I provided a meal, including the breakfast at the hotel? 467 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:04,280 Or if a business partner invited you to dinner or something, then they deduct that and then 468 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:05,620 you get less money. 469 00:28:05,620 --> 00:28:10,260 And with the times it's such as science and in America, it's really straightforward. 470 00:28:10,260 --> 00:28:11,500 It's so much easier. 471 00:28:11,500 --> 00:28:14,560 And the biggest thing too is hotel. 472 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:21,520 When you check out of a hotel, the hotel bill in Germany and both companies I have worked 473 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:27,480 for so far, I think so by that, I feel like it's a general accounting constraint in Germany. 474 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:35,320 They are absolutely religious about the address in the hotel bill. 475 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:40,880 It has to specifically lay out the exactly correct company address. 476 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:45,880 Otherwise in German accounting, they have to reject the invoice or they, I don't know 477 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:46,960 what the reason is. 478 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,120 Maybe they can't get the tax back or whatever. 479 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:54,680 Whereas here it does not matter. 480 00:28:54,680 --> 00:29:00,560 As long as the bill kind of shows, yeah, so this was pertaining to that one business trip, 481 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:01,560 I'm good. 482 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:05,640 I've had bills where there was no address on it at all or just my name or maybe even 483 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:10,900 misspelled or the company or also with typos and misspelled and nobody cared. 484 00:29:10,900 --> 00:29:14,600 In Germany, people like the accountants lose it over it. 485 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,780 They're like, no, there's a typo here. 486 00:29:17,780 --> 00:29:20,480 We're not in, I don't know, the zip code is wrong or something. 487 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,560 Like there's like a typo in the zip code or something. 488 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,080 We cannot accept that bill. 489 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:30,040 I've seen this when I had German colleagues from Germany over and they were at a hotel 490 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:33,880 checking out and the American receptionist, like Francesco Persson, didn't even know what 491 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:34,880 the problem was. 492 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:38,240 They were like, yeah, this has to be the exact address has to be on the bill. 493 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,200 They were like, what? 494 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:42,200 And here it doesn't matter. 495 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:45,480 So yeah, accounting wise, that's trivia. 496 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,640 Another thing too is when you have a business dinner at the expense of one of the companies 497 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:55,800 that you have another business partner and one of them is paying, usually the sales person 498 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,960 is paying for it on their company's dime. 499 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:00,840 That happens on both sides of the pond. 500 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:05,840 But the thing is for those people later on handing in the receipt at their company, not 501 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:10,980 only do they have to hand in the just a receipt of that restaurant, but there's also there's 502 00:30:10,980 --> 00:30:17,320 a second receipt that tells like, yeah, this was a business dinner and number of people 503 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:18,760 or something like that. 504 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:22,640 So like from that kind of process perspective, it's just so cumbersome. 505 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:23,640 And here it's just straightforward. 506 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:25,240 I mean, there's a receipt. 507 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,520 Yeah, there was we had dinner and that's it. 508 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:33,240 I remember we had a we had somebody from Germany over and invited us for dinner here in the 509 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:34,240 US here in the US. 510 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:35,840 Yeah, came over here invited. 511 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,040 I think it was an may have been an internal meeting even same deal. 512 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:40,840 Doesn't matter if it's internal or external. 513 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:46,200 And we had to go back to that restaurant and get another like receipt so that the German 514 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,080 people over there could process it. 515 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:51,780 It was weird, just weird. 516 00:30:51,780 --> 00:30:52,780 Germany is weird. 517 00:30:52,780 --> 00:30:59,060 And I say it here when it comes to those kinds of things, it is Germany is so ridiculously 518 00:30:59,060 --> 00:31:04,040 inefficient and just unnecessarily complicated. 519 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:06,920 Germany should change that now. 520 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,820 Now like right now we have a new government now. 521 00:31:10,820 --> 00:31:14,480 What are some of the biggest lessons that you have learned from your business trips 522 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:19,280 and your business experience in both countries? 523 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:20,280 Honesty is the best policy. 524 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,160 You know, don't mislead anybody. 525 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:24,680 I always try to treat people the way I want to be treated. 526 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,240 But that goes for both my personal and my professional life. 527 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:28,240 Read the room. 528 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:32,200 You know, when you when you go somewhere, you just you know, you can't prepare for everything. 529 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:36,200 You have to observe and trust your judgment. 530 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:37,380 Play it by ear. 531 00:31:37,380 --> 00:31:41,560 Find the chemistry, read the room and see, OK, what's the dynamic and trust your gut. 532 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,600 You just have to be very cognizant of your environment. 533 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,080 And that goes both for both. 534 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:52,440 If you've had any specific business experiences or business trips here in the US or if you've 535 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:56,920 gone abroad to another country, if you've gone to Germany, if you've gone to Europe, 536 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:02,960 if you've gone to China, if you've gone anywhere where you have a specific special experience 537 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:08,000 that you would like to share, please feel free to comment that below or feel free to 538 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:09,720 let us know. 539 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:14,480 Or correct me if if if your experience has been different than mine. 540 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:19,960 I think there were so many things that I learned and that Marco had not told me before we hit 541 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:20,960 record. 542 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:21,960 There was no occasion. 543 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,780 We really hope that you enjoyed and that you learned something new today. 544 00:32:25,780 --> 00:32:28,120 We thank you so much for tuning in. 545 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,320 We will see you next time. 546 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:41,440 See you next time.