【11.1.3 NYT】When Giving a Business Gift, Don’t Go Too Flashy

連長

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/business/global/04iht-busnav04.html?ref=china This is an excerpt from a series of iPhone applications created by the International Herald Tribune to explain the culture and etiquette of major business centers.“Any time is an occasion for giving a gift,” says Christine Lu, chief executive of the luxury investment group Affinity China. Whenever you go to China, “it’s customary and will say a lot about your character, what you know and your intentions.” Gifts should not be expensive, so they will not be mistaken for bribes, warns Cynthia Lett, founder and director of the Lett Group, a protocol training company: “If you’re going to give something pricey, it has to be something with your logo on it, or it has to have some relevance to your business. You give it to the organization or the institution; you do not give it to the individual for his or her own use.” Ms. Lett suggests selecting books of photographs or items handmade by local artisans. She tells the story of a business group from the U.S. state of Georgia that could not come up with a new gift idea. The group had already given books on Georgia and the U.S. national parks, “so we ended up making a ruler with all of the different colors of granite that they had in their quarries there. It was 12 different colors. And it went over fabulously.” Choosing gifts that take traditional Chinese beliefs into account may not be necessary these days, but it is always better to be cautious. Giving eight of anything is considered good luck, while four is bad. (The word for “four” sounds like the word for death.) Do not give clocks or watches (which suggest a time limit on the relationship) or anything sharp like scissors or a letter opener (cutting off the relationship). Wrap gifts in red, which is considered lucky; avoid black, white and blue, colors that are used for funerals. When it comes to presenting gifts, know that tradition says they are offered — and refused — three times. Today, “the ‘refuse thrice’ rule exists but is not followed super strictly,” says Laurie Underwood of China Europe International Business School. “In general, it is expected that you will politely refuse a gift at first — or an offer to dinner or a snack or use of an umbrella — several times before accepting it, and that if you offer a gift or food to a Chinese guest, they would first refuse it, even if they really want it.” So do remember to keep offering if a client refuses something. “It is awkward when a foreigner only offers once,” she says. And do not wait for holidays. “Do you know how many moon cakes people get at the Mid-Autumn Festival?” Ms. Lu says. “They all get stacked up at the door, and you forget who gave what.” Give a gift when it is appropriate, she urges. “That’s when it will mean the most, especially if it looks like a lot of thought went into it.” Businesswomen and Behavior“In general, Chinese tend to be less fussy about women colleagues,” says Ms. Underwood of China Europe International Business School. “For example, a young staffer would rush to open the door for his boss but leave his female colleagues to open their own door. Meanwhile, a female Chinese assistant would feel very awkward if her male Western boss opened the door for her.” Ms. Lett of the Lett Group says: “From my experience, and I only have my experience to go on, they are as respectful to me and the women I’ve taken over as they are to the men, as long as the women behave themselves. They get flustered with any kind of behavior that would be suggestive. They just don’t know what to do with it.” Ms. Lett says she has seen Western women acting in a sexual manner “in a business context, and I just cringe, because I can see the reaction on the faces of the men — somewhat surprised and somewhat disgusted.” She makes suggestions about dress with that assessment in mind, especially for the mainland: “You have to keep a sense of modesty. Your dress should be, if you’re wearing a skirt, knee-length or longer. If you’re wearing a blouse, it should be long-sleeve, not short-sleeve. Slacks are O.K., if they’re well tailored. They should be neutral in colors. Brown, black, dark blue — really good colors. They don’t like high heels in business. So keep it two inches or lower,” or five centimeters. “And cleavage should be eliminated completely. They don’t go for cleavage. They don’t go for anything suggestive at all. So keep it conservative.”

紫玉炎华01

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