A guest article by Nathalie Wenzel, REC Russia Experten Consulting GmbH, Ulm
Did you attend a trade show in Russia, make some initial contacts, and bring back many business cards from potential Russian prospects to Germany? You’ve taken the first step. So now—what’s next?
Attention: English
At trade shows, the language of communication is usually English. To ensure that communication flows smoothly, interpreters are hired in Russia specifically for these events, and they pose as company employees. These interpreters are no longer available to you after the trade show; consequently, the proportion of English-speaking employees is lower. The further east you travel in Russia, the more pronounced this language barrier becomes. Anyone communicating in English or German should therefore be aware that their documents will be translated. This is often done by, for example, graduates of teacher training colleges who are entering the private sector due to low teacher salaries and a lack of teaching positions. There are many good language mediators, but you should still make sure you know who is translating your letters, emails, and ideas—because in international communication, the competence of interpreters plays a central role: lack of subject-matter expertise, a lack of familiarity with your topic, and room for interpretation can become problems; misunderstandings cannot be ruled out.
Direct is better
The Russians say, “If you want a new project to fail, send an email or call the person involved.” What does that mean? Russian business partners clearly prefer direct, face-to-face contact. In some situations, you can save yourself a lot of paperwork and effort by buying a plane ticket and meeting your partner in person. You’ll be able to better assess their potential and directly determine how and with whom your contact works. However, communication via the internet-based phone service Skype is also widely used in Russian business life. While the issue of “surveillance” does play a role in communication, official agencies seem to be able to eavesdrop on Skype only with great difficulty. Even the sometimes outdated phone models offer only limited tracking capabilities.
Style and Etiquette
The business card lists your last name, first name, and your father’s last name. However, Russians don’t expect you to know “all of that.” Simply including your last name along with “GOSPODI’N” or “GOSPOTSCHA’”—which means “Mr.” or “Ms.”—is perfectly sufficient, and people will often quickly offer to address you by your first name.
Although business cards often include personal or company information, the email address may appear too personal by German standards. This is not an indication that the person you’re dealing with is untrustworthy. Rather, even in large companies, there is simply no clear standard in this regard in terms of corporate identity or fixed IT guidelines. Common domains in Russia include, for example, yandex.ru, mail.ru, rambler.ru, and list.ru.
It’s best to ask your business partner to confirm receipt of your email in your first message. This is because Russian business partners tend to follow the motto: “If the email doesn’t ask a clear question, I don’t have to write a reply”—and so you won’t know who ultimately received your email. All too often, German partners attribute unanswered emails to the incompetence of their Russian colleagues. In reality, it’s usually due to a strict spam filter or an outdated email address—perhaps because your partner has changed jobs or has a new email address. In these cases, it’s best to call—that way, you’ll be on the safe side.
Pride and Prejudice
At the Moscow airport, I read an advertising slogan from Russia’s Sberbank: “Doverjaem tem kogo snaem.” Translated, it means “We trust those we know.” Trust is taken very seriously in Russia—and there’s no clear line between business and personal relationships. Trust must be earned through hard work and requires a great deal of dedication and commitment. The Russian market has been very turbulent over the past ten years. It’s not to be expected that introducing a German product to Russia will always be easy. Hard factors like price and quality can be compared quickly—but trust cannot be copied and is considered a key factor in decision-making. Therefore, always communicate on an equal footing, with great respect, and without disparaging remarks such as: “Are there other roads, or do they all look this bad in Russia?”” Even those who talk about new technologies and boast, “Here in Germany, you can find the latest and greatest,” aren’t really fostering good relationships—Russians are a proud people, and rightly so.
A Russian poet once said, “Russia cannot be understood with the mind. It has something all its own. You simply have to believe in Russia.”
If you believe in your success in Russia, prepare yourself well for this unique country. Let yourself be surprised and inspired, for example, by Russian warmth and hospitality—but that’s another topic…
Sincerely, Your Russia Expert,
Nathalie Wenzel, B.S. in Business Administration
REC Russia Experts GmbH
www.russland-experten.com
Tel.: +(49) 731 3788 0070
Email: info@russland-experten.com
