How does the approach to business relationships differ across cultures, and what does that teach us about marketing?

Business relationship building varies dramatically by culture, which illustrates an important marketing principle. In the US, business tends to move fast—people want immediate results and try to close deals quickly, even at trade shows. In Europe, particularly the UK and Germany, the approach is much slower and more deliberate. You don’t close deals on the trade show floor; you collect a business card and call a month later to begin building the relationship slowly over time. The European approach actually reflects how marketing really works: it’s a slow romance. You can’t rush relationships. Just like you wouldn’t ask someone you just met to spend a weekend together (you’d start with coffee, then maybe lunch after that goes well), business relationships require multiple touchpoints over time. This is especially true for art sales—you must collect leads and romance them over time through consistent marketing before they’re ready to buy. The American tendency to want immediate results from advertising reflects a misunderstanding of how sales cycles actually work.

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Asked by marketers learning about sales psychology · Answered by Nick · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-08-13