The importance of cultural differences in succeeding in the international markets

Local culture and language are important to succeed in any international market. Businesses need to understand the local culture and language to shape their products and services and their marketing strategies. Each country and each culture has its own norms, customs and values, and it is important that startups understand and respect these cultural differences in order to be successful in the international market.  

Ignoring the local culture can lead to misunderstandings, offenses, and business failure. To avoid this mistake, when thinking about establishing business in other countries, you need to be, “culturally” prepared, for the people you will encounter in the country you intend to go to. 

Aspects of our culture are always present in most of our actions and so we often act and say things on impulse. Meaning, instinctively our behavior reflects where we are coming from: country, education, etc. For example, Latinos like to touch the hands and shoulders of the person they are talking to as a sign of affection, and a Scandinavian interprets these signs as an intrusion into their territory. Asians appreciate silences during a conversation, hand out business cards with both hands, and bow in greeting. And so on, conflict situations can be many and diverse, but perfectly solvable if you are willing to understand and respect these differences.

This is a central topic as we have “discovered” that some startups in the past have failed because they have not grasped the importance of “Culture Differences” as a critical success factor. The Venture Builder has been a pioneer, in the past, with the introduction of “Culture Differences” in their previous Softlanding Programs.  

Last week Vasco Arteiro, a Portuguese in Brazil, shared his fantastic experience “as a Portuguese in Brasil”  in the Softlanding 2023 program. An “hands-on approach” is vital because you will learn with other entrepreneurs sharing their experience. 

Interested in the topic? The Venture Builder can be hired to provide guidance on these topics. There is still time to enroll in our Workshops and Softlanding programs. Schedule NOW 30 minutes of free consulting here so we can explain all Softlanding programs in detail.