D.

AMERICAN CULTURES:
American Business Culture has its origins with the 16th and 17th century pioneers.  These were
immigrants from different lands who came to America to find a new life in an unfamiliar
environment.  As a result, the origins of American culture and American business culture generated
characteristics of self-reliance, independence, freedom, competition, and individuality.

Although the level of optimism various according to the state of the economy, Americans
typically are very optimistic about their businesses and future.  It is no wonder.  The American
economy is driven by small businesses created by those with the American dream.  If you work hard
and follow the rules, you will succeed.  You control your own destiny. Many of these small business
entrepreneurs have started several businesses and watched them fail.  Their tenaciousness and not
accepting failure kept them going.  This is the core of the American Optimism in American Business
Culture.

American Business Negotiation:

1. ATTITUDE:

Show respect and courtesy to everyone, regardless of their position or standing within a
company. Make sure your grammar and voice tone are professional. Limit, even eliminate,
profanity and coarse language. Remain in the present moment, giving your guest your undivided
attention

2. CONCENTRATE IN YOUR NEGOTIATION:

Americans and businessmen and women in particular are very task-oriented. They get a goal in
mind and work until achieving it. “Let’s get our focus on the bottom line” is an Americanism that
reflects this tendency. Therefore be careful to not distract the conversation from the business at
hand. Direct your comments towards identifying, and especially, solving problems. The people will
feel more confidence in you when they feel that you are putting your heart behind the project at
hand, whatever it may be.

3. DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS:

A straight forward, direct form of communication is highly valued in American Business.

Americans take pride in saying what they mean, and meaning want they say.  No means no in the
boardroom.  Having this belief system, American business people expect the same of their foreign
counterparts.

4. TIME IS MONEY:

Honor other people's time. Start and end meetings on time. Give reasonable notice for projects.
If you can't make a deadline, say what you can do. Be on time. Arrive 5 minutes before the
scheduled time for all business occasions. If you know that you will be late, call to let your contact
know. Offer to reschedule. If you are invited for a meal, you should arrive promptly. When invited
to a cocktail party, it's usually permissible to arrive a few minutes late. On these occasions, you do
not need to call ahead, even if you will be 30 minutes late. Do not arrive earlier than the stated
time, under any circumstances.

American business etiquette:

1. THE CELLULAR PHONE - When using a cell phone, set the ring tone at a low level with a tune
that is soft, gentle, and not annoying. Move the ring to vibrate in any situation like a church,
in a theater, a workshop, or a meeting where a ringing sound would prove disturbing to
other people. Make sure that there is enough distance to keep the content private.

2. E-MAIL - Make the subject line specific letting the reader know what they are about to open.
Address and sign your e-mails. Beginning the message with the person's name or " Dear
___," helps customize it. Sign your name, "Sincerely, ____" or provide a signature line for
people to know who you are and where they can reach you. When replying to a question,
use “reply” or copy only the question into your e-mail, and then provide your response. Do
not send a bare message that only reads, "Yes.” It's too blunt and confuses the reader.

3. DRESS AND APPEARANCE -. Make sure that your clothes fit physically and that they fit the
occasion and the setting. Be clear about how you expect people to look for your business.
Business casual dress remains more formal than what you'd wear at home. Practice
impeccable grooming. Wearing wrinkled clothes or arriving smelly and unkempt
communicates that you don’t care enough about the situation, the people, or the company
to present yourself respectably.

4. INTRODUCTIONS - If you are woman and this is business, it's appropriate now to stand up
and shake the hand of a male. When you meet someone for the first time, use a title and his
or her last name until you are told to do otherwise. If you forget someone’s name, you can
sometimes "cover" by introducing a person you do know first as this will usually get the
unknown person to introduce him or herself

5. RECEIVING AND ACCEPTING GIFTS - Business gifts are often presented after a deal is closed.
In most situations, gifts are usually unwrapped immediately. For your business associates,
choose gifts with no religious connotations such as useful office items, gift baskets, or candy.
Employees don't need to give gifts to bosses unless they've worked closely together for a
while. When you receive a gift, the thank you should be in proportion to the gift. If you
open a small gift in person, you usually don't need to send a follow-up note. If you are sent
a gift, always let the gift giver know that you received it as soon as possible. For big gifts,
speak and write your thanks. For smaller gifts, an e-mail, a fax, or a voice mail works fine.