In Chinese contexts, effective negotiation requires relationship foundation before substantive discussion. Time spent on meals, social interaction, and building personal connection isn’t wasted—it’s essential preparation that makes subsequent agreement possible. Relationship creates trust that enables deals requiring good-faith implementation; without relationship, negotiations must rely entirely on formal terms that can’t anticipate every contingency. Rushing to substance before relationship is established signals either ignorance of how things work or desperation that weakens your position.
Invest in relationship before and during negotiation. The relationship itself is being negotiated alongside the substantive terms—how you treat your counterpart, what respect you show, what investment you make. Strong relationships enable flexibility in implementation that purely transactional deals can’t achieve.
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