As you watch the increasing number of US-European combinations in your sector and how they are changing the professional services landscape, you may be wondering if how you serve your growing list of American clients and fee-earning professionals is in line with their expectations.
So here are a few top tips to help you and your colleagues to attract, retain and grow these valuable US professional services relationships:
The Clock is King: Americans tend to live by the clock and the calendar. They are certain that time is a scarce resource to be used carefully, divided, allotted to specific activities.
It’s Yours for the Asking just Go For It! You define the “it” and how to “go for it”. Anchored in the notion that America is the land of opportunity where everyone of any ethnic, religious, physical or mental ability can play the game and succeed. We perceive the odds are generally evenly weighted for all participants. Try for what you want and you’ll get accolades for trying whether you succeed or not.
My Way or the Highway: Americans are independent and spirited. Consistent with the certainty that everyone is created equal, they view people as special, unique and entitled to ‘express themselves’. Whether it is structuring the hours they work, ordering coffee, or a pair of jeans Americans are independent. They want choices and to have their opinions recognized.
Hi There, Glad to Meet You, What’s the Bottom Line? Communication is direct and to the point. Notoriously informal, Americans never intend to insult. They focus on moving quickly, completing tasks, getting results, often neglecting the personal aspect of business. Americans love memos, agendas, numbers (sales, market share), and data. Facts not feelings.
Hip, Hip, Hooray for Our Team: Americans in business work to create a team spirit around a clear and defined purpose (like planning or product launches). Managers are trained to bring people in – socially and psychologically – around a common purpose. In most corporations everyone is addressed by the first name without honorifics, no matter age, gender or status to further underscore the idea of equality and open communication.
Follow the Guides: Americans use outside advisers as a regular part of their business life. You’ll find a variety of consultants, accountants, lawyers, and executive coaches. Best known of the guides are the lawyers. Much maligned for big fees and complications they often serve as strategic advisors crafting contracts to help companies avoid problems rather than creating them. Check carefully before you hire and known why you’re hiring and what you hope to achieve in the relationship.
You Look Marvelous: The Package tells the story (for both people and products). There is a tendency in the States to initially focus on only the cosmetic aspects of a deal, (a person) rather than the content presented. How slick and professional was the presentation? Did the team look good? Were they dressed right? In a land where books are written about the Brand Called You, marketing and packaging are seriously important. For business professionals, it means, pay attention to the details, to the first impression.
New IS Improved: unlike many European cultures that are suspicious of people who suggest new is better; Americans generally embrace newness of all descriptions – brands, buildings, and services. It suggests to us that the newer service, technology, idea must be better than the older one believing the Darwinian theory says the weakest will die out. A country founded on breaking away from established rules, institutions and traditions, the preference for NEW is deeply imbedded in the American psyche.
We Are The World: there’s generally a very insular view business in the US. Often the view is there are the Americas and the “Rest Of the World” (R.O.W.). Americans could historically rely on the domestic market to provide significant profits. Today that reality has changed, but for many the adjustment is slow. Just looking at many US companies’ international structures tells you this – the way overseas regions are described and managed divisionally – with these regions falling under the ROW division or team.
Business before Pleasure: The first priority in business is the deal at hand, not the relationship with you. Americans focus first on selling the contract, signing the Proposal and then invest in learning more about you – so don’t take it personally.
When the pleasantries are skipped at the start of your meeting and you may not be offered a coffee, you’ll know why – it’s a “deal thing.” This experience can be startling if you’ve met your American counterparts before and been charmed by their informal and friendly greetings, only to see them appear to vanish.
It’s worth noting that Americans tend to segment their lives, separating business and friendship, even having specific friends for specific activities (my friend at the gym, at church, at the office) without any overlap. Apparently open and welcoming, they can also be private and cool. Here again, the rule of the clock, the busy life, and the adherence to schedules can negate the early welcome.
Now that you know some of the differences between American and European approaches to service, you’re able to fine-tune how your firm maps onto those preferences. One thing to keep in mind is there’s no right or wrong: there are just business culture differences that can determine the success (or not) of your client relationships.
Allyson Stewart-Allen is a Principal Consultant at PSFI and author of both editions of the best-selling book Working with Americans.
Author