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Philippe
Sales and Marketing Manager, Geotextiles and Fibres, Bonar Technical Fabrics - Belgium
technical salesIn my current role my customers are distributors and contractors on big civil engineering projects, such as railways and land reclamation. They could be anywhere in the world. Building good personal relationships is particularly important in this type of work and Low & Bonar is seen as a strong partner internationally. |
English might be the most commonly spoken business language but there is no substitute for speaking the customer’s language. I speak five languages and most of my team speak at least four!
Understanding and respecting the different cultural differences across Europe is critical, so I have to be able to adapt to different ways of working. In the UK and Spain for example, it’s quite common to do business over a meal – I just have to remember to eat before I go out in Spain, as they never have dinner until at least 11.00pm. I’m learning more about Asia, where trust is one of the most valued aspects of the personal relationship – and you have to be prepared to try everything at dinner, even if you’re not sure what it is.