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Adapting Presentations for International Audiences:

Seven Design Issues
Edmond H. Weiss, Ph.D.
(This article appeared, in a slightly different form, in the
May 1999 issue of Intercom, under the title:
Taking Your Presentation Abroad)

The Universals of Presentation May Not be Universal

In an era of global business and world markets, the hardest thing for an accomplished
professional communicator to accept might be that the universal rules of effective
communication are not be universal at all. There are scores of cultures in which, for example,
ambiguity is prized over precision i, in which a clearly announced purpose is seen as pushy and
immature ii, or in which a list of sentence fragments with bullets is perceived as condescending
to the audience iii.
Given the current emphasis on localization ivthat is, doing everything possible to adapt to the
culture of the prospective client or business partnereven such basic communication tools as
Monroes Motivated Sequence v or Maslows Hierarchy of Needs vi is not only ineffective,
but even provincial. They might be only somewhat more sophisticated instances of the ugly
American notion that everyone should speak English. Indeed, even the concept of effectiveness
itself is, I have been advised by a Korean colleague, peculiarly American and male.
Those who make business and technical presentations are obliged to research the culture of the
nation or communitynot just for relevant business and technical facts but also for
communication practices and expectations. Even the most poised presenters should learn that,
in some places at least, directness is perceived as brusqueness, or that personal confidence and
assertiveness (the essence of the American style of presentation) are perceived as arrogant and,
well, typically American vii.
Even precise language may be ineffectual in so-called high-context cultures viii, while
simplicity and clarity, the grails of professional communicators throughout North America,
may be perceived as ingenuousness in Europe or lack of manners in Asia ix.
In short, talented and resourceful North American speakers can appear strident, ill mannered,
and unsophisticated in other places. The greatest clashes are between the West and the Far East,
of course. But there are also important cultural issues affecting presentations in Europe and
South America.

Seven Questions/Dimensions
These days, when I advise my clients on international presentationsor presentations in an
increasingly multicultural United StatesI urge them to research the target culture and to
address seven design questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What is the objective of the nth meeting?

How are the presenters related to their organization?
How are the presenters related to the audience?
How should we begin?
What should be our style?

6. What should be the substance?

7. How should we close?
The answers should be based on research (including intelligence gathered from reliable
informants with first-hand knowledge of the target culture), rather than on standard notions
of effective presentation.

What is the Objective of the Nth Meeting?

It is characteristically American to expect that a first presentation will result, after just a few
minutes, in achieving a trusting relationship and cementing a deal. In much of the rest of the
world, business professionals expect a relationship to grow over several meetings. In some
places, x one does not mention business at all for the first several gatherings and one certainly
refrains from the practice Americans call closing.
The prudent plan is to schedule a series of meetings/presentations, each with a particular
objective, such as:
GreetingMerely making yourself and your company known
CharmingEstablishing a pleasant, likable atmosphere
RepresentingClarifying your companys history, character, and business plans
EducatingIntroducing new products, technologies, ways of doing business,
opportunities for collaboration
SupplicatingEmphasizing your need to win favor and approval from the audience,
even though you are undeserving
SellingTraditional American pitching of benefits and comparative advantage
For the most part, courses in professional communication teach techniques for educating and
selling, but little else. American professionals, finding that they are expected to comment on the
beauty of the hosts surroundings, are often tongue-tied and painfully graceless.
As in almost all professional presentations, the greatest problem, the main cause of failure, is
uncertainty of purpose. In international presentations, there is a longer list of candidate
purposes and, so, more chances to get the purpose wrong.

How are the Presenters Related to Their Organization?

In most presentations, the perceived character and credibility of the speaker count for much
more than the attractiveness of the slides. This is especially true in international presentations,
in which the perceived role or title of the speaker communicates a message to the audience.
While American firms think nothing of sending a bright young man or woman to a critical
meeting, there are places in the world where the choice of a young or low-powered

representative may be perceived as an insult or lack of seriousness. In preparing for

international presentations, then, it is essential to pick the right spokespersonleader, founder,
expert, specialist
In most international settings, youthful and inexperienced representativeseven if they are
excellent communicators or fully competentwill be unable to win the confidence and support
of their audience. Countries differ with respect to how much power distance they can abide xi,
that is, how flat an organizational chart they can tolerate.
One of the most intransigent and frustrating problems is the perception of women in many
countries. There are, alas, places where a woman speaker cannot be taken seriously as an
executive or technical expert. Indeed, there are places where women will be spoken to in a
manner that would occasion litigation in North America. For this reason, one of the continuing
ethical problems in international business communication is the too-frequent need to ask
women to play a less-than-equal role in the proceedings.

How are the Presenters Related to the Audience?

Business transactions are filled with fictions. No salesperson ever says: Buy my product because
I want your money. Rather, people who sell us things claim to be helping us by assessing our
needs, or providing consumer information, or even giving us gifts. In much of the world, these
various American-style selling ploys, these little dramas in which everyone pretends that
something other than commerce is taking place, are regarded with amusement or contempt.
Although American business texts stress the need to establish relationships with prospective
customers, most American sellers are far too impatient and quota-driven to pay more than lip
service to this idea. But in most countries relationships count far more in business than sales
incentives, or balance sheets, or clever PowerPoint shows. (And, interestingly, there are also
countries where relationships count for even less than in America.)
International presenters should decide carefully what relationship is under development. Do
they want to be vendors or contractorsin a strict contractual relationship? Or, alternately, do
they want to be perceived as partners or collaboratorssharing the risk and return of the venture?
In some countries, it is best to be perceived as having no business relationship at all, but
rather as a friend, political ally, or even a guest.
Presentations aimed at establishing these relationships contain none of the usual objectives,
benefits, plans, or budgets. Indeed, it may be inappropriate to offer what we think of as a formal
presentation at allat least not for the first several meetings.

How should We Begin?

As mentioned earlier, typical North American presenters can be painfully awkward in
commenting on the weather, paying compliments, or other kinds of urbane conversation. They
like to get right to businessan approach theyve learned in business school and
communications seminars. But in most of the world, this directness will be seen as impatience
and lack of civility. Those who expect to make presentations abroadeven on highly technical
subjectsusually should learn to pronounce greetings in the host countrys language, to
compliment the hosts meeting arrangements, to comment on the beauty of the surroundings, to
speak philosophically about the change of seasons, to refer in a clever way to recent world
events in general, to seem poised and cosmopolitan.
Although not all cultures judge people as quickly as North Americans, first impressions are still
critically important. Presenters should research such matters xii as
Most Interesting TopicsFavorite subjects; traditional ways of beginning gatherings
Forbidden TopicsTaboo subjects, such as hated countries or comments about peoples
wives
Etiquette and ProtocolTitles and honorifics; the correct way to make introductions,
the polite order of speaking and deference
Occasions and EventsHolidays, festivals, sporting events; celebrations, both religious
and secular

What should be Our Style?

The relationship between the presenters and audience should also inform the style or tone of
the presentation. Again, the unornamented, direct and assertive style favored by North
Americans may be perceived as brusque, arrogant, or boring in certain cultures. After some
thoughtful research, presenters might choose instead a style that is
Philosophical or ReligiousFilled with logical argument, citation, proverbs, even bits
of pithy verse and appropriate literature
Scholarly and TechnicalRich with information and statistical analysis, presented
without gung-ho selling or partisan enthusiasm
HumbleModest and self-effacing to the point of obsequiousness
GlitzyFilled with high-tech presentation tools and expensive communication
products
As hard as it may be to believe, there are many countries where only one of these styles will
carry the day, but where the others will bore and estrange the audience. Again, these alternative
styles are a problem for many North American presenters. If they are awkward at such easy
tasks as complimenting their hosts, they may be embarrassingly inept at quoting a bit of poetry
and hopelessly incompetent at polite self-effacement.

What should be the Substance?

Professional communicators learn standard paradigms for deliberative speeches, believing
them to be powerful enough for any occasion. But the countries of the world differ vastly on
what they consider the appropriate topics for a meeting or business presentation. North
Americans show their impatience with what they call small-talk, or chit-chat; they have no time
for philosophy or theory; they prefer to cut to the chase.
Although these attitudes may account somewhat for the robustness of American industry, they
also account for much misunderstanding and misapprehension in international communication.
Researching the host culture will often lead us to include such unlikely topics as:
General Relationships and Shared FriendsExploration of the links between the
presenter and the audience; exploration of the degrees of separation; search for
common origins and experiences
Weather and IncidentalsClimate, change of seasons; festivals and holidays associated
with the changes
Visions of the Future and Reflections on HistoryIntelligent (not superficial)
assessments of the historical context of the meeting; appreciation for the
historical and cultural events that enabled the meeting; imaginative speculation
on the longer-range meaning of the emerging association
Technical DetailsHighly technical information that would ordinarily not be part of a
business-oriented presentation
MoneyNot price or cost-benefit, but the meaning of the money involved; a discussion
of values, including nonmaterial costs
FeelingsThe presenters emotional responses to the situation, spoken with
appropriate intonation and intensity

How should We Close?

The issue with the smallest apparent variation across cultures is the close of the presentation.
Although it may be inappropriate to end by asking for a sale (the typical American way), the
other typical endings work quite well nearly everywhere: planning the next meeting; agreeing
on what needs to be done; exchanging thank yous and honoring the protocol of the situation.
North Americans should be prepared, however, for those cultures that wish to leave matters
unresolved. Typically, this means that the hosts (or other foreign group) wish to discuss things
privately before they make any commitment. Also, some cultures are quite reluctant to express
their disapproval of a plan in public; so, they will end the meeting in a vague way and later
communicate their dissatisfaction or indifference out of public view. Indeed, Americans are
often astonished to learn that their audiencealthough the members nodded and smiled

politely throughout the presentation and answered yes to every questionactually hated the
idea and want nothing more to do with it.

Pitfalls in Adaptation
Adapting presentations to international audiences is not without risks. As in all forms of
cultural adaptation, generalizations about the habits and expectations of a culture can lead to
nave or offensive stereotypes. Any statement that begins The Chinese is likely to be a facile
generalization with hundreds of relevant exceptions. There are important cultural variations
within countries, within companies, even within departments. Granted, first-hand intelligence
reports about local culture are more reliable than popular business compendiums. But, even
with the most reliable sources, all attempts to characterize other cultures can degenerate into
simplistic misrepresentations that injure the cause of international communication.
Moreover, because cultural adaptation is based on research, there is always a chance that the
research is incorrect or out of date. Ingenuous Americans find it difficult to understand that a
countrys political and economic system could change dramatically in a few months, or that,
conversely, ancient values and beliefs could persist subtly beneath a new official culture. In
short, adaptation must be based on sound research, not shallow or casual impressions from a
short visit, a chapter in a business text, or a brief conversation with a foreign associate.
The subtlest problem of all is that adapting to another culture can be, in itself, a form of
condescension. Whenever we feel that we understand another culture well enough to satisfy its
expectations, to win its approval, we have, in effect, trivialized the culture, made it less rich and
unpredictable than our own. Reducing the culture of another country to a few easily learned
rules or tips implies that the speakers culture is the more powerful and advanced of the two.
Further, presenters who feel that they are being especially tolerant of exotic cultures also
communicate a subtle sense of superiority. After all, to tolerate a culture is to assert a kind of
dominion over that culture. (Imagine how you would feel if you learned that Chinese or
Brazilian students were being urged to tolerate the cultural eccentricities of Americansas a
way of getting business from them!)
Because of these problems xiii in adapting to the target culture, then, there is a case to be made
for being an effective and honorable representative of ones own culture, for not trying to adapt
much beyond the simple courtesies. But, at the moment, the stronger case is for adaptation and
localization. Post-modernists and business people agree: The customers way of
communicating is, as always, right.

Robinson, James Professional Communication in Korea: Playing Things by Eye. IEEE

Transactions on Professional Communication 39(1996): 129-134.

ii

Kohl, John, Rebecca Barclay, Thomas Pinelli, Michael Keene, and John M. Kennedy. The
Impact of Language and Culture on Technical Communication in Japan. Technical
Communication 40 (1993): 62-73.

iii

Bell, Arthur, Tracy Dillon, and Harald Becker "German Letter and Memo Style." Journal of
Business and Technical Communication 9 (1995): 219-227.

iv

Hoft, Nancy. International Technical Communication: How to Export Information about High
Technology. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1995.

Monroe, Alan Principles and Types of Speech, Chicago: Scott Foresman, 1935

vi

Maslows theory of motivation can be found in Maslow, Abraham. Motivation and

Personality, 3rd edition, Addison Wesley, 1987.

vii

The term ugly American derives from a novel depicting the naivete and insensitivity of
Americans abroad: Lederer, Willand Eugene Burdick, The Ugly American, W.W. Norton,
1965 (reprint).

viii

The context construct is discussed fully in Hall, Edward T. Beyond Culture. New York:
Anchor Books, 1981.

ix

See, for example, Chu, Hin-Ning, The Asian Mind Game, Rawson Associates, 1991 or
Randlesome, Collin et al., Business Cultures in Europe, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1993

One of many differences explored in Samovar, Larry and Richard Porter, Communication
between Cultures, 2nd edition, Wadsworth, 1995.

xi

One of several constructs discussed in Hofstede, Geert. Cultures and Organizations:

Software of the Mind. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.

xii

For example, Morrison, Terri, Wayne Conaway, and George Borden. Kiss, Bow, or Shake
Hands: How to Do Business in Sixty Countries. Holbrook, Mass: Adams Media, 1994.

xiii

For a discussion of this and other problems, see Weiss, Edmond. "Technical
Communication across Cultures: Five Philosophical Questions," Journal of Business and
Technical Communication, April 1998: 253-269