Why I Check Country Info Before Every International Client Call
How 30 seconds of cultural research prevents embarrassing mistakes in global business communication.
I once scheduled a call with a client in Barcelona at 2 PM my time, which was 8 PM their time. On a Friday. During dinner hour. If you know Spanish culture, you know dinner starts around 9 PM and Friday evening is sacred. They took the call. They were gracious about it. I still cringe thinking about it.
Now, before every international call, I spend 30 seconds checking three things: timezone, local business hours, and any cultural notes that might matter. Open country info. Check the capital, timezone, and official language. Note the currency if we are discussing money. That is it. Thirty seconds.
The Difference
My clients in Tokyo, Sao Paulo, and Berlin have all separately mentioned that I seem to understand how things work in their country. I do not. I just check before I call. The difference between seeming competent and seeming clueless is often 30 seconds of preparation.