Presented by NINA WOODARD Trends and Issues for Global Business and Service Providers

Doing Business in the US: Understanding and Being Understood Nina Woodard SHRM July 14, 2007 Challenges and Opportunities Taking your Expertise Global

GENERAL BUSINESS ISSUES: Context –Time –Space –Environment How to –Market facts –Attract Talent Language/ communications Understanding and being understood

What are your concerns? Think for a minute and Identify your major personal concerns

Understanding your destination markets You don’t know what you don’t know You don’t know who to trust There are many options to engage with support organizations, how to find those that “fit” Viable Business PLAN Cost of products and services Cost of labor and acquiring talent Understanding the local CONTEXT

My personal Observations India and the US More formality No signs of religious belief Noise level Timeliness Safety –Finished products Structure In line thinking Space Talking at the same time Dates Language differences

Business and Sports Tackle the job End run Cover all the bases Hit a home run Jumping through hoops

SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ISSUES Pronunciation and Basic American English Pronunciation ( celebratory, controversy) Use of Prepositions –Differences between American usage and British usage Choice of the preposition On the team……..in the team On the weekend….at the weekend And whether to use at all Please write me…please write to me Phrasal Verbs ( acting out/make up ) Fixed Phrases( getting in my hair/ –Letting the cat out of the bag

SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ISSUES Pronunciation and Basic American English American English - hood British English - bonnet American English - trunk British English - boot American English - truck British English - lorry

Animals in Daily Language –Straight from the horse’s mouth –Horse Around –Cat’s got your tongue Animals in Daily Life –Smell a rat –Go to the dogs –Fishy –Take the bull by the horns –Horse of a different color –Let the cat out of the bag –For the birds

Body Parts used in Language Get in someone’s hair Shoot off one’s mouth Jump down someone’s throat Pay through the nose Tongue in Cheek Pull someone’s leg Play it by ear Stick out one’s neck Shake a leg All Thumbs Not have a leg to stand on Get off someone’s back

STRANGE THINGS PEOPLE DO Shoot the breeze Bit the dust Bend over backwards Hit the hay Cough up Jump the gun Scratch someone’s back Hit the ceiling Fork over Turn someone off Go fly a kite Kick the bucket Raise a stink

EXPRESSIONS OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT NICE Drive someone up a wall String someone along Sell someone down the river Leave someone high and dry Sell someone short Snow job Spill the beans Feed someone a line

CELEBRATIONS For a song Make a splash Have the world by the tail Sitting pretty Feel like a million dollars Kick up one’s heels Bury the hatchet Paint the town red Get away clean Come alive

Indian Idioms House full I’m not keeping well On it/off it Homley Hoardings Abscound Contest

Indian Idioms Donkey’s Years Your this thing Ring you up Who made you wear this? I just want to go out Do the needful Get Down What’s your good name? Madam Prepone

What happens when you hear something that doesn’t make sense

Basic Requirement