Non-verbal communication is one of the ways of bonding between people. It is ineluctable wherever you go, though it may differ in different cultures depending on their history, traditions and perception of the world. Some studies show that in certain cases non-verbal communication is even more important that the verbal one (Manusov, Valerie Lynn, and Miles L Patterson). ‘Individual differences of the receiver affect which non-verbal behavior is more effective for persuasion’, Mark Knapp mentions (Knapp, Mark L et al.). Businesspersons often use this knowledge in their work to make the negotiations and setting up contracts for effective and profitable.
‘As cultures interact through travel, television, and business, the nonverbal signals of a culture change because they are learned behaviors’ Lilian H. Chaney and Jeanette S. Martin emphasize (Chaney, Lillian H, and Jeanette S Martin). However, this does not mean that businessmen should forget about a simple respect to other country representatives. No gestures have universal meanings all across the world, so people should be careful with the way they conduct. Dressing casually may offend people who are trying to do business. Following simple rules of business etiquette is always welcome. Specifically for Slovak Republic, there are certain tips to follow for foreigners who are coming there for business negotiations. Businessculture.org mentions handshakes with an eye contact for greetings, punctuality, making business appointments in advance, but no appointments on Friday’s afternoon and so on ("Business Etiquette"). It seems that bringing gifts to business negotiation is somewhat of a bad taste. However, people in Slovak Republic consider bringing something small, like a souvenir, a good way to set up tight business relations. The simple conclusion is that it is necessary to find out
Works Cited
"Business Etiquette". Business Culture, 2017, http://businessculture.org/eastern-europe/slovakia/business-etiquette/.
Chaney, Lillian H, and Jeanette S Martin. Global Business Etiquette: A Guide to International Communication and Customs. Westport, Conn., Praeger, 2007.
Knapp, Mark L et al. Nonverbal Communication In Human Interaction. 2014.
