Culture Shock If you don't learn to bridge the gap, you may risk alienating potential business partners.

Did you know that in Japanese, there are 19 different ways tosay "no"? In a world increasingly dominated byinternational, multinational and transnational corporations,culture plays an important role in negotiation. The literature onthis subject is large, fascinating and goes far beyond curiousquestions of international etiquette.

For example, the Japanese eschew direct confrontation,preferring an exchange of information. Russians love combat; theirvery word for "compromise" is borrowed from anotherlanguage. Spanish negotiators are individualistic; Koreans are teamplayers. Nigerians prefer the spoken word, Indians the written one.Asian languages are high in context, so you must pay attention toinflections, body language and what is not said. LatinAmerican cultures are physically demonstrative. And we Americansalienate everyone with our impatience and obsession with gettingthings done . . . fast, fast, fast!

Sensitive negotiators allow for these sorts of differences. Takea tip from Stephen Covey, the author of The Seven Habits ofHighly Successful People (Simon & Schuster): "Seekfirst to understand, then to be understood." For one thing,your opponent may not be speaking to you in his mother tongue. Thesubtleties of negotiating may be lost in translation. Make sure youare really connecting, and be especially clear, lest you talk pasteach other.

Moreover, those who negotiate outside their culture regularlyshould study the etiquette, ethics and attitudes of theiropponents. It's just part of learning more about how the otherside actually negotiates. If you know what to expect when you sitdown to bargain, you will dramatically enhance your ability to getwhat you want. Let General George S. Patton lead you to thenegotiating table: "I have studied the enemy all my life. Ihave read the memoirs of his generals and his leaders. I have evenread his philosophers and listened to his music. I have studied indetail the account of every one of his battles. I know exactly howhe will react under any given set of circumstances. So when thetime comes, I'm going to whip the hell out of him."

Of course, you may not want to be quite so combative. In anycase, all sorts of expertise is available on a country-by-countrybasis, from scholarly treatises to seasoned consultants, to learnabout cultural idiosyncrasies. Consider adding a guide to yourteam, whether it's a professional, a friend who knows how"they" think, or simply a translator. Just be carefulwhom you choose. A line in one of Jimmy Carter's 1977 speechesin Poland was mistranslated: "I desire the Polescarnally."

A speaker and attorney in Los Angeles, Marc Diener is the author ofDeal Power.