Cross-Cultural Advice

Don’t be misled by the fact that Scandinavians and Americans are, by appearance, very similar! To be sure, we share many common traits, however, culturally, and in the way we do business, we are very different!

Martensen Wright PC offers guidance on negotiating style and technique. We help you appreciate that the counter offer you just received is not an insult, but simply how things are done in the United States. And if you share the Danish trait of being very, very direct, we educate you on the need to not play all your cards at once. Yes, doing business in the U.S. can sometimes resemble a game of poker.

A favorite example: If a Dane says it would be great if you could join them at their summer house some weekend, you can almost be certain that a real invitation will follow. If an American says it would be great if you could spend a weekend at their cabin at Lake Tahoe, you might, (as in 1 in 20) actually receive that invitation! It’s not that Americans are less sincere or that they intend any insult by not following through, it is simply that the expression of the intent to invite is a common way to show that they are comfortable with you. But don’t strap on your skis yet!