Doing business with the Japanese

Whether making a business ( 4 ) to Japan or hosting a group of Japanese businessmen visiting your company on a buying trip, knowledge of a few ( 5 ) and cultural courtesies can do much to make your ( 7 ) more ( 9 ) and more pleasant.

The Japanese place more ( 11 ) on ( 13 ) than Westerners, and you will be expected to exchange cards with each Japanese person you meet in a business ( 15 ). It's an important courtesy to have your cards prepared, correctly and attractively, in Japanese (usually printed on the reverse side of your English card), and it should

( 17 ) your exact corporate title as well as the usual company name and address.

There is a bit of ritual to the actual ( 19 ) of cards. Always ( 1 ) your card so that it reads the right way to the person receiving it. With more than one person, cards should be exchanged individually with each. Never hand them around as if you were "dealing a hand of playing cards." This doesn't bother Westerners but is viewed by the Japanese as rather rude. In exchanging cards, a Japanese person will probably bow slightly.

Although Japanese businessmen realize that this is not a ( 3 ) and don't necessarily expect you to do the same, if you make a slight ( 6 ), it will be appreciated as a courtesy. Another custom prevalent in Japanese ( 10 ) dealings is the practice of exchanging small ( 12 ). When your Japanese ( 16 ) offers a small present to you, be prepared with a gift you can offer in return.

Small useful items worth no more than a few dollars are ( 18 ). If your company has an imprinted premium item, such as a cigarette lighter, tie, clip, or portfolio, this will do nicely. Otherwise, ( 20 ) a supply of suitable gifts and have them ready. ( 2 ), you will be embarrassed by being unable to reciprocate for gifts presented to you. These business gifts should ( 8 ). However, it is not customary to open the package in the presence of the giver. If your business visit includes evening ( 14 ) such as dinner, it will take place at a restaurant, not a home; and wives are not invited to business dinners or business theatre or sports entertainment.

Task 2. Match each of the words or phrases on the left to an appropriate definition.

1 benefit e	a) 1) the act of transporting and delivering goods to clients 2) the department in a company that is responsible for transporting and delivering goods to clients
2 business card g	b) the amount of money that you receive regularly as payment for your work or as interest on money you have saved
3 the competition i	c) the amount of money that is available to be spent on a particular task or activity
4 distribution a	d) a business whose work involves doing sth for customers but not producing goods; the work that such a business does
5 negotiation j	e) advantages that you get from your company in addition to the money you earn
6 service d	f) beliefs about what is the right and wrong way for people to behave; moral principles
7 supplierh	g) a small card printed with sb's name and details of his/her job and company
8 values f	h) a person or a company that provides sb/sth with the things that he/she/it needs or wants
9 income b	i) the other people, companies, etc. who are trying to achieve the same thing as you
10 budgetd	j) a formal discussion at which people try to decide or agree sth

Task 3. Fill in the blanks using the word combinations given below, translate the letter.

Letter 1.

Thank you for ( c ) dated 8 February.

I have pleasure in enclosing the catalogue of typewriters as you requested. ( e ) of a number of electronic typewriters by various manufacturers.

( d ) your requirement for a memory, have you considered a dedicated word processor? You will find details on pages 15-25, and will see from the price list that prices of the smaller models ( b ) with electronic typewriters.

If you would like demonstrations of any of models in the catalogue, I ( f ) arrange for our representative to call on you ( a ).

a) whenever convenient

b) compare very reasonably

c) your enquiry

d) as you mention

e) this includes details

f) would be happy to

Letter 2.

My neighbour, Mr W Stevens of 29 High Street, Derby, recently bought an electric lawnmower from you. ( e ) the machine and ( a ) that I contact you.

I need a similar machine, but smaller, and ( b ) if you ( f ) a copy of your catalogue and ( c ) that will help me to ( d ) for my purpose.

a) has recommended

b) should be glad