The Dos and Don’ts of Doing Business in Vietnam

February 15, 2007

From Purchasing.com
DOs and DON’Ts to doing business in Vietnam

Do

• Expect to drink a lot of coffee and tea (some sources say turning down a beverage offer is considered impolite).

• Prepare for working lunches and dinners.

• Expect very difficult traffic on the streets.

• Plan for logistics delays or longer leadtimes when shipping product out of Vietnam.

• Expect air and noise pollution in major cities.

• Bring more business cards and copies of materials than you expect to need. Many businesspeople report meeting more contacts than they expected to in Vietnam.
Don’t

• Put your Vietnamese colleagues in a position where they may lose face.

• Talk about the Vietnam War (they refer to it as the American war) in business relationships. In fact, avoid politics altogether in conversation.

• Rent a car. Find someone else to drive you, at least for your first visit.

• Expect to find access to raw materials in Vietnam.

Link to full article

http://www.purchasing.com/article/CA6414448.html?industryid=2161

Posted in New Asian Tigers