Chinese Business Etiquette:Reception Etiquette

Reception is an important part of Chinese business culture and thoughtless consideration may make the visiting side feel as if they are being treated impolitely.

Greeting guests

When receiving high-level delegations， the company should dispatch suitable personnel to pick them up at the airport， which is not only out of politeness， but also has practical meanings， such as reconfirming the schedule， asking the delegates what specific changes have been made， finalizing contact for emergencies， etc. If the delegation arrives at a time when it is not convenient for company officials to meet them， the company should arrange an employee or instruct the pick-up driver to hold up a clear sign at the arrival hall to meet the delegation.

Arrangements must be carefully planned. Otherwise， it may cause negative repercussions. For example， a visiting delegation arrived at 1：00 a.m.， so the receiving company hired a car to pick them up at the airport. But the driver was not from the receiving company and waited in the car as he was not given clear instructions. As a result， the delegation took a long time before they finally found the car， thus causing much anxiety. And their first impression of their customer was negative.

Seeing guests off

Sending the visiting delegation off is also essential. The level and form can be different according to the actual conditions. But this part cannot be ignored. The form can be a send-off banquet or saying goodbye at the place of the delegation or at the airport.

Communication in business activities is mostly carried out through translators. Choosing experienced and proficient translators is very important to ensure the success of the negotiation. Otherwise， the efficiency will be very low and a lot of information will be missed in the process of translation， and even unnecessary misinterpretation will result.

In the case of a senior delegation with a large number of delegates， the visiting side should have their own interpreters. If the negotiation involves high technology or specialized knowledge， the interpreters should be informed of the content of negotiation in advance so that they can make preparation.

The aforementioned etiquette at the dinner table [see ChinAfrica October 2017 issue] and for giving gifts， welcoming and sending off guests takes shape gradually in peoples daily life over time. People have consensus in this regard， but such consensus changes over time. As Chinas trade with other countries expands and deepens， Chinese people constantly learn from business etiquette of other countries and Chinas traditional etiquette has changed. For instance， hugs are no longer rare. According to a popular term nowadays， Chinese people are “advancing with the times.”