Working Internationally in Production; What’s Different, What’s the Same?

Kile Ozier

At the moment, and for the past few years, I am and have been working in Dubai.

Approximately 210 nationalities work and live here; making it pretty much The International City of this millennium, so far… Thus, ‘tis a great place to be when asked the question that inspires this piece.

I believe that the first thing to remember when working outside the U.S. is that, if one is working and speaking in English, it is quite likely not the native language of most of the people with whom one is working. For easily 75% of the people with whom I work - colleagues, clients, vendors, agents, PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENTS (don’t get me started!), caterers, you name it - English is a second or third language.

So. First and foremost, Wow. Working and conducting one’s business in a language not native to oneself is an impressive thing, in and of itself. I speak pretty good conversational Italian and would not want to depend on that to negotiate contracts or plan or direct a production. No thank you! Yet, here are thousands of professionals, technicians, workers all of whom are doing their business with English as the common denominator.

Perhaps some respect for that is in order.

That being said; keeping this one thing in mind can likely solve a great number of problems before they materialize.

You know how, when you go to (whichever foreign country the language of which you speak a bit) and you are talking to someone - getting directions or asking about the menu or something - and after a few words you realize you lost the Thread of Understanding a few sentences ago … but you just keep nodding and acting as though you understand in hopes that you will understand by the time the conversation is completed?  Yeah, well these guys do the same thing: Pride is Universal.

So, when speaking with someone; watch the face. Watch for that look of “…I have no idea what s/he’s saying … but I’m embarrassed to interrupt …” and ask ‘em, in all sincerity, “Am I speaking too fast? Hey, forgive me.” Give a chance to respond and show that you really do want them to understand.

Sometimes it’s the speed; sometimes it’s an unfamiliar word that was used (happens especially in English, as there are so many words that look the same and sound different, sound the same and are spelled different, have widely disparate meanings).

When I do that, and they come back with an apology for their English, my immediate response is along the lines of “Well your English is a helluva lot better than my MandarinArabicHinduTurkishFrenchWhatever! Thank YOU for speaking English at all.”

Acknowledging contacts and co-workers for a proficiency one cannot match can make for some valuable diplomatic inroads and nurture a genuine respect. Good practice.

I had a recent experience, when writing a script, with using the phrase, “…the audience is arrested at the sight of…” Prompting my client to ask why they would be arrested.

Also, this simple awareness can (and should) serve to remind us how smart everyone else in the room is, as they are conducting business in a language that is not native to them. Impatience has no place, here.

This translates to the necessary use of restraint with the printed word to sell a concept. Pictures: they want pictures. Truly worth an easy 1000 words, the more your pictures can tell the client about the concept, the better. Simply put; they are just tired of reading, especially when it's not their language. When a Pitch document is submitted, it is usually the one(s) with the most compelling visuals that get invited to present in person. 

In person, you'd have all the details at your fingertips; but the only ones who'll actually read them will be Procurement ... not the client. Pictures. Detailed and explanatory.

A final thought on the above. Email communication can be fraught with misunderstanding, even among fellow English-speakers. When an email comes in that seems overly direct, pushy, aggressive or in some way offensive (and it’s not from me), consider the native language of the source; are you  in effect reading what is actually a rough translation of what s/he meant to say? Offense is rarely meant.

Onward…

The Souk lives on.

In Dubai, there is what I labeled a “Souk Mentality,” that is, I think, so deeply ingrained as to be virtually genetic.

For thousands of years shoppers and sellers have shared a dynamic that is both a matter of Pride and no small part of the day’s entertainment: Bartering.

Getting the Best Possible Price (highest for the Seller/lowest for the Buyer) is the goal and the aforementioned matter of Pride and has been for centuries. This is fine when bartering for a rug or brass plate, piece of art, kilo of coffee or spices; but virtually irrelevant in the context of building shows and theatres and Experiences of any kind.

Whatever price is paid for the rug under barter, the quality and condition of the rug doesn’t change. The Winner wins and walks away with exactly what s/he wants.

This is entirely different when building a show; though what will be encountered in this part of the world is a stalwart refusal by the Client to accept this. Be Prepared. It can easily go down as follows:

•  RFP with budget of 10 million.

•  You Pitch to budget of 9.5 million.

•  You win the project.

•  You are then told that the budget “has been reduced” to 7 million, but they want the same show you sold them.

•  You share with the Client the information that the cutting can be done, but it will mean a smaller show, that some component must be excised, the cast will be smaller, fewer sets, needle-drop music rather than original, whatever.

•  This is unacceptable to the Client.

A problem, yes?

Happens all the time.

I have no solution to propose for this; just givin’ y’all a Heads Up!

Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

But here’s a thing to remember in all dealings with other cultures. While the guys on the other side of the table may seem to want to take advantage of you … and probably do … it isn’t personal. In the part of the world where I am now and have been working, thousands of years of marketplace bartering and bargaining precede our air-conditioned meetings, but the genetics of the culture haven’t changed … we’re all just dressed better.

Oh, there are plenty of Bad Guys (on both sides; we are not guilt-free); they still abound, and I am not always as blithe about the ongoing and seemingly unnecessary hurdles and obstacles and protocols that slow things down and needlessly raise prices, temperatures and tempers.

Necessary or not, however, these dynamics are indigenous to the Culture(s); hence eradicable (and inescapable). They are not, however, Personal.

 The complaint about Americans.

 The one complaint I most hear about Americans is that we like to “…get right down to business: no chit-chat or ice-breaking conversation.” We laugh about this, at least most of my other ExPat friends laugh about it; but here’s the thing … People of most every other culture in the world seek to know the person with whom they are about to do business before business is actually done. While Business is Business; Business is also Personal. Your colleague across the table wants to know who you are, what makes you tick - to find common ground in interests or family or recreation ….then, they want to take advantage of you! 

If they don't like you, they probably can't be bothered by doing business with you. 

So get to know 'em. Let them get to know you. Make friends, garner trust, LISTEN TO THEM and they will listen to you. Let them go first. The way "we" do it just may not be

 •   the right way 

•   the way that will work in this new context

…and you can only discern that by listening, observing, learning the lay of the proverbial land.

 A visionary and nimble Director, Producer and Writer, Kile Ozier has a global reputation for crafting Experience such that audiences are captivated and rapt; brought to their feet with thunderous applause or deeply touched by his ability to tell a story and connect, emotionally. His strong work ethic, creativity and empathetic management style has consistently delivered Show Experience that continues to resonate in the memories of his audiences long after the lights are doused.

He shares his techniques and philosophies … and opinions … on creating experiences (and on random experiences that have been created by others) in his iBook, “IMHO: Creating Compelling Experience” - a free download from iTunes or iBooks at https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/imho/id555219645?mt=11. Meanwhile, his blog, “IMHO: Sharing What I’ve Learned,” is avidly read and embraced by billions of humans and others throughout the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies. http://imho.kileozier.com . To learn more about Kile, visit www.oziercreative.guru. To contact Kile, email him via kile@kileozier.com

To learn more about Extraordinary Events, visit www.extraordinaryevents.net.

Communicating Clearly ... The Challenges

 Glasgow: Here I had my first lesson about how Scots and Yanks don't speak the same language. "What?" "Huh?" "Could you say that again?" were my mainstays. This was quite a few years ago so a few things might have changed … I hope.

Let me give you some examples. I needed space for 3,000 people for a plated dinner, not available in Glasgow at that time. So,  I identified an empty lot that could be tented for our event. “Tented?” my Scottish collaborators asked. Turned out in Scotland, a tent is a canopy. What I wanted was a “marquee.” George (my local Glasgow caterer) was my go-to person responsible for connecting me to the landowners. He's an integral part of everything that follows. He did some leg work and was able to contact the land management company. They were going to be building condos soon, but they thought they could lease us the land for a week if we needed it. We just had to fill out a few forms.

Those “few” forms turned out to be about 100 sheets of paper consisting of English legal terms I couldn't figure out ... did you see Charles Laughton in Witness for the Prosecution? I filled them out.

Now we get into the real challenges. Trying to analyze what this would cost. Our dollar is their pound, and the exchange rate fluctuated every day. I tried to persuade all vendors to quote me in dollars, but they wouldn't. I tried to persuade my client to be flexible, but they couldn't. What's that expression ... between a rock and a hard place?

The budget was limited. We had to plan carefully.

So, let's recap. We have a piece of land larger than a football field. I'd tell you the number of feet, but I only know the number of meters. The land was slanted, rocky, ungraded and dilapidated. It was surrounded by barbed wire fence. There was only one point of access ... across a l o o o o o o n g bridge. No problem, unless it rained. And, as I discovered, it rained 360 days a year in Glasgow.

Never mind. More later. Let's talk about the marquee. If we could grade the land and if we could secure the marquee and if we could find flooring and if we could get all the appropriate permits ... how could we create an innovative event when our entire budget was being blown on grading, permits, land use and marquee-ing, not to mention porta-potties, called mo-bile loos? It helped that the marquee was a bright blue, an unexpected look.

We interviewed everyone we could think of from production companies to flooring people to linen purveyors. What we found was that most people could not fathom what we were trying to achieve. When we asked about floor-length tablecloths, they all looked at us askance. I finally worked up the nerve to ask the caterer why no one had floor-length linen. His reply: "Why would you have a table linen that came to the floor? What would people do with their feet?"

Okay, load in and prep: After the marquee was set up (and that’s an endless story of logistics) next came the flooring, meters and meters of flooring. The floor did not fit the tent when it was set in place, so all the tent poles had to be moved to fit the floor, which was filthy. I asked another George, the floor man, if he intended to clean it. Blank stare. I asked again.

"Ye only said you wanted a floor, mon," he replied. "Ye didna say ye wanted it clean."

The walkway marquee arrived. It was flimsy, made of skimpy wood and was yellow and white striped. I asked the tent man if he had an all-white one. "No."

I then asked why he never told me that it was yellow and white striped (just gorgeous with bright blue), and he gave me a blank stare and said, “ye never asked.”

The client did a walk through a few hours before “go.”  He wanted us to cover the barbed wire fence. There were no local materials which would take care of this. However, our logistics coordinator, with all his ingenuity, went across to the exhibit hall and, as they were dismantling the tradeshow, had them bring carpeting across the bridge to cover the fence. Hundreds of meters of fence. To connect it we needed zip strips also known as zip ties, but no one in Scotland had ever heard of them. Once we gave an in-depth description, it was decided that what we were looking for were "cables." We drove to a local hardware store, where they were sold by the piece as opposed to being sold in packages of 100 in the U.S.  

Final walk through. Marquee up. Floor down. Doors … the doors were still not completed and were being painted. None had knobs. We asked why. Blank stares.

"Ye didna ask for doorknobs, mon."

Bungee cords were installed to open the doors. Necessity is the mother of invention.

All the kitchen equipment arrived. Then the centerpieces, which were placed on the sides of the tables. Funny, I could have sworn that the definition of "center" piece meant that it went in the middle of the table. Moving 300 centerpieces an hour before the event is exhausting, especially considering that every table was pinspotted. If we hadn't done so, we would have had a pinspot in the center and the centerpiece on the side! When I asked the florist why she did that, she replied, "That’s where the sugar and creamer go.”

Dinner: Salad arrived with a police escort. Since it had to go slow through rush hour traffic and it was on tray stands, the caterer protected it with a sirened escort. Glasgow has a code on how long food can be pre-set on a table, so it had to arrive at almost the last minute. Which meant that the first music our guests heard was the sound of police sirens … many of them.

Then came the billing and VAT. But that's another story.

The Lesson

First, just because you and your crew in Scotland use English to communicate, don’t assume you speak the same language. Don’t presume that you can understand each other, either by what you are saying or by the accent in which you are hearing it. Everyone in Glasgow sounded like Scotty from Star Trek or Mike Myers caricaturing Scottish! Listening carefully was the key. Providing clear details was also important.

Would you think you’d have to ask for a floor to be clean or for doors to have knobs or for centerpieces to be placed in the middle of a table? Well, details matter, especially if you are collaborating with new people.

Other Examples

This could be a very long blog, but here’s where I learned that “lunch” could mean a lot of different things depending on where you are. In Mexico, it meant all workers went home to be with their families. Whether they were in the middle of a project or not. And it was not a lunch “hour” … it was as long as it took. In Spain, workers expected a full  multi-course plated meal complete with wine. In the U.S. we have a “no alcohol” policy. In Spain, forget it. No wine with lunch. No more workers.

So, Andrea, is there a point to all of this? Yes, always have a local translator on hand even if you speak the same language.  And ask for examples, drawings, samples and full descriptives of everything along with timelines. Because language is not just words, it’s what the words mean and how they relate to local customs. Successful outcomes can only be achieved with clear communications and both parties having the same understandings. Though all of what I’ve described, and I’ve only scratched the surface, sounds like a comedy routine, at the time no one was laughing.

I am now…remembering a lifetime of lessons learned, with more to come.

Andrea Michaels is the president of multiple award-winning Extraordinary Events. EE has won 39^h Special Events magazine Gala Awards. Andrea was presented with the Steve Kemble Leadership Award during The Special Event 2015, adding to numerous personal honors, including the Pillar of the Industry Gala and the Event Solution Hall of Fame awards. She is the author of Reflections of a Successful Wallflower – Lessons in Business; Lessons in Life and co-author of a number of other business books. To learn more about EE, visit www.extraordinaryevents.net.

Designing a Roadmap into the Imagination: Special Places I Have Been That Have Inspired Event Creativity

I am incredibly fortunate to have a career that allows me the phenomenal experiences I’ve had. I have met amazing people and traveled to fabulous places. And all of it continues to bring great joy to my life.

I have ridden camels in Morocco and Jordan. I have tasted incredible cheeses and wines in Sardegna. I have seen wonders of the world … Macchu Picchu, Petra, Jerusalem, and even the Taj Mahal. What lessons did I take from these experiences that I could use when planning events? When you create a foundation that can withstand time, weather and nature’s challenges (earthquakes for instance) you can sustain. Aha! A meeting theme.

I spent two weeks in a fairytale Lake Como with one night spent on the lake during a local festival where rowboats were decorated beautifully and singers and musicians drifted by passing out the contents of picnic baskets to share the bounty of local sausages, cheeses and wines. Was this a theme party in a ballroom? No, it was casual and interactive and fun…as events should be to encourage networking. It’s the definition of “The Sharing Economy,” isn’t it?

I’ve visited Moscow in the dead of winter as well as in the bright warm sunlight of a summer day and have been enthralled with the concept of standing in Red Square and The Kremlin and then taking a midnight train to St. Petersburg (winter trip). I fantasized that I was living out Dr. Zhivago. My fantasy ended at breakfast over blinis and caviar with hot tea served from a golden samovar. In St. Petersburg, while covered by a fur robe, I took a troika  around Catherine the Great’s Palace, stopping for vodka and more blinis and caviar along the way. Again, a true learning experience that challenged my thinking. When I was a child, Russia was my enemy; today I walk freely and happily through Gorky Park and engage in wonderful conversations with local artists, and even have little children practice their English on me. What did I learn? How we have to look at our companies and our brands with a larger perspective than “now”… use the past as a frame of reference and recognize that tomorrow might be entirely different than today. Another meeting theme

…. what lies ahead and why?

Berlin was a revelation and brought forth a meeting theme of “Breaking Down Walls in Business,” which created a wonderful program.

I traveled to the DMZ in Korea, had dinner on The Great Wall of China and was entertained in The Forbidden City. I’ve bargained and bartered in marketplaces from China to India to Korea. I have had a Turkish bath by a loin-clothed man with a gold tooth and a Korean massage (completely exfoliated by a woman clad in a red bra and panties.) The woman tossed me around for two hours as she scrubbed me clean. I experienced a tornado in Rome, happened upon impromptu opera concerts at The Pantheon and at La Scala, ice skated in Rimini and visited the site of the Olympics above Torino. What did it teach me? Keep my mind open to new experiences, even when some of them might seem uncomfortable.

One of my fondest memories is of a tour of La Scala. The opera house was not open as the cast and orchestra were doing dress rehearsal for Opening Night. At the Museum I came across a door. When I see a door I open it. And I did open this one. It led to a staircase … down, down, down … and ended in the orchestra pit behind the percussion. Surprised at my presence, one of the orchestra (an American) asked me what I was doing there, and I explained. He invited me to take a seat, and I enjoyed dress rehearsal for Opening Night of La Scala. My lesson? Doors are there for a reason. Open them; you don’t know where they will lead. And this also led to a meeting theme where our stage set was doors and when they were opened, new messages were revealed.

And those are only a few of my adventures. I have memories which are indelible; not only of the sights, but mostly of the friends I have made who will be friends forever. Not just people with whom I’ve traveled or worked, but locals that I’ve met unexpectedly. In Jordan, our tour guide and I explored our differences and our similarities, he Muslim and me Jewish. I have walked the trails of history and explored art and culture which now decorate my home. I try to bring home something from everywhere I’ve been. Haj, who only builds hotels and speaks nothing but Arabic, made me a beautiful hand-painted chest that is the centerpiece of my living room. Paintings by the very elderly Claude Idlas from the South of France are displayed throughout my home. All around me I have memories of places I’ve been, but mostly people I’ve met. And every time I look around, I realize how lucky I am to be doing what I’m doing  … working at what I love in an industry that invites me to continuously grow and experience new people and things.

The Lesson

Never stop growing, never stop learning. Use your sense of curiosity to explore new places and make new friends, no matter where you are. Never feel that you are limited to your immediate surroundings. Traveling will show you how to exceed your limits. It did for me. So, reach out. The world is waiting for you.

Andrea Michaels is founder and president of Extraordinary Events, an award-winning international meeting and event planning and production firm based in Los Angeles. To learn more about her company, visit: http://www.extraordinaryevents.net. To reach Andrea, email amichaels@extraordinaryevents.net.

 

How Behavior Affects the Sale - Part 3 During the Sale

This is the third and final article from John Daly on how behavior affects the sale. If you think everyone behaves appropriately during a sale, you'd be wrong! Enjoy. -Andrea Michaels

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we examined what to do to prepare before meetings with prospective clients. Now, let's take the final step and look at how your behavior will affect the sale during the actual meeting.

One final thought before actually entering the meeting room ... turn off your cell phone. If you are in a situation of urgency, explain before the meeting starts, set your phone to vibrate and then only accept a call or text pertaining to that situation. Ignore all others.

Accepting calls, texts or emails does not prove how busy you are.  It only proves the person on the other end of the device is more important than the person with whom you are sitting. Think about it. How do you feel when you are the person sitting with another and waiting for him or her to end a call or text that has interrupted your meeting?

So, let's imagine you are five minutes early to the meeting (as you should be) and have been seated in the client's conference room. If you are male, stand if a lady enters the room. Whether you are male or female, stand when someone senior enters the room. That means someone obviously older than you or of a higher ranking.

 

Details You Should Never Overlook in a Meeting

• Always introduce yourself with a handshake. Ladies, make that a firm grip. Make eye contact during the interaction.
• Always introduce the person accompanying you.
• No one works for you; they work with you. Don't say "John is my coordinator." Say "John is The Key Class coordinator." See the difference?
• Body language says 90 percent more than words can say. Sit up straight, don't slouch, and keep your focus directed on the other person. Show interest, listen and pay close attention.
• Do not name drop. If the client wants to know with whom you have worked, then let him or her know.
• Do not try to impress. If you are impressive, it will show. People who have it don't have to prove they have it.
• Never discuss personal information about past clients with anyone. It does not impress people. It makes them worry what you will say about them.
• Never make disparaging remarks about others. Knocking someone down does not bring you up. Compliment the competition at all costs, and then throw up later.
• Remember the magic words! Please and thank you.
• When visiting a client's office, (before sitting down with them) take in the decor. Comment on photographs and awards or special art. People appreciate your noticing the details. It shows how observant and detail-oriented you are.
• If you are given another person's proposal to follow, refuse. Would you want someone to do that to you?

 

The Key Golden Rule to Never Forget

Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength. How you treat all others - employees, a waitperson in a restaurant, fellow team members and peers - reflects who and what you are. Never talk down to anyone. Never assume it doesn't go unnoticed.

 

When Dining or Entertaining Prospects or Clients

• Always be careful with the amount of alcohol you consume. One cocktail before dinner and one glass of wine with dinner. Period.
• Over-drinking makes you vulnerable. Remain in control of your faculties.
• Order good quality wine but not excessive in cost.
• You don't want the client feeling that he or she will be paying for it in the end.

 

In the End, Remember to ...

• Always tell the client that you want their business and will do anything it takes to satisfy them.
• Say this no matter how long the relationship has lasted between you and the client.
• If you make a mistake, own it! You will gain far more respect than trying to shove a mistake under the rug or blaming someone else.
• Going after business is not showing off how successful  you are. It is how successful you can make your client. So be humble! You are there to serve.

So much of sales is developing personal relationships. If you adopt and maintain the behavior outlined in this series, you will find clients willing and eager to work with you, and you will make many friends along the way!

— John Daly is the founder and president of The Key Class, the keys to life skills success. Click here to learn more about The Key Class or to get his book. If you have questions about business or social etiquette, just ask John at johnkeyclass@gmail.com. Connect with The Key Class on Facebook. Follow John Daly on Twitter: @johndalyjr.