I am very excited for my trip to Germany; I cannot believe that there is only a little over three weeks until we leave. As each day goes by, I think more and more about this upcoming adventure. I am a little nervous, though, because I have never been to Germany before and I will be in an unfamiliar environment. However, I am going in with an open mind and ready to explore and learn as much as I can while abroad. While in Germany, I will be meeting people from Augsburg University as well as Alexander Wachter, who is our main contact with our client, manroland Goss.
Since I will be abroad, it is important to realize that there will be some cultural norms in Germany that is different to how we conduct business in the United States. Operations are somewhat similar, but there are some differences that I will have to prepare for.
First off, there will most likely be some sort of language barrier. I do not know any sort of German, so I will definitely have to learn the language to some extent. Luckily, our client is said to speak very good English. However, some other people that we will meet abroad may have heavier accents in which we would need to try harder to understand. Also, I think that it is important to learn at least a little bit of the country’s language because it will show them that I am trying to meet them halfway when communicating.
Next, in German culture, they like to plan everything to a tee a long time in advance and are very organized. They are very detailed and if any changes are to come in their business timeline, they will look to re-organize everything to account for those changes. They expect that once a plan is in place, they stick to that and rarely try to make changes. This is very different to how business is conducted in the United States. We like to have a rough outline of the objectives and outcomes of our project but are open and comfortable to having things change as time goes on. I feel that we are very flexible and more adaptable when it come to our operations. I will have to adjust to make sure that I am very organized with my work and be prepared for every meeting with the client.
Another cultural difference is the way that Germany and the United States builds trust in business, whether it be task-based or relationship-based. In Germany, trust is built in a more task-based way. This is because in their culture, they keep their business lives and their personal lives separate. They do not like it when people talk about their personal lives at work because it comes off as a distraction and they are not taking their work seriously. Work is usually strictly from 9am to 5pm, but once they are done with work, they are free to enjoy the rest of the night. This is very different from U.S. culture because we build trust through relationships. It is not out of the ordinary for us to talk about our personal lives at work or vice versa. It is actually encouraged because people do not want to be talking about work all day and need a break sometimes. I will need to make sure that I stay professional during our meetings with our client and be more respectful during topics of conversation during work hours and after hours.
Building trust is very important when it comes to consulting. We must make sure that the client believes that we have the ability to complete the tasks given to us. A strong client/consultant relationship will improve quality of engagement and deliverables, allow both parties to get through rough challenges, and is one of the more rewarding parts of the job. Trust is a core part to any relationship and just makes the process a lot easier. Especially when it comes to business because both will be on the same page each step of the way.
I expect to learn a lot from our trip to Germany. I want to get a better understanding about how business operates in the country and I am excited that I will see that firsthand. I think that I will grow professionally because I will be interacting with business professionals every day of the trip. I will expand on both my written and communication skills when working with our client as well as my organization skills through interactions with our client.
This experience will challenge my knowledge of marketing so far. Marketing consulting is a very unique field that I am fortunate to experience so early in my life. I think that this experience will help me grow on the skills necessary to excel in my future job opportunities. So far, this project has reinforced my interest and passion for marketing and I expect to learn much more about the consulting world. I am excited to jump into the future of my career and Germany will definitely prepare me for any challenge ahead.