Negotiations

When discussions in Korea do not proceed as excpected

Nowak & Partner negotiates on your side or on your behalf with companies in South Korea. Cultural differences and local business practices make it difficult for the average Westerner to progress challenging negotiations and bring them to a successful conclusion. The expectations on both sides, the negotiation styles and the Korean approach in negotiations are likely significantly different from those in your home country. While the language barrier can still present a small hurdle, the cultural peculiarities of the Korean corporate world are much more challenging to understand and master than most people can imagine. It is easy to make a blunder and leave a clumsy impression or end up in an awkward situation, and — without even suspecting it — move from a good starting position to disaster. The Korean business world is male-dominated and often extremely confrontational during negotiations. In Korea, the aim is not a win-win strategy in the classical European sense but rather a winner-take-all approach.

Your goals

• You do not yet have the necessary experience with Korean business partners and therefore have due respect for challenging negotiations.
• You wonder which cultural and country-specific attributes have an effect when negotiating with Koreans.
• Conversations with your Korean counterpart are not progressing and you need professional support in order to succeed.

Our service

With extensive experience in negotiating on behalf of clients on various subjects, Nowak & Partner stands for your advantage and for your success.

We enter negotiations advocating your interests, aiming to achieve your goals. We focus on explaining both the expectations and negotiation tactics of your counterpart as well as the Korean view of the respective situation. During the entire process you can communicate with us in English or German, thereby reducing misunderstandings. Our experienced Korean translators avoid common mistakes made by interpreters, such as softening harsh language or trying to negotiate on their own. Our proficient team provides a constructive and comprehensible communication solution, which significantly reduces the risk of misunderstandings.

Solution

We analyse the specific situation, based on your input, and explain the Korean business context in the greater picture. After defining the business goals with you, we conduct the negotiations with you or on your behalf.

We act as your cultural mediators, managing the communication in your favour, and supporting you especially in difficult negotiations with Korean counterparts.