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Tips for building trust with international clients

Written by: Sasha Kum, Recruitment Account Manager
Published on: 18 Jul 2023

International business

Overcoming Cross-Cultural Legal Challenges in International Business: Tips for Building Trust with International Clients.

Negotiating with clients from diverse cultures can be challenging for solicitors. Understanding and adapting to different cultures is crucial for success in these situations and even a well-intentioned solicitor who wants to show cultural sensitivity and appreciation may find themselves culturally appropriating, which could cause offence. 

One way to improve your negotiating skills is by developing your Cultural Intelligence (CQ). This refers to the ability to understand, appreciate, and adapt to different cultures. There are four main components of CQ: CQ drive, CQ knowledge, CQ strategy, and CQ action. These elements can help you navigate cross-cultural interactions and achieve better negotiation outcomes. 

CQ drive describes your level of curiosity in learning about other cultures, your determination in adjusting to different cultures, and your trust in being able to function in such settings. Understanding how cultures influence behaviour in cross-cultural interactions is a necessary component of CQ knowledge. It extends beyond being aware of cultural dos and don'ts and encompasses both general and detailed knowledge of cultures. CQ strategy refers to how well you prepare for, pay attention to, and follow up on multicultural interactions. Your flexibility and capacity to use appropriate behaviours and skills during cross-cultural interactions are assessed by CQ action. 

Emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence are related. Like emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence is becoming more and more important for legal practitioners. Most people think that culture only has anything to do with ethnicity. When we talk about culture, we mostly focus on the so called “surface culture”. The biggest part of culture is hidden below the surface. These are the values and beliefs that underlie the behaviours of people from that culture. The more immersed we become in a new culture, the more these aspects are revealed to us.  Understanding these hidden cultural elements is crucial for effective communication and building relationships with people from different backgrounds.   

As a result of globalisation, many geographic barriers are now essentially meaningless, and the need to develop cultural intelligence is becoming more and more important. While law firms can support their solicitors in developing their cultural intelligence, legal professionals must take the initiative to do so if they hope to succeed. 

Perceptions of crimes, trust and juries vary throughout the world, individuals of different cultures may think, behave, and express themselves differently from other clients. Effective intercultural communication takes more than just talking the same language; it also entails recognising and addressing differences in how we see and feel social interactions. Sometimes, these cultural norms drastically diverge from those of mainstream culture direct eye contact, for example, might be seen as contempt in some East Asian cultures whereas eye contact may be more likely to be interpreted as confidence in North American society. Cultural intelligence can help you build trust with a client from another culture and make an excellent first impression. When we think about culture, we may immediately think of nationality and/or ethnicity. Culture, though, is more than where we were born, who we were born to, and which passports we hold. In truth, we all have many cultural identities, such as gender, generation, and language, which influence how we perceive the world and how others behave.  

Here are a few tips for lawyers to improve their CQ. 

To provide professional services, solicitors need to do some prior research on the cultural customs and values of their customers. When dealing with clients from different cultural backgrounds, it's crucial to keep an open and sensitive attitude. Solicitors should refrain from using Western principles as the only standard for evaluating non-Western cultural standards.  Increasing cross-cultural education in law schools and teaching cultural competency in law school clinics and continuing legal education can also help prepare law students for working with cross-cultural clients. 

1. Instead of jumping to assumptions about their clients, solicitors should provide an initial basis for the legal advice that seems necessary. Then, in order to avoid categorising them, they should assess if this guidance meets the needs of the client and make ongoing adjustments. It is crucial to recognise that everyone has a distinct cultural background that others may not be aware of, and it is unfair to expect them to be conscious of it right away. This awareness becomes particularly important for those from Western cultures, who may mistakenly believe that their culture is well-known and should be acknowledged by outsiders. When presenting one's own culture, however, it is critical to avoid a controlling attitude. Instead, a more inclusive and respectful approach should be taken. Individuals can effectively convey their cultural experiences and traditions by adopting an open and humble approach, rather than imposing or expecting others to be aware about it. Cultural exchange can be made more meaningful and enriching by establishing mutual respect and understanding. 

2. Show openness and curiosity. 

Clarify the legal services you can provide first, and then think about who else in the community might need them. Next, examine how you are marketing your services to these groups. Do your promotions reflect the communities you wish to serve? By using images and language that resonate with these groups, potential clients are more likely to seek your services. 

Develop your interpersonal skills, ask questions and don't be afraid to admit when you don't have an answer. Encourage clients to share their perspectives and experiences, allowing you to gain a better understanding of their unique situation. Cultivating a positive, accepting, and culturally diverse society is crucial for embracing multiculturalism and challenging outdated beliefs. It is essential to educate ourselves about different cultures by utilising credible sources and actively seeking knowledge. By doing so, we can broaden our understanding and appreciation of diverse cultural practices, norms, and values. It is important not to rely solely on stereotypes or assumptions, such as assuming that an "East Asian looking" individual in the office automatically represents the cultural norms of all East Asian countries. Recognising that people from Hong Kong and Beijing, for example, may have distinct cultural norms and values is vital for fostering genuine understanding and respectful engagement. By embracing cultural diversity and constantly revaluating our beliefs, we can create a more inclusive and harmonious society. 

3. Build a network of people. 

Make contacts with other legal professionals, business executives, and those who live in the communities you want to assist. Join civic organisations, offer your services as a volunteer, and take advice from people who are eager to teach you about their customs and cultural history. 

4. Expand your linguistic horizons. 

When possible, stay away from legal jargons and keep your wording simple. Translate critical documents into plain language that your clients can understand. Use visual aids like infographics and multilingual chatbots to increase accessibility of information. Bring in translators and translation services. Moreover, effective intercultural communication takes more than just talking the same language; it also entails recognising and addressing differences in how we see and feel social interactions. Courts, legal aid clinics, and many law firms are currently using translators, interpreters, and other language help resources for their multilingual customers, which is an excellent first step. 

When communicating with clients who speak a different language, using louder or slower speech can come off as disrespectful. Instead, work with translators to translate important documents, and look at translation cat tools. 

As you continue to develop your CQ, you will be a more skilled solicitor who is able to create connections of respect, empathy, and understanding across the wide range of human contexts. Continue learning, developing, and evolving as you help to build a legal system that is more inclusive and harmonious.