Success tips when doing business in USA in 2024

1. Always be on schedule for meetings and deadlines. Where this is not possible, Americans will appreciate a quick message letting them know to expect delay;
2. Office attire should generally be conservative. Depending on the business context, men are often required to wear suits and women expected to wear professional business suits or professional dresses;
3. When meeting with American clients and business partners, try to offer your full attention. Americans will often be annoyed by cell phone interruptions or computer browsing if not directly pertaining to work;
4. Know the cultural differences of each region. For example, New Yorkers and Easterners are more likely to be abrupt and demanding, while Westerners can be more laid back. In certain regions, small talk is appreciated, while others it is an unwarranted nuisance;
5. Be sure to compliment and show appreciation to your colleagues, clients and business partners. Americans want their egos confirmed, so the occasional compliment will go a long way;
6. Don’t be pretentious or excessively boast your accomplishments. Discussing things like income, schooling, awards, and possessions is generally considered tacky;
7. Americans can be fickle. It’s far more economical to maintain an existing client base, rather than market for a new one. As such, be sure to treat existing clients well as they will likely recommend you to others;
8. Before meetings with men, it is often wise to watch a few minutes of sporting news in the morning. Being able to share your enthusiasm for a local football or basketball team can ingratiate yourself with potential colleagues and clients;
9. Americans are well embracing of multiculturalism, but can be impatient with poor English. It’s best to take English courses if your English is not to a high-standard;
10. Looking someone in the eye when they are talking to someone is a sign of respect. However, it is often rude or strange to look someone in the eye if they are not communicating with you;
11. Large American companies often have rigid rules to how they work. For example, procurement contracts may often be settled each year in the spring. Approaching such a company to make a sale after this period would be frivolous;
12. Americans have become poorly trained for technical skills. Finding qualified engineers, for example, may require outsourcing to better trained countries. Today, the United States mostly excels at services;
13. Be prepared to adapt. Change is ever present in American firms and most are not afraid to fail when needed;
14. Gift giving is generally frowned upon for general business deals. The occasional, small holiday token of appreciation may be the only exception;
15. Handshakes should be firm, brief and confident;
16. Be sure to capitalize on the US’ rich social media environment. Having a company LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter page is a necessity for any major business.

Interesting facts about USA?

1. Numerous world changing inventions come from the United States including: the internet, toilet paper, lasers, the airplane, postcards, the zipper, air conditioning, computers, credit cards, cell phones, and Facebook
2. The grizzly bear is the official state animal of California. But no grizzly bears have been seen in the wild since 1922;
3. The United States gives more in development aid than any other country at US$31 billion per annum;
4. Alaska has a longer coastline than all of the other 49 U.S. states put together;
5. The United States represents less than 5% of the world’s population, yet has more than 24% of the world’s prison inmates – more than any other country per capita;
6. The US has the highest number of billionaires at over 1024, more than the rest of the world combined;
7. US has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the developed world at 7 percent. New Mexico has the highest state rate at nearly 10%;
8. US debt is currently over US$17 trillion. If Bill Gates gave every single penny of his fortune to the U.S. government, it would only cover the U.S. budget deficit for about 15 days;
9. 11 of the top 20 global universities are in the United States according QS rankings – with the number one university in the world being MIT;
10. Put together, the US constitutes roughly 41% of the world’s military expenditures. Such a large funding for military development has spun off numerous inventions, including the World Wide Web.