Are you planning a business trip to Beijing?

A very excusable lack of knowledge of China and its civilization, its social and business manners, and its undecipherable language will put you to the test 100% of your time here.

Being suddenly thrown into a very large city of 16 million people, where 5 million cars hog a roadway system made to accommodate 3 million, where  90% of the signage is Chinese and people just don’t understand what you are trying to say … is a very tough challenge indeed.

These daily difficulties will threaten your schedule, and will stress you and distract you from the central theme of your trip.

There is an easier way in and out. All your hospitality needs can be catered for. Your daily movements can be timed with precision. Your awareness of what’s going on around you in the street and in the boardroom can be heightened. Your negotiation skills can be instantly sharpened to an A-game. Your social manners can make you look real good.

This is the convenience we offer. We are your personal assistants and organizers in Beijing.

Here are the details.

HOTEL & TRANSPORTATION

• We nurtured good relationships with fifteen 3-star and 4-star hotels in Beijing. We help you land a special rate for your room. The deals we get or you are very special because we take zero commissions on your booking. And we can help book at the last minute, as little as 48 hours before your arrival.

• We pick you up at the airport and drive you directly to your hotel room. We can have a chauffeur for you all the time. We walk with you in the street. With our guidance you never find yourself lost in the city, wondering if you are close or far from destination, disoriented in a maze of undecipherable Chinese characters.

• We help you time your itineraries precisely so that you never show up late to a meeting due to ‘unforeseen traffic conditions’.

MEETINGS & NEGOTIATIONS

• Most Chinese decision-makers do not speak English. The younger generation executives tend to be bilingual, but in large corporations they aren’t decision-makers. They “toe the party line”, speaking only when allowed by their seniors, never venturing outside the boundaries of a well-rehearsed show. It is better to conduct meetings in Chinese, and talk directly with the decision-makers. When your meeting occurs at a very high level [e.g., you meet with government officials, or C-level execs of State-owned enterprises], we have a professional interpreter at your side to ensure the uninterrupted fluency and speed of the meeting. For lower-level meetings with suppliers, when a direct negotiation takes place, we interpret for you and guide you through the negotiation process to help you obtain the best purchasing conditions.

• We also stand by your side during all meetings to help you “read between the lines”. It is a well-known fact that your Chinese counterparts do not speak their minds directly. Meetings may take detours, and beyond the greetings and the mere verbalization of intentions the language sings a song of its own. This is especially the case of meetings with government officials or high-level execs of State-owned enterprises. We will take notes, paying attention to the sub-text and the body language. At the end of each meeting, we will deconstruct the event with you to help you uncover the real message, the true intentions of your counterparts.

• In all negotiations with Chinese businessmen, there are moments where it is good to let your counterparts have it their way. Not everything can be discussed, not every obstacle can be ironed out in just one session. It may be much more fruitful to leave issues aside and focus on what you can agree on. Sometimes it is safer to leave your supplier with slightly higher margins in exchange for efficient help with the Customs administration. We help you identify the pain points, and offer you tactical guidance during the negotiation by understanding why your supplier or buyer is taking a specific stance. You don’t have a view of the context in which your counterpart is acting. He may have to serve and protect interests which are remote from the conversation you are having. He may owe favors. He may be concerned with employment in his region. This can gradually be uncovered in the sub-text but the right questions have to be asked the right way. We help you do that.

SHOPPING, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

• We know many fine shops off the beaten path, outside of the tourist circuits. These shops offer great items, sometimes reasonably priced, sometimes very expensive. We will map out your shopping with you – if possible before your arrival in Beijing – so that you don’t lose time going to shops that do not offer what you are looking for.

• We will shield you from sales pressure, and other sales tactics used by Chinese shops owners. We never take any kickbacks from shop owners, therefore we can negotiate for you a very fair deal. You will never have this convenience with tour guides as they depend on commissions to make a living. Their assistance is tainted.

• Whenever you are on the move in Beijing, we offer insightful comments and descriptions of what you notice and don’t notice around you. We are familiar with Chinese history, the must-see places in Beijing, and the lifestyle of Beijingers. We give you interesting anecdotes and in-depth explanations.

• Oftentimes your business hosts will treat you with nice dinners. Your ability to socialize outside the boardroom will determine in part the successful outcome of your trip and negotiations. We accompany you during these important social functions, and we guide you in the arcane world of good social manners in China. Your counterparts know you are a foreigner, and tend to be very lenient with breaches of etiquette. ‘Faux-pas’ are excused on account of you being an outsider. But it is so much better not to trip up and wind up in an awkward social situation! Saying the right things at the right time, knowing when to toast your host and his guests, avoiding certain topics, deflecting questions when they serve to test you, and paying the right homage to China and the Chinese leadership… With our help you will look much more professional, much more sociable, much more informed. Our hosts will treat you with more respect, less as a complete outsider. They will recognize your efforts to ‘blend in’ and will show you their appreciation and respect in return.

• Entertainment is readily available in Beijing. There are places to avoid however, places where you could find yourself unwittingly and unwillingly in compromising situations. We advise you where to have good fun without damage.

• Expatriates tend to congregate in some specific areas of Beijing. If you wish to mingle with the ‘expat crowd’ on a night out, we can plan your evening with you and lead you to the good spots.

ASSISTING YOU AT THE FACTORY AND INSIDE THE COUNTRY

• If your trip leads you to a factory inside the country – as is often the case – we accompany you along and perform the same tasks for you as in Beijing. We arrange local transportation and hospitality conditions with the factory owners. During the factory tours, we offer you additional suggestions for questions based on our observations. We translate your questions and their answers, and give you our comments on certain aspects that factory owners might not be willing to disclose upfront. Such comments might relate to environmental factors, to the workers’ living conditions, to the interference of the local and political context with the plant operations, to the infrastructure available. Should you need a high-level consultant to help you along this very technical trip, we find a trustworthy and experienced one for you in our circle of foreign and Chinese relationships.

OUR MISSION: TO HELP YOU LEAD A SUCCESSFUL AND MEMORABLE TRIP

You come to China with a specific business mission.

We help you accomplish just that, removing distractions off your way, guiding you in unfamiliar territory, helping you drive a hard but fair bargain.

Contact us as early as possible. Last minute is possible but preparation is much better.

Tell us more about your needs in the form below, or call us directly at 86-10-85865933-0.