Business Quote by Anonymous
“When a Japanese manufacturer was asked by his North American counterpart, What is the best language in which to do business?" the man responded: "My customer's language”
About This Quote
The anecdote highlights the importance of speaking a customer's language to succeed in business.
In simple terms: Use the customer's language for business success.
Key Takeaway
Adapt communication to your audience.
Themes
business
communication
customer focus
Mood
practical
insightful
Type
advice
observation
When to use this quote
- sales
- marketing
- international negotiations
Key Concepts
Cultural adaptation
language strategy
Questions to Reflect On
- What other factors influence cross‑cultural business success?
- How can you learn a customer's language effectively?
A Different Perspective
Assuming language alone solves all business challenges is simplistic.
![“Another segment of society that has constructed a language of its own is business. ... [The businessman] is speaking a language that is familiar to him and dear to him. Its portentous nouns and verbs invest ordinary events with high adventure; the executive walks among ink erasers caparisoned like…” quote by E B White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3cc/e-b-white-3-53856_business_another-segment-of-society-that-has-cons_2375788.jpg)
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)